Songs from the Sunflower State: "True Dreams of Wichita" by Soul Coughing

Over the past few weeks, I've been spotlighting songs that mention Kansas and a recipe to complement each song. Thus far we've looked at:

"40-Hour Week" by Alabama
"Lawrence, KS." by Josh Ritter
"Choctaw Bingo" by Jame McMurtry
"Kansas" by Fred Eaglesmith.

Today we conclude this feature by examine Soul Coughing's "True Dreams of Wichita".

I'm not good at parties. Being around a crowd always makes me a bit uneasy. I'd much rather stay at home with family and friends. The social pressure of a party makes me feel awkward, and to cope with this I usually drink too much, which compounds the problem. I've learned that party hosts don't like it when a drunken guest rifles through the refrigerator, nor do people appreciate guests speculating that Laverne and Shirley may have been lesbians. I met no harm.

For various reasons, I'm not also not very adept at small talk. For one, I struggle to focus when engaged at a conversation at a party. I always get the feeling that there's a more interesting conversation within earshot of the one I'm currently involved in, so I strain to catch snippets of the talk occurring around me, which make me lose my train of thought. Of course, the dullness of my conversation probably can be attributed to me.

Also, music at a party always compounds the problem. For most people, music is mere background noise, but for me it's always in the foreground. I gravitate towards music and lose interest in conversation.

Several years ago at a party , the song "True Dreams of Wichita" by Soul Coughing demanded my attention at a party: Here's a taste:

I've seen the rains of the real world come forward on the plain

I've seen the Kansas of your sweet little myth

You've never seen it, no.

I'm half sick on the drinks you mixed

Through your

True dreams
Of Wichita

Brooklyn like a sea in the asphalt stalks

Push out dead air from a parking garage

Where you stand with the keys and your cool hat of silence

Where you grip her love like a driver's license

I've seen you fire up the gas in the engine valves

I've seen your hand turn saintly on the radio dial

I've seen the airwaves pull your eyes towards heaven

Outside Topeka in the phone lines her good teeth smile was winding down

Engine sputters ghosts out of gasoline fumes

They say You had it, but you sold it

You didn't want it, no.

I'm half drunk on babble you transmit

Through your

True dreams

Of Wichita

I don't know what the heck the song means, but the Ginsbergian lyrics and deep-booming bass line always make me feel much hipper than I really am. Plus the fact that it mentions Kansas has earned it a place on my Ipod.

When I think of Wichita, I think of pizza. I know this doesn't make any sense to most people, but for this Kansas boy who received a healthy of dose of Kansas history during his formative school years, Wichita is the birthplace of Pizza Hut, a fact I was very proud of one I was younger.

However, today I have no use for Pizza Hut or any other pizza chain. In fact, it's been three years since I've last had a pizza delivered to The Greasy Skillet headquarters. When we crave pizza we make it ourselves using the following pizza dough:

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

• 1 package yeast
  
• 1 cup lukewarm (100-110) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions:

1. Proof the yeast by adding the yeast, water, and sugar to a mixing bowl. Whisk together and allow it to rest for 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes foamy.
2. Add flour, salt, and olive oil.
3. With your mixer, use the dough hook to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. You might need to add a little flour, so that the dough comes together into a ball.
4. In a warm place, proof the dough for 45-60 minutes, until it doubles in size.
5. Use the dough for your pizza or freeze it for a later use.

I'm not going to share a recipe on how to make a pizza; after all, you know how to do that, but here are my five tips to help you surpass Pizza Hut.

1. Use a baking stone, so you can get a crisp crust.
   
2. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees and bake your pizza at a this high temperature.
   
3. Build your pizza on a piece of parchment paper, so that you can easily slide it on and off baking peel or inverted cookie sheet.
   
4. Experiment with toppings and use quality ingredients.
5. I like to prep all the toppings and set them out on the counter, so guests can make their own pizzas.
   
6. Always have some dough in the freezer.
   
7. Have fun!

Five Favorite Toppings at The Greasy Skillet

1. My wife enjoys a sausage and sauerkraut pizza.
2. I like to poach a chicken breast and thinly slice it. Then I place it on a pizza with some fresh spinach, red onions, feta cheese, and mozzarella.
   
3. I also like spreading some pesto in place of a red sauce, and then I sprinkle it with a little mozzarella cheese.
4. Chopping and placing fresh garlic on a pizza really kicks it up a notch. We also occasionally place just a little cream cheese on a pizza.
   
5. Little Miss Picky Eater likes the following small pizza with no sauce and lots of cheese:

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

take care,
muddy

Sunflower Songs + Bonus Giveaway: Lawrence, Kansas by Josh Ritter

Today's post is part 2 of a series I'm doing on songs about Kansas and an accompanying recipe. Today's post is special because I post my first link to YouTube, and I'm having my first official giveaway.

Lawrence, KS (Can't Leave This World Behind)

Dirt roads and dryland farming might be the death of me
But I can't leave this world behind
Debts are not like prison where there's hope of getting free
And I can't leave this world behind

I've been from here to Lawrence, Kansas
Trying to leave my state of mind
Trying to leave this awful sadness
But I can't leave this world behind

***Josh Ritter

My favorite singer-songwriter at this moment is Josh Ritter, a literate down-to-earth soul who is passionate about his craft. His passion is contagious. I challenge you to go to one of his shows and not go away inspired. I own all of his albums, and while I love all of his songs, I have to say his song "Lawrence, Kansas" is my favorite because today I call Lawrence home and I relate to the song's narrator. In the song, the narrator sings about escaping, leaving his life behind, and finding greener pastures. For him, Lawrence, KS. represents greener pastures; however, he just can't shake his former life. There are some things you just can't leave behind; some things are always in the rearview mirror.

I relate to the song because Lawrence represented greener pastures for me.

I grew up in a small town of less than 1,000 folks. While it's fashionable to make disparaging comments about growing up in a small town, you won't catch me doing it here at The Greasy Skillet. Growing up in a small town, I was blessed to have family, friends, teachers, and an entire community that wanted the best for me, and on most days they gave me the best they had to offer. I'll always be grateful for my hometown, but I'm also grateful for Lawrence -home to the University of Kansas and only a 30 minute drive from my childhood home.

(Downtown Lawrence)

Like a lot of people who grow up in small town, there were times when I felt out of place. I was a hyper-sensitive soul who craved literature, poetry, and the bohemian spirit. I occasionally needed a break from my hometown. Surrounded by people who listened AC/DC and talked incessantly about sports, hunting, and muscle cars made a guy like myself feel awfully alone at times. I needed Lawrence. In high school I'd visit Lawrence about once a month, and I'd spend the day hanging out in book stores, record stores, and coffee shops.

(Love Garden Records)

I would catch some live music at one of Lawrence's numerous music venues.

I know there are other great towns and cities out there, and many might be a better place to live than Lawrence, but this town will always be special to me and a place I'll always call home.

In the future I plan on talking about more than food here at The Greasy Skillet, and one of my goals is to document what I love about Lawrence, KS.

What do you love about your town? Share your answer to this question in a comment, and your name will be placed in a drawing to win one of Josh Ritter's albums or you can choose a cookbook from my basement bookshelf (I'll give you your choices later). The deadline for submissions will be Tuesday at midnight. Early Wednesday evening I will announce a winner.

Now you're probably wondering: Where is the recipe to go with the song? I'll share that tomorrow.

take care,

muddywaters

P.S. For more Josh Ritter music, visit the following sites:

Josh : Full, live-in-concert set from Josh and the band's performance in August 2008, streaming on NPR's website.

Hilary Hahn and Josh Ritter - An Uncommon Duo: Full concert stream + bonus features from NPR's Morning Edition.

Josh Ritter in Concert (9:30 Club): The full concert from The 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. - with interview - streaming at NPR's All Songs Considered. Josh sings "Lawrence, KS." about 1 hour and 18 minutes into this show. Check it out.

Josh Ritter in Concert (XPN Fridays): Full concert performance from Josh and the band's performance for NPR's "XPN Live Fridays" at The World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.