Well the count down clock has started. Looking at the beef today it appears they are ready for there visit with destiny.

My son raises several every year. He sells them custom butchered and we always have a half.

This is big red: A red angus crossed on Black Angus which creates a nice steak.

Weeks later, a few days before Christmas, my wife came home from cribbage and told me we were eating Christmas dinner down at Soda’s. I’m not a traditionalist, but I do think Christmas is for staying home and eating with family. Christmas dinner in a bar was... Read More

We are just doing a bit of clean up around the shop before going on vacation. Be good and remember I have already started my list for next year.

Part 2

When the snow flew for the first time in October, Bill and Bonnie had been staying close to home for about two weeks. No one had seen them except for myself. I had been helping Bill roof his cottage and doing some patching on his foundation. He paid we... Read More

**A story about island life in the Great Lakes during the holidays. Intrigue, mystery, whimsy, magic, geese and cooking. Enjoy.**

The thing with the geese started shortly after Bill and Bonnie Brandt set up housekeeping in their old family place up on the north shor... Read More

So my friend Sal Sassano from Sicily offers up his octopus salad recipe to me as an appie idea for myself and friends. What is a chef to do? Order octopus and start cooking of course! I am always on the prow for something new. In the catering business there are those that lead and those the try to follow. We lead and put ourselves out there on the edge all the ti... Read More

As I have been finishing my own hog that was butchered in early September I thought it might be good to go through pork fresh side and converting that belly to bacon.

First, the trichinosis has to be dealt with, I doubt the hogs I purchase have it, but I am not willing to take the chance. So into the deep freeze they go after butchering until they have been at... Read More

continued, So I thought that my suave hospitality skills will smooth over Barny. Boy was I wrong!. ‘I AM NOT SITTING DOWN UNTIL I GET SOME MEAT! She was really loud.Crap! A redneck! ‘Ok would you let the other people thru to the rest of the buffet?’ I AM STANDING RIGHT HERE UNTIL I GET SOME MEAT!. By now the entire room had shut up and was starin... Read More

I can’t beginto tell you the stories from the last5 weeks, that would take a lot of beer and more than a few nights at the bar. Well here is the tale that surely represents the season.
Ho hum another party for really wealthy,snobby, oh yeah, the purple pantsuit,no its not Lavender. Ok, Heres the setting. The club has closed for a privateparty for the empl... Read More

Every year we are invited to a Christmas party at the boyhood home of former president Gerald Ford. The house is situated in an older part of Grand Rapids. Its a grand Victorian surrounded by other Victorians in various stages of decay or renovation. The house looks enormous... Read More