Mack's Corner

Intriguing People
 
A few years ago a friend of mine put me in her magazine as one of the 20 most intriguing people in Memphis. Not really the cover of Rolling Stone, but it was nice of her. The problem with stuff like that is that you have to live up to it. People will say "Hey there's Mack, he's supposed to be one of the most intriguing people in Memphis, I'll go talk to him" …then they come back  …"Well how was it??" "He doesn't seem very intriguing to me, like talking to a post, I would rather have somebody beat on my foot with a stick!!!"  …. You can't let that kind of thing happen. So I thought I would do a few things to make sure I remained intriguing. I think I need a black Tux, with a black shirt and a black tie and black socks and black shoes and black belt and black underwear and cool black sunglasses. Then I could get personal trainer to teach me some cool ways to stand so I can look cool and dangerous… you got to look dangerous. Maybe learn a karate stance and just stand that way all the time. I was going to trade in my Motorcycle for an all black (custom paint job)  Ducati Superleggera so I could race pretty girls and bad guys on mountain roads like James Bond, but they wanted too much money. Plus, there's never anybody up on mountain roads anyway. I'll just get a Ferrari key chain and spin it on my finger a lot.  I was thinking I would take ballroom dancing so I could learn to tango, that looks really cool in the movies, but I really hate dancing. The last time I did it was at my senior prom and I looked like I was killing roaches. I can just walk up to strange women and say "Tango?" then look at my watch and say "Sorry, have to leave. Maybe another time…" I started reading Tolstoy but I kept falling asleep so I got a book of quotes. Here's a few: "Boredom: the desire for desires."  .. or "Even in the valley of the shadow of death, two and two do not make six." .. or "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."  .. Don't ask me where that came from but it's easy to memorize and obscure enough that I could always answer "War and Peace". I'm now watching Indiana Jones and James Bond movies. Pretty soon I'll be so intriguing I'll be signing autographs in disguise … maybe it would be more intriguing if I didn't say anything… even better!!!
 
God's like that. People tell me that they can't figure out what God wants them to do. But usually they're looking at someone else's life, someone they think has a great purpose. God's not looking for us to be someone else or to live up to somebody's idea of a Christian. He made us the way we are for a reason. If you do the things you're good at for God, you'll see him in everything you do. To God, you're the most interesting and unique person in the world.
 
I've got to go get my Tux fitted. Can you wear a cummerbund and still be intriguing?

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Cooking 220 - 2 pans, 2 burners, 20 minutes:
I was reading an issue of Saveur, the best/only food magazine left and they had a whole section on deviled eggs. I love deviled eggs. So here's several ways to do it…

First, there are 3 things you do the same on all of these: Cook the eggs, peel the eggs, and fill the eggs.

All of these recipes use 12 eggs. IF you want to do less or more than that multiply or divide the recipe.

Cook the eggs: Get a large bowl and fill it with ice water, set aside .. Place the eggs a 4 qt pot of water and bring it to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let it sit for 15 minutes. Drain the eggs and CRACK EACH SHELL. Transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice water to cool, 1 min. (Yes, this is the right order. Crack the egg first then put it in the ice water. The egg will shrink but the shell won't, making it easy to peel).

Peel the Eggs: As soon as the eggs a cool enough to handle peel them under running water (The longer you wait, the harder it is to peel them. The running water will get between the shell and the egg making it easier to peel).

Fill the eggs: Cut each egg in half and scoop out the yolks in to a bowl. Add all of the rest of ingredients (see below) to the yolks and mix well. It should be smooth and creamy. Taste, re-season with salt and pepper. Put the mixture in to a zip-lock type bag. Cut off one bottom corner of the bag and squeeze the filling back in to the halved hard egg whites… Serve cold or at room temp…

Recipes:

Bacon and Cheese filling:

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mayo

4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped .. plus 2 tsp bacon grease reserved

Salt & pepper

Hot Sauce

Pickled Jalapenos filling:

3 tbsp mayo

3 tbsp sour cream

3 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp minced pickled jalapenos

2 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp minced celery

1 tbsp minced onion

1/2 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)

Salt and pepper

Smoked Trout filling:

1/2 cup mayo

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp whole-grain mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne or other red pepper

Salt & pepper

1/4 cup shredded smoked trout or smoked salmon (optional)

Mix everything except the trout/salmon. Fill the eggs. Top each egg with the trout/salmon

Southern Style Filling:

4 tbsp Durkee Famous sauce

2 tbsp sweet pickle relish

½ tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)

Salt & pepper

Tabasco to taste

This is great at a football party or to take to Aunt Betty's house for Sunday super..

Mack