Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1. Blackstone Griddle
Lest you forget that I am a middle aged white man, here is your most recent reminder. For years I have used a standard gas grill and generally loved it. When I first saw viral videos (a phrase to make a middle aged white man’s stomach turn) of grown men being giddy over their Blackstone stir fry or their Blackstone fajitas or their full Blackstone breakfasts I rolled my eyes and held staunchly to tradition. But as is the case for most prejudiced people, I simply needed gracious exposure. So when a friend cooked an entire breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and toast I was softened. Then I saw a couple guys at our church cook about 600 hot dogs lickety split on two black stones for an event, and I was moved. Then I talked to a couple friends who are Blackstone enthusiasts and I was converted. I got one a few months ago, and sure enough, Blackstone stir fry, fajitas, and breakfasts are amazing. And while I still get to use my grill (open flame cooking is just different), you can cook so many different kinds of delicious things on one of these. So consider this the latest middle aged white guy endorsements for your outdoor cooking setup.
2. Pappyland by Wright Thompson
Wright Thompson is one of the best non-fiction storytellers I have ever read. He is a journalist, yes, but also a brilliant writer. He captures and expresses the stories of people beautifully. For years I read his work about athletes and teams and places, and when I picked up Pappyland I anticipated more magnificent writing, telling me the story and lore of a legendary bourbon. What I got instead was the story and lore of a legendary bourbon woven throughout a magnificently told memoir of family and legacy–both the author’s and the VanWinkles’. It is a true southern memoir, if you are familiar with that warm, dark genre. It is an ode to craftsmanship and a dirge for bygone days. And it is a hopeful work, marked by affection and loyalty. Whether or not you care a speck about bourbon, if you love great writing and memoir you’ll appreciate this book.
3. The Oxford Comma
I can’t decide whether to offer a pedantic defense of a grammatical necessity or poetic ode to a much-maligned friend. (If you are unfamiliar with what this particular use of the comma is, then content yourself with reading Pappyland while cooking on your Blackstone.) Much has been written on this matter, mostly of the pedantic sort, being that grammarians tend toward pedantry. But the fact remains that the Oxford comma is not just utilitarian, it is elegant. It provides cadence and flow to the reading of words, a particularly meaningful aspect of works read aloud. I could drone on and state a thorough case for this most crucial of punctuations. Instead I will simply plant my flag, don my jersey, and carry my flame for the magnificent Oxford comma.
