Some of my favorite Mexican dishes include Quesadillas and Tacos, but as I said before they have to be made with fresh ingredients; so none of that frozen junk.

…post not complete.

Turns out that cooking smoked food is not as difficult as I had originally thought it was.  All you really need to do is cook your food over an indirect heat source rather than over a direct heat source; basically put the meat next to the hot coals not directly over them.

So, here’s what I did.  I placed an aluminum foil divider upright in order to divide my Weber BBQ into 2 sections.  The I put the coals on the right side of my small Weber BBQ.  Then I put the grill on as normal.  I attached a small metal strainer about 2 inches in diameter to the bottom of the grill; this strainer is where the wet hickory chips will be placed.

After the coals were ready (about 15 minutes)  I put the wet hickory chips (they need to soak for about 30 minutes) into the small strainer and placed the grill onto the BBQ.  Meat goes on left side of the grill and directly over the strainer and wet chips I placed a small aluminium tray filled 3/4′s with water.  Place the cover on the BBQ and open the vents about 1/2 way.  Ideally you want the temp. inside the BBQ to run at about 110 degrees C; adjust the air intake and air outtake vents accordingly to achieve the desired temp.

The hickory chips and tray of water are key to the smoking process.  The hot coals heat the wet hickory chips to produce a wonderful smelling hickory smoke.  This smoke then rises and mixes with the hot water vapor from the water in the tray that is heating up.  This smoky water vapor then engulfs the meat and cooks it slowly over time.  Time is also a key factor as you are going to need a minimum of 3.5 hours to properly smoke your ribs.   You will need to continuously replace the wet hickory chips over the course of those 3.5 hours.  Each batch of hickory chips lasts between 15 and 30 minutes; the larger the chips the longer they will last.  You will know it’s time to replenish the wet chips when smoke has stopped coming out of the top air vent.

I have now cooked both smoked BBQ ribs as well as smoked BBQ chicken and I will never go back to the plain old BBQ again; smoking the meat adds a delicious extra dimension of taste to the food that you just can’t get with a normal BBQ process.  Trust me the extra cooking time is worth the wait.

Below I have listed a very basic BBQ smoked rib dry rub recipe and mop (sauce) recipe.  I have also included a pic of what BBQ ribs look like after a normal BBQ cooking process; notice how much darker and smokier the smoked ribs appear than the regular BBQ ribs do.

Rub

2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp ground black pepper

2 teasp cayenne pepper

Mop

Stay tuned for a great Japanese style Nabe recipe that’s easy and great to cook during those crisp Autumn months.

Grandma is Whack!

This is what Wikipedia has to say about CAPTCHA:

A CAPTCHA or Captcha (pronounced /ˈkæptʃə/) is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. The process usually involves one computer (a server) asking a user to complete a simple test which the computer is able to generate and grade. Because other computers are unable to solve the CAPTCHA, any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human. Thus, it is sometimes described as a reverse Turing test, because it is administered by a machine and targeted to a human, in contrast to the standard Turing test that is typically administered by a human and targeted to a machine. A common type of CAPTCHA requires that the user type letters or digits from a distorted image that appears on the screen.

The term “CAPTCHA” (based upon the word capture) was coined in 2000 by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum, Nicholas J. Hopper, and John Langford(all of Carnegie Mellon University). It is a contrived acronym for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.” Carnegie Mellon University attempted to trademark the term,^[2] but the trademark application was abandoned on 21 April 2008.^[3]

The Captcha text in the above picture is an actual Captcha that I had to retype on 4chan.  What I want to do is for people to send me the craziest and lulzyest Captcha texts that they get and then I’ll post them here on this site.  I think the one that I got is pretty good but I’m sure that some of you people can find better.  30 days, contest ON biotches!!!

In February 2010, a mysterious billboard appeared along I-35 near Wyoming, Minn. It showed former President George W. Bush smirking and waving along with the caption “Miss me yet?” This was assumed to be an expression of dissatisfaction concerning the performance of current President Barack Obama.
No one seemed to know who was responsible. Some details were revealed in a Feb 9, 2010 story on npr.com:

The Bush Miss Me Yet? billboard was paid for by a group of small business owners who feel like Washington is against them. They wish to remain anonymous. They thought it was a fun way of getting out their message.

The billboard was vandalized in late July so that the text read “No” after the original caption and a mustache was added.
However, the sign was put up months after a demotivational poster had circulated the web in September of 2009 comprised of the same text, though different picture of the former president.

Since then, occasional variations have sprung forth on the Internet that show a different image photoshopped onto the billboard, or an entirely different image altogether. Usually the caption “Miss me yet?” is included, although some variants exist.

FARK Thread

On September 5, 2010 several Miss me yet images were posted on a fark.com thread regarding President Obama’s sagging approval ratings. The thread can be viewed at: http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=5601598.
Some versions of the meme express the answer to George W’s question as a resounding “no.” Others appear to lack political motivation and are the product of mere whimsy.

Leo Strut

Here are some of my favorite examples of Leo strutting.

-click to enlarge-

1. Put the can in a freezer ( time : 20 -25 minutes )

2. Put the can in a bucket of ice ( time to freeze: 10 – 15 minutes)

3. Put the can in a bucket of ice filled with water ( time to freeze: 4- 6 minutes)

4. Put the can in a bucket of ice. Fill it with water. Pour salt in that water. (Chill time : 1-2 minutes)

5. Put the can in a bucket of ice. Fill it with water. Pour salt in that water. Agitate the can in the water, roll it around, stir the bucket. ( Chill time :< 1 minute)

So there you go…  

The fastest possible way is to grab a CO2 fire extinguisher and unload that sucker on the can. However, we would recommend that you don’t do it this way but go through the salt way.

Whatever you do, do NOT bury the can in sand, pour gasoline on the sand and set the sand on fire. That won’t do anything.

This is all empirically gained evidence, not third party.” [via] – Link.

Image source: moon.ouhsc.edu

is that a dog or a sandwich, neither it's the exclusively Japanese dogawich

When is a hot dog not a hot dog?  When it’s a uniquely Japanese dogawich of course! 

Recently,  six-time Coney Island Fourth of July hot dog eating contest champion Takeru Kobayashi was treated to a few hours in the big house for his antics at the annual Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest held in Coney Island, NY. 

The contest was ultimately won by USA’s very own son, Joey “the Jaws” Chestnut.  But mine is not to comment on whether Kobi deserved his trip to jail or not, rather it’s to explore the depths of the topic for this month’s Japan Blog Matsuri hosted by Mokudekiru, ちょっと違う (Chotto Chigau)
or…“Not Quite the Same”

Namely, how Japan has taken the traditionally American past-time of chompin on a dog, and turned it into the uniquely Japanese dogawich.  Exhibit A, the Japanese dogawich on the top portion of the screen - versions of the dogawich can be found at nearly all of Japan’s major coffeebars, this is Doutor’s version.

Exhibit B, the American Fenway Frank, 3 versions of which can be viewed below.  Are you a bon- vivant, a gastronome, a  connoisseur of those delicacies - onion, relish and saurkraut, or are you a simple ketchup and mustard kinda person?

I guess my heart still has a fond place for the American hot dog and has not yet accepted the numerous virtues of the Japanese dogawich … how about you?

“This article is a submission for the Japan Blog Matsuri hosted by Mokudekiru“

Japanese Goblins, Ghosts, Shapeshifters and Devils of the Buddhist Hell are a motley crew ranging from downright funny to ghoulishly scary.  

The Kings of Japanese Ghost Stories (Kaidan) are Koizumi Yakumo f/k/a Lafcadio Hearn who wrote Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things in the early 1900s and Shigeru Mizuki who, in the 1960s, wrote the popular Gegege no Kitaro series – all about Youkai.  

Interestingly, whereas, in many Western cultures, ghost stories are most often recited in Autumn around the time of All Hallows Eve or Halloween, in Japan ghost stories have been traditionally used as a way to cool down from the intollerable heat of summer.  These days many of us have the benefit of air con, but historically, Japanese figured out that the cold chill of fear experienced from a well-told ghost story was a refreshing blast amid the summer heat.  For this reason, Japan enjoys its Ghosts, Ghouls, Goblins, Shapeshifters and other Scaries during the summer months. 

 Myth holds that the land of the Youkai is called Gensokyo and it can only be accessed by travelling through the gateway at Hakurei Shrine. 

courtesy of ayakreuz.tripod.com

courtesy of www.onlineghibli.com/

Youkai have become more popular of late as they have been featured in several Manga series as well as in some of the popular Hayao Miyazake animated movies like Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (English Title – Spirited Away) and Tonari no Totoro (English Title – My Neighbor Totoro).  Sen to Chihiro featured at least two Youkai that I can think of, the Nukekubi and the Nopperabo.  And, Totoro featured at least one Youkai, the Nekomata or Bake neko. 

courtesy of www.obakemono.com

courtesy of gothamist.com

  Although most often lumped together into one big group, I favor Robert Jay Gould’s 4 categories based on origin.  Below are brief explanations and examples of certain Youkai, Yuurei and Bakemono but the category of Oni is so broad that it is best delved into at a different time when it can be given the attention it properly deserves.  

Youkai - goblinlike monsters were born as monsters and have always been this way. 

    ExamplesTanuki (raccoon dog) 

courtesy of turning-iwatean.blogspot.com

Tanuki have really large testicles and in Japanese myth, the tanuki use their over-sized testicles for many purposes. They are so large they can sleep on them, fill them with air and use them as drums or even as a parachute. In wilder stories, they are known to extend their testicles to the size of eight tatami rooms. They then usually invite human beings into the testicle rooms and discuss or bargain with them. If you are invited in a tanuki’s ballroom (pun intended), remember to put out your cigarettes; you’ll be in for a dangerous adventure if your burning ashes touch the testicle floor… 

Yamabiko (valley echo) – you can summon a Yamabiko by lighting 100 candles and then putting them out 1 by 1.  After the final candle has been put out the Yamabiko will appear in front of you in the darkness. 

courtesy of mathewmeyer.com

Yama Uba (mountain witch) 

She preys on travelers lost in the woods, sometimes disguising herself as a beautiful young maiden, other times sneaking up on them and ensnaring them in her hair, other time offering to help them and instead capturing them, fattening them up to eat later. 

Yuurei - are closest to the ghosts and spirits of the Western world, and Onryo (vengeance seeking ghosts) are a special sub-category of Yuurei.  If a person is killed while feeling strong hatred or need for revenge against their killer the ghost (Onryo) of that person will be able to return and take vengeance on the killer.  

    Examples 

Ikiryou (doppleganger or ghost body double) 

courtesy of vientosdeldestino.blogspot.com

Yuki Onna (snow woman) 

The snow woman of Niigata Prefecture causes people to freeze to death and tears the livers out of living children, in Iwate and Miyagi she can pull out your soul, and in Ibaraki she calls out to passers-by and pushes them into ravines if she is ignored. In Aomori she takes on the character of the mother ghost called ubume, harassing people into holding her child, which then becomes so large it crushes them and she devours the body. 

courtesy of deviantart.com

Kuchisake Onna (vampire mouth woman) 

There is a kinda scary story about the Kuchisake Onna, you can check it out here. 

Bakemono – are supernatural shapeshifters that originated from something else; generally negative feelings will create an Obake. 

    Examples 

Nekomata (shapeshifting shamin cat) cats that live past 10 years of age and turn into Nekomata and their tails split in 2; said to have shaman-like abilities and hate humans at some times (pictured above). 

courtesy of cronicasmundosocultos.blogspot.com

Nopperabo (the faceless) 

They appear at first as a human being, sometimes even impersonating someone familiar to the victim, before causing their face to melt and disappear leaving a smooth sheet of skin where the facial features formerly were. 

Nukekubi (headless body)   

courtesy of wikimedia.com

Appears as a normal human being but at nighttime the head can fully detach from the body and bounce or fly around searching for people to devour.  Myth has it that if you encounter a headless body you should hide it away so that the returning head can’t find its body and then both parts will die.  In his book Kwaidan – Japanese Ghost Stories, Koizumi Yakumo mistakenly referred to the Nukekubi as Rokurokubi, which can elongate or stretch their necks while the head goes in search of food.

courtesy of scaryforkids.com

As far as my favorite, well after a lot of consideration I narrowed it down to two.  One “funny” favorite, the Tanuki or big-balled raccoon dog, and one “scary” favorite, the Nukekubi or headless body. 

“This article is a submission for the Japan Blog Matsuri hosted by Mazikeen“ 

Sources

1. Addis, Stephen, ed. Japanese Ghosts and Demons: Art of the Supernatural. George Braziller, 2001.
2. Kiej’e, Nikolas. Japanese Grotesqueries. C. E. Tuttle Co., 1973.
3. abbr. KYDD: Kaii-Yōkai Denshō Database. Online bibliographical database of supernatural folklore published by the International Research Center for Japanese Studies.
4. Mizuki, Shigeru. Mizuki Shigeru No Nihon Yōkai Meguri. JTB, 2001.
5. Mizuki, Shigeru. Aizōban Yōkai Gadan. Iwanami Shoten, 2002.
6. Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 1: Kantō, Hokkaidō, Okinawa-hen. Soft Garage, 2003.
7. Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 2: Chūbu-hen. Soft Garage, 2003.
8. Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 3: Kinki-hen. Soft Garage, 2003.
9. Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 4: Chūgoku, Shikoku-hen. Soft Garage, 2004.
10. Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 5: Tōhoku, Kyūshū-hen. Soft Garage, 2004.
11. Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 6: Sekai, Tokubetsu-hen. Soft Garage, 2004.
12. Takehara, Shunsen. Tōsanjin Yawa – Ehon Hyaku Monogatari. Kadokawa Shoten, 2006. ISBN 4043830017.
13. Toriyama, Sekien. Gazu Hyakki Yakō Zenga Shū. Kadokawa Shoten, 2005. ISBN 4044051011.
14. Yanagita, Kunio. Yōkai Dangi. Kōdansha, 1977. ISBN 406158135X.