I miss diner food. There I've said it. It's not at all the thing I anticipated missing - I'd prefer my homesickness to be a bit more highbrow - but I do. I miss grease, hash browns, the miracle that is corned beef, cheap ketchup and absurd breakfast skillets with seven different kinds of meat.
I also miss grease.
And grease.
(Although, this just in: Danes sometimes smear pork lard on their toast which is as good as grease and, obviously, one thousand percent genius).
American diners boast a special kind of cuisine. Hovering over the sweet spot of junk food and home cooking, good diner food can both fill you up and make you hate yourself for hours after. It also cures hangovers. And diets. Back in our roaring twenties, Sarah and I enjoyed a lot of diner meals, mostly at our favorite spot on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. It had sticky pleather booths, burned coffee and a mustachioed owner who affably slapped your backs on your way in and out. Sadly, it's closed now but memories of our indulgent brunches/late night, post pub eating extravaganzas, still linger. Sarah usually got a skillet, always with ham, never with green peppers and I always, ALWAYS got the biscuits and gravy.
Last summer I bought myself a smoker. An impulse buy that came after procuring a beautiful piece of pork belly (destined to become smokey bacon) and immediately feeling frustrated about not being able to smoke at home. Enough was enough - I needed smoke! I careened into the nearest Home Depot and bought a Brinkmann Sportsman Charcoal Smoker. In all honesty, it's not the king of smokers (one day I WILL get a Big Green Egg) but for small, compact city living, it does the job. If you have this model or something similar just be sure you monitor the temperature closely so as not to get too much direct heat. 200-215 degrees F is ideal.
As a wedding gift we received a beautiful handmade, sauerkraut pot from Sarah's Uncle Doug, a gifted potter from Navarro, CA. It's sturdy - just like any good crock should be - but its also rather visually striking. It slightly reminds us of a treasure you might find hidden in an ancient tomb or archeological site. Spattered with the delicate reminisce of the salt kiln and etched with carvings of Doug's design, it's a prized possession for sure!
