Burger Time!

     No, this isn't my gaming blog, and no, I have never played the game Burger Time. But it is burger time. I just learned how to make them without them puffing up in the middle, turning them into meatballs! Now that I can do that, I can add varying spices and condiments. So, I've come up with a list of things I have tried and liked, and things I would like to try.

Chili burger - Grind a bunch of chili peppers and chopped onion, add chili powder and seasoning.
Ground pepper burger - Add salt and cayenne/habanero/ghost pepper.
Mushroom burger - Without saturating it, add a can of condensed Cream of Mushroom soup to the meat; preferably topped with Swiss cheese.
Pizza burger - Without saturating it, add pizza sauce to the meat; chop up whatever toppings you like and mix them in; top with shredded cheese.

Eulogy for China House.

     Back when I lived in Vincennes, I usually lived downtown. Often, on days off, I would chillax with a few shots and either TV or a game. Then, when hunger pangs set in, I would walk to Third Street, between Main and Vigo, to chow down at a little place called China House.
     China House was run by the Zheng family; usually one woman running it and one or two people in the back room. But they made it work, usually. Yes, it had a ghetto feel to it, but that was part of its charm. And, if you're drunk or on lunch break from the hospital or some establishment downtown, it always hit the spot. It also hit the spot when you introduced a friend to pot; I'm not saying much further on that.
     This little establishment downtown had a small variety of things that would suit whatever mood you're in. Whenever I went there, I would often start with what I called the "land, sea, air" combo. This combo would include beef stir-fry, imitation crab casserole, and something of chicken. Hot-and-sour soup would often follow. And the menu would often vary.
     Recently, I had time to kill and an appetite, so I went there. But what I found was that they had closed down. Checking Facebook, I found that it happened at least two months ago. They will be missed, and I will always look back on it with a nostalgic feel.
     You're probably not reading this, but I still want to say thank you, Zheng family, for the memories and the food.

Experiencing Bloomington.

     My frequent trips to see my girlfriend, Denise, have opened my horizons to a broader base of experiences. When she is at work, I try to explore the area a bit. I hope to find new, regular haunts for when I move up there (provided things go well).
     For my birthday, she got me a vial of vapor juice. It is called caramel macchiato. They were not kidding when they labeled that flavor! It tastes like its namesake, but with no milk, so it's a strong caffeinated taste.

     I visited other vapor shops; one of them told me that my tanks that I use, Nautilus X, will be phased out. That was why they were so hard to find up there.
     I have been expanding my cookbook collection, thanks to a chain called Half-Price Books. I really want to get a few recipes written down before I do a major grocery trip.
     Speaking of groceries, the stores there have such a huge variety! In addition to having a few sushi bars around town, their Kroger has one, too! Yes, it's sometimes expensive, but it's worth it if you can swing it.

     Months ago, we went to a festival called Tastes of Bloomington. It was so good! They had samples from around the city. I liked the Indian place, and the grilled mac-n-cheese sandwich called the Mac Daddy, which is locally famous.

It's my guilty pleasure, don't judge me!

     It's often ridiculed as a poor-man's champagne, a high-school student's first alcohol, and a sickly sweet vomit-inducer. But, holy fuck, I like it! MD 20/20. I like it. There, I said it, so sue me. Not all flavors, but some; Banana Red and Habanero Citrus, especially.
     I'm sipping some Banana Red right now. It's my guilty pleasure. Not sure if it goes well with my clove vapor or not. Maybe I'll see how it tastes with Pixie Dust. Cheers!

So many taste sensations.

     I've been discovering a lot of stuff lately. I won't write about each one in a separate blog entry, so I'll compile them and talk a bit about each. Also, I think that, since this is my taste blog, I should expand that topic beyond food and drink, and include vapor flavors. I mean, after all, vapor can be found in various flavors and delivery systems.

     So, after a while of using just the vapor pen, I got my hands on the iStick Nano. It's completely amazing! That, coupled with the Nautilus X Aspire tanks, expands my choices for new flavors, as it handles thicker e-juice blends.
     Soon after getting my iStock Nano, I found out my favorite go-to flavor, Wrath (cinnamon clove), was discontinued due to new laws. In fact, the whole Juicifer line (Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Pride, etc.) was discontinued, and there was no clove alternative. However, I found one online, from a company called VaporFi. It's amazing! Puffing it brought out my inner goth, as it tastes like Djarum black (a goth stereotype). It's my new go-to flavor; I've already ordered three back-up bottles. Since it's such a harsh flavor though, I haven't been puffing it since I got the bronchitis that's been going around.
     I was recently recommended a new flavor from a company called Crushed. It's a dragonfruit snowcone flavor called Dragon Slayer. Perfect name for a fantasy geek like myself. And is it good! It's completely amazing and I'm thinking of getting a few backup bottles of it, too.

     I discovered a new website called Sonoran Spice Company! It's heaven for a spicy food addict like me. For around $30, I ordered a 16 oz. container of ground habanero pepper. It's good, but it must be used sparingly! I might order more when tax season comes around. But then again, they also sell 16 oz. ground ghost pepper... $50, but very tempting. I think I could take the heat, but I'll have to wait until my wallet can feel that burn.
     Tonight, I used the ground habanero pepper for some frozen chicken nuggets. And it was bad-ass; and yes, I dipped them in syrup (sugar-free). I had a mouth-gasm!

     Holy shit... Awww hell... I have a new love of my life! Her name is Mrs. Renfro. I don't know who she is, but she makes salsa. Amazing... fucking... salsa! I was at the grocery store when I saw the salsa section. I saw habanero and thought "Hey, yeah!" Then I saw it... IT! I saw ghost pepper salsa and went "Fuck yeah!" O.K.... I didn't say it out loud, but in my head (it's a party in there). I tried it, and it's bad-ass! Granted, it's not loaded with ghost peppers (the primary pepper ingredient is green), but they're there. I need to get some now. Right now.

     I discovered a discount store run by Mennonites in nearby Cannelburg. I found more ghost pepper salsa, among other things. "Other things" includes a sriracha made by a company called Badia. Oh, damn... I just... Wow! You can definitely taste the spice, but what really hits is the other half of what makes sriracha... sriracha: garlic. Sriracha is a nice blend of spice and garlic, but Badia brings both flavors to the forefront and bitch-slaps your taste buds with both.

"Hits like a Phillips Head into my brain"

     This drink I invented was so good I had to quote the great Soundgarden to title this blog entry.
     It's coming up on my birthday, so I got myself a present: a bottle of the Pinnacle Habanero vodka I wrote about last year (I think).
     I normally don't like to drink vodka, unless it's this or vanilla (for mixing pineapple upside-down cakes). I'm more of a rum and tequila person.
     in the tradition of the screwdriver, I've created the Phillips head. I replaced the 2/3 parts orange juice with the same amount of mango juice. And 1/3 part habanero vodka replaces the 1/3 part regular vodka.
     I had two already, and they're damned good. It's sweet and leaves a bite.

Habanero corn bread.

     While I was at work yesterday, I came up with an idea that I'd like to try. Being that cornbread is already sort of sweet, I decided that I will try to mix in some diced habaneros into the batter the next time I make it with beans. Sounds like a fine idea to me. I'll update later after I try it.

UPDATE:
     It's the 25th, 9 days later. I tried the cornbread and it was terrific! It spiced up the home-made pork and beans nicely.