Electric City Pizza Static
What would the Internet be without conflict? I mean, it would probably be nothing but pictures of cats. For the record, I’m not a fan of cats. Yes, Mrs. Fussy and I got one after we were married, but that was totally her cat. And let’s just say it didn’t end well.
Food, which can also be a great connecter of people, can also be the source of tremendous conflict. I mean, look at David Chang’s Netflix show, Ugly Delicious. Is this BBQ? That’s not BBQ? Why can’t X be BBQ? Z is totally BBQ.
Barbecue is bad. But pizza? Pizza is a problem. Chang tackles this in the first episode.
There are a few ideas floating around about why people have such different preferences on pizza. Jon in Albany preaches the Pizza Cognition Theory. And I’m paraphrasing here, but it asserts that the style of pizza you grew up eating, is the style of pizza you love the most.
I take exception to this theory, because it seems to be based on a premise that our preferences are fixed, whereas I firmly believe that our tastes can evolve and grow over time. Of course, that involves keeping an open mind, and trying new things. But the only way that works is by tasting a lot of pizza. And that’s different from simply eating a lot of pizza, because most people eat without really tasting.
Armed with this background knowledge, are you ready for the current pizza predicament?
One Sandwich, Many Feels
Last Saturday there was a little beer festival in Albany. If you were very lucky, you got to attend one of the two sessions. If you drink beer like it’s your job, then maybe you were able to attend both.
All I know is that I wasn’t the only one at the Albany Craft Beer Festival all day. There were others. And the brews we consumed were an embarrassment of riches. And not only did I get to drink beers that are impossible to find, I got to meet a few of the brewers behind my favorite beers. One of the beers I sampled was from 2004.
It was nuts. And now I have a new appreciation for lambic and spontaneously fermented ales.
Seriously, keep your eyes open for the 2019 Albany Craft Beer Festival, and snag a ticket or two when they go on sale. I highly recommend stacking two sessions together, and then heading to the afterparty, and then meeting up with some other friends for one last beer before bed.
So the beers served at the festival are rare and hard to find. Telling you about them would be pointless. You just had to be there. What I can tell you about is the sandwich that almost brought tears to my eyes.
Too Many Eggs
Yesterday at Stewarts I bought two dozen eggs.
We don’t have any big baking plans. We aren’t having company over. There isn’t a potluck for which I’m required to bring a tray of deviled eggs.
The shopping list just said eggs.
But it feels like every time I cross eggs off the list, they just appear again the next day. I mean, I like Stewart’s as much as the next guy, but it’s getting a little weird going back in there every day for another dozen eggs. The clerk behind the counter is starting to look at me funny. The big question is, “Where are all these eggs going?”
I have an idea. I also think that the demand for eggs in the Fussy household is going to continue even now that Passover is behind us.
Allergy Heavy
I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. Once, many years ago, someone thought that when I dressed up in scrubs for Halloween I looked like that bald guy on ER. Apparently he’s a famous actor, but I couldn’t tell you his name.
In my immediate family, we don’t suffer from many allergies. Mrs. Fussy gets snuffly whenever she encounters dust, and has seasonal reactions to pollen. In New Jersey I took my son to an allergist, because we thought he had allergies. Really, he had a sinus infection. As a kid I went through the dreaded scratch test, which revealed I was allergic to goose feathers, dust, and dogs. My father is allergic to cats.
As far as food goes, we’re clean. I do sometimes get a reaction to eating pineapple, however, I think that’s some kind of enzymatic reaction? I have no idea.
What I do know is that allergies can be deadly serious stuff. We had a dear friend of the family tragically die from anaphylaxis after eating chili that contained peanut butter as a “secret ingredient”. This was back in the 1970s when awareness of peanut allergies was much much lower.
There’s an interesting divide on allergies though when it comes to restaurants and guests.
Soda Suffers
Let’s chalk this one up to the tragedy of unintended consequences.
The larger issue is probably worth further exploration on its own. I’m sure Mr. Dave would have a lot to add the conversation of how trying to improve the Capital Region’s culinary scene has led the Brooklynification of the area. These kinds of inflows of people and ideas have a way of killing what made an area special in the first place.
Or maybe not.
Like I said, that’s a big debate.
So let’s talk about something far less important: the changing kosher dietary rules for Passover, and what that means for soda. Because until yesterday, I thought this was just an academic issue. However, it turns out to be a real problem in practice.
Sandwich Sides
So yeah, it’s Passover. The only sandwiches I’ll be eating this week are matzo sandwiches. Just yesterday I had avocado matzo. It’s kind of like avocado toast, but on matzo. I made the best of it, topping the crushed fruit with a colorful and flavorful array of toppings.
Matzo isn’t bad per se. Especially as an occasional treat. But when it becomes a staple of your diet for an entire week, it becomes nearly unbearable by day six.
Today is the beginning of day four, which means we’re still in okay shape. Actually, I’m starting to ponder the idea of making sandwiches out of matzo brie. For those who don’t know, that’s like a matzo gallette. You take matzo, crumble it, soak it in water, drain it, and then combine that sodden slurry with beaten eggs and salt, before frying the whole thing in butter.
More than anything, I’m missing pasta, pizza, and beer. And if you suggest matzo pizza, I might just have to cut you.
Since this holiday is all about suffering, I might as well answer some sandwich related questions from last week’s post Angry About Sandwiches. It’s true, I do owe you all an Ask the Profussor, but those questions will have to wait.
Right now I’m about as passionate about sandwiches as I’ll ever be. So let’s begin.
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