BRAINPAN LEAKAGE

Okay, I’ll stop there, because we all know what comes next…

So anyway, a comment on my last blog begged not only a response, but its own blog entry as well. Paula wanted to know if we got Puck into a warm, dry place. Obviously, she remembers the pics from the ice storm of late 2006 where the little beggar got turned into a snow capped Puckcicle.

For those of you unfamiliar with Puck, he is a mischievous nature spirit who takes many forms. One of the most common manifestations you will see represented within the Pagan community is that of a small Roman Satyr. To put it in more conventional terms, he’s half goat.

The Puck in question here, however, is a wonderful piece of garden statuary representing the little beggar…It is something we picked up several years ago and has graced our home ever since, albeit in various locations throughout (both inside and outside) over those years. Below is a picture from a website where one can be purchased, just to give you an idea of what he looks like without the ice and snow…

Quite obviously, you can get one at The Magick Moon…(very cool store, BTW… I have one of their “babe on a broomstick” T-shirts)…

But, anyway, here is the picture Paula remembers, and it will show you what Puck looked like back in 2006, when he was making his home on our back deck and the ice storm rolled in…

And finally, here is how he looked this morning…Well, kinda. I had to point him out in the picture. Just follow the arrow to the circle…

You see, Puck now resides in the rock garden at the back of our yard… Why? Well, it’s a long story, but let’s just say he likes it back there with the spirits of the many mischievous felines we’ve rescued over the years who have since grown old and gone on to the great yarn basket in the sky.

Oh, and before I forget. In the previous blog I mentioned something about the neighbors being too damn close. Well, that’s true (even though we actually have great neighbors) but I wanted to clarify something – that grey building off to the upper right of the picture is our shed, not one of our neighbors. We actually have a pretty sizeable back yard.

Okay, so there you go, Paula. Puck chose to remain out in the elements yet again. It’s probably for the best. When he lived inside the house he used to steal my socks… But never a pair… just singles. I wonder what that’s all about.

More to come…

Murv

If you aren’t from – or in my case, intimately familiar with since I live here – the Saint Louis area, you are probably not going to have any idea what I am talking about. Most likely, the only other way you would have a clue about this is if you happened to have seen a documentary on PBS back in 2003 called “Sandwiches You Will Like,” and even then you might be scratching your head…Unless you happen to remember the segment on the “St. Paul Sandwich.”

For those of you who still haven’t any clue what I am on about, please allow me to explain.

Among foods that hail from St. Louis – and some that even remain totally unique to STL – such as Toasted Ravioli, Gooey Butter Cake, Slingers, etc, there is a delicacy known as the “St. Paul Sandwich“. Now, the thing about this sandwich is that it has absolutely NOTHING to do with St. Paul, Minnesota as one would surmise from its name. Why it has this name no one really knows. How it got invented – Well, that’s a mystery too…Either way, it is a creation hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, and for some reason remaining here almost exclusively – though rumor has it you can now obtain one in San Francisco. (I cannot say this is a true fact as I have not been to SF to attempt finding one)… Anyhow, the St. Paul is something you get from a Chinese restaurant…Yeah, a Chinese restaurant. Obviously, we are talking Americanized Chinese food here, but what the hell – it’s a St. Paul Sandwich by the Gods!

So, what exactly IS a St. Paul Sandwich? Simple, really – it is an egg foo young patty (flavor of choice – beef, chicken, whatever) sans gravy. It is then placed between two slices of plain, white sandwich bread – To be PROPER, the bread should in fact be Wonder Bread–, since Wonder is big here and we have a local Wonder factory/bakery and all – anyway, add to that, at the bare minimum, dill pickle slices (not sweet, must be dill) and a bit of mayo. Some restaurants will embellish with sliced tomato and a bit of lettuce as well, which is always nice.

So there you have it… The St. Paul Sandwich – Saint Louis comfort food. A veritable bit of perfection between two slices. Good for what ails ya’. Happiness on bread. Lunch. Dinner. A late night snack..The whole nine yards…

“But, Murv…” you say as you pause with a confused expression on your face before launching into the crux of your question. “The title of this blog is The St. Storm Sandwich, not The Saint Paul Sandwich. What gives?”

You are correct…That IS the title…Why? Because, like all of my other characters, Detective Benjamin Storm has a mind of his own, and while he likes St. Pauls, he prefers to put a bit of a twist on them (as does this author…) Therefore, I present to you…

The Saint Storm Sandwich

Obviously, you have to start with Egg Foo Young Patties sans gravy, your flavor of choice (Ben prefers beef and sometimes pork. The author, on the other hand, is fond of vegetable EFY. The tricky part here is that the author happens to be an accomplished cook, whereas Ben’s expertise in the kitchen extends about as far as making a grilled cheese sandwich using aluminum foil and a steam iron. Therefore, the author makes his own egg foo young. Ben, on the other hand, picks his up from Happy Wok Express [see: Never Burn A Witch]. He simply orders it without the gravy then takes them home and assembles the sandwich himself. Although, being a regular at the Happy Wok, he has convinced them to keep the non-standard ingredients in the walk-in, and they have been known to make the sandwiches for him at times.)

INGREDIENTS:

Egg Foo Young Patty, no gravy, flavor of choice

Two slices of dark rye bread (NOTE: Author prefers a nice multi-grain instead, although the rye is a nice change of pace at times.)

Horseradish-Sharp Cheddar Cheese Spread

Salad Dressing (Ben and Author both prefer Spin Blend, another midwestern product…)

Thinly sliced tomato

Dill pickle slices

Crispy fried bacon strips

PREPARATION:

Toast bread. Place a thin layer of salad dressing on one slice and a generous layer of horseradish-cheese spread on the other. Layer EFY patty, tomato, pickles, and several strips of bacon on top of first bread slice. If you are especially hungry, double the number of EFY patties, pickles, tomato, and bacon then repeat layer. Top with second bread slice. Enjoy with a cold beer.

Special Note: Double-decker St. Storms are usually reserved for when you are drunk and cannot comprehend that your mouth probably won’t fit around it. Generally, author will eat one (1) regular St. Storm. Ben, however, usually consumes a bare minumum of three (3).

So, there you have it… No, I’m not kidding. If you don’t have access to decent EFY like Ben, and you are proficient in the kitchen, I’ll be happy to pass along my personal recipe for the “egg foo” itself.

More to come…

Murv