History of Me

Posted on by jeffreylatty

VeggHead BeerCyclist 2.28

History of Me

My name is Jeffrey. I turn 30 next month (March starts tomorrow). Life has been a turbulent roller coaster of a ride for me thus far. I wish I would’ve gotten a FatBike much earlier. I’m not going into my life story. I would like to go over my cooking, cycling and beer history. 

I just went for a 35 km ride out of town, around town and then back in where I stopped at the liquor store for a few beers. I bought seven beers and a bottled water because my water froze again. I need to start holding a bottle in my pack when I bring my pack with me in the winter. There is a rumor that a little whisky in your water keeps it from freezing. I disagree. I’m all for it as it does add life to your water before it dies a frozen temporary death and I love (good) whisky. Canadian Club is forever the cheapest best whiskey out there. Today’s ride was super sunny, not too windy and not too bad traffic-wise. 

Here is my ride:
Another thing I’ve been working on is becoming more familiar with the metric system. Celsius makes much more sense and so does the measurements. I love the USA, but we’re kind of dumb and just want to be different. Zero degrees Celsius is freezing. Simple. 35 kilometers is 35,000 meters. Simple. One mile is 5280 feet and 63,360 inches according to Google. Now, tell me how many feet and inches are in 1.5 miles without Google. Good luck. Did someone mention ketchup. Probably. 

A few months ago, I switched my Garmin to metric.  
The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw
Spring is approaching and that is a great album from the band Pelican. They are instrumental (until their new album?) post-rock post-metal. Good music!

I learned how to sauté from Pizza Hut. That was my first job and I worked for them for a total of 14 years. I did leave for school, but returned. In 2007 ish, the regular falling apart Pizza Hut built a new building and converted into an Italian Bistro Pizza Hut. It was really cool and actually gourmet until they started cutting costs and ingredients. I did not maintain that understanding of sautéing much. I do not remember much of the style. The ingredients were great! That is where I was first introduced to a chef hat and chef coat. White is an awful idea unless you get like five. The Pizza Hut Italian Bistro also had gourmet pizzas and sandwiches. They quickly began believing in the opposite of what I believe in, QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. 

I started at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in January of 2009. A friend hooked  me up with a cooking gig at a hole-in-the-wall Italian pizza place called DiMaggio’s. There are actually quite a few in Southern Illinois and one or two in Indiana. I believe all are connected and actually within the same family. My boss, Sebastian, was born in Sicily and lived in France before crossing the pond. He is an awesome guy and knows how to chef it up! They actually made a transformation into a more legitimate sit-down restaurant in 2011. Before that, Sebastian kept it simple. From scratch pizza, pizza by the slice, pasta, sandwiches, salads, etc. we did grind our own cheese, but didn’t make much other than pizza from scratch. 

DiMaggio’s moved into an old Godfather’s building in early 2011. I was working as a seafood clerk and helping moving and prepare the building for three months before DiMaggio’s was ready to open. I learned a lot during my time as a seafood clerk. DiMaggio’s offered me a pizza kitchen management position with very good pay. I accepted and quit the grocery store job and dropped out of school. The way the entire kitchen was set up was the pizza kitchen was in front close to the dining room and the line kitchen behind it more in the BOH and hidden. I soon took over the entire kitchen and worked 60 hours a week, making schedules and prep lists, food orders, and dish creations. This is where I first learned to cook. It was my most favorite job. 




I then grew cocky and homesick after most of my friends graduated and moved on. I took a job back home in charge of a kitchen of a restaurant that I’ve always enjoyed. It was also Italian and taught me more of a northern Italian style. Unfortunately, it became a horrible job and I had to quit. From there I went back to Pizza Hut. Recreational cooking has not stopped. 




As for my love for Cycling, I’ll need to mention college and Carbondale. Carbondale, IL is a great cycling town. I bought a cheap “mountain” Schwinn bike mostly to participate in Tour de Carbondale. 




The Tour de Carbondale was just a drunkiness bike ride with 4-6 stops with a different theme of booze each stop. And my house was the first stop! Margaritas at 11:00 am are the way to start off a drink fest. 
We had a beer stop, a jungle juice stop, a wine stop and then the completion stop. Apologies for the quality of pictures.

I then continued to ride my Schwinn as much as possible. I rode it to commute and for fun. In late 2013 I bought a 2014 Trek CrossRip. I became a part of the Strava community in mid 2013. I joined a cycling club in 2014. I have not yet competed in racing or organized rides/races. I love riding with others and I like to go fast and far when I can. 
I’ve always been trying to document my experimenting with Beers. And then came Untappd. I became a member in 2012. I’ve always extremely enjoyed photography. I like beer. I’ve had three since I’ve started writing this. They are on Untappd. 
My MacBook Pro stopped charging late last year after I quit my job. I’ve been writing these blogs on my iPhone. 

I found this picture a few months ago. It was in 2005. Just a little #ProveIt. Strava. 



Tempeh Sandwich 

Posted on by jeffreylatty

VeggHead BeerCyclist 2.28

Tempeh Sandwich

Yesterday I awaited the arrival of my new FatBike shirt that I had ordered earlier in the month. I love technology and being able to track a package. You know, to see all of the fabulous places it has seen before finding a new home. The USPS tracking number revealed that it would be delivered the 27th, but when I checked at 4:00pm yesterday it was saying it was in Peoria, IL some 60 miles away. My question is if I have to wait until Monday. Delivery should have a universal law. That if you order a delicious just Cheese pizza, FatBike tires, t-shirt or whatever you might order for delivery and it gives you an estimated time and it is late, you should get a nice discount or credit. Or if it take two plus hours for a pizza to be delivered and I pay with my credit card and have already added a generous tip, but have passed out because I only order pizza if I have been drinking and the two hours is a long time to keep drinking on an empty stomach and then I cannot answer my on-silent phone or (not on-silent) door bell, don’t take my money and the pizza. Just leave the pizza on the porch. It’s cold enough in Illinois winter to basically refrigerate or freeze it. 



Today I used leftovers from things that I have made recently that need to be used up and can’t survive much longer without getting shot in the metaphorical ass with the PED, preservatives. No one likes waste. It’s not cool. I used the Angry Stuffed Habaneros stuffing, various veggies, cheese that I had left, tempeh, thousand island and the homemade Bleu cheese. 

Also, this morning I came across this:
It was clever, hilarious and awesome. I had to share it.

I thought of a new name for the Cheese stuffing, Pepper John Cheese. Jack sounds like a clowns name as it isn’t as common and as serious as John. I like Pepper Jack Cheese, but it is a choking joke compared to my Pepper John Cheese if they competed against each other on the Scoville Scale.

Being vegetarian or vegan equates to a possible black hole equivalent emptiness inside from the personal hot wing boycott. I was never a huge wing fan. Especially after butchering whole chickens a few times. For the record, I have never killed a living animal. And never will. Butchering (already dead) chickens and its disgustingness helped influence my vegetarian transformation. I am also not a huge fan of meatless meat replacements. I have eaten some and will continue to eat some. Some are made right and are organic, Project Non-GMO Verified and preservative free. Most are packed with preservatives and additives. Still very much better than eating meat or fish or aliens, pets and or other humans. 
After the Angry Stuffed Habaneros laughed at me and called me cowardice and other self-esteem crushing names, I wished I had some celery. 
By the way, the band Defeater, has an intensely awesome song Cowardice on their Travels album. Check it out if that’s your thing. It’s a loud to some people song. 
I’ve heard many of times milk is the best thing for you after your mouth is on fire. It will help to literally put out a fire if your mouth has flames on it, but milk is gross. I stopped drinking milk years ago. Also, I have a video of myself eating a raw Habanero and then eating a raw Bhut Jolokia, also known as a Ghost Pepper. This was in 2012 a few months after I moved back in with my parents after College. I almost thought that I needed a Hospital run. My mom actually took the video.
Suck it, Angry Stuffed Habaneros. 
Pepper John Cheese Stuffing ingredients:
-Cream Cheese at room temp
-PLAIN Greek yogurt
-Crushed Sunflower Seeds
-Garlic/Onion powder
-Sea Salt/Pepper
-Sugar
-Dry or Fresh Dill
-Deseeded Diced Cucumber 
-Super Diced Carrot
-Super Diced Sharp Cheddar
-Super Diced Habanero super deseeded
Pepper John Celery ingredients:
-Pepper John Cheese Stuffing
-Additional Sunflower seeds
-Organic Celery, rinsed and cut into thirds
Only two steps:
-Spread the Pepper John Cheese Stuffing onto the celery as if it were peanut butter.
-Slightly push sunflower seeds on Pepper John for looks, protein and texture.
While we’re on the topic of Habanero again, I had a Ballast Point Sculpin IPA this month that was outstanding. It wasn’t the regular Sculpin, but the Habanero Sculpin. It was very well balanced with the habanero and hops with some nice citrus notes. I might have a small tolerance to heat, but it was a delicious Hopanero IPA. I recommend it with a meal. 
Veggie Tempeh Baked Sandwich 
This sandwich was Dry. No oil or butter was used. The wonderful parchment paper offers a peaceful nonstick surface for all of your cheffing needs. I hope no one thought I meant dry like prohibition Dry. 
Homemade Bleu Cheese ingredients:
-Veganaise
-Gorgonzola 
-Soy Sauce
-Sriracha
-Sour Cream
-Butter
-Milk
-Apple Cider Vinegar 
-Sea Salt/Pepper
-Fresh Dill
>Mix 
Vegan Thousand Island:
-Veganaise
-Sriracha
-Celery Seed
-Garlic, caramelized 
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Sugar
-Paprika/Garlic/Onion Powder
-Balsamic Vinegar
-Diced Hot Peppers (I used Habanero)
-Deseeded Cucumber, diced
>Mix while listening to good tunes
I used leftover marinaded Tempeh from Vegan Reuben’s that I made last week.
Marinaded Tempeh ingredients:
-Tempeh, sliced
-Water or Veggie Broth
-Garlic, halved
-Onion, sloppy choppy
-Soy Sauce
-Sriracha
-Sea Salt/Pepper
-Thyme/Savory
Step One, Step One, Two, Three:
-Add Water or Broth and heat
-Add everything else and create boilage
-Cover and extinguish fire. Let cool completely and save your Tempeh. Depending on how thin you sliced it, it might be flimsy.
Save the remaining liquid if you’d like as it has a decent start to being Homemade Veggie Broth. Discard veggies or eat them. Use your imagination.
Ingredients for sandwich:
-Cucumber, deseeded and sliced
-Radish, rinsed and sliced
-Cheddar, not rinsed and sliced from block
-Mozzarella, sliced from block
-Homemade Bleu Cheese 
-Roasted Onion slices, raw if preferred 
-Avocado, Californian and extra large, sliced
-Thousand Island, made at home
-North American Cheese, I split one slice into equal quantities for three sandwiches
-Tempeh, pre marinaded 
-Rye Bread
Steps: 
-Take two slices of good Rye. I always go the seeded route. On one side spread the Vegan Thousand Island and on the other slice, spread the Homemade Bleu Cheese. And broil for a couple of minutes infusing the inside of your sandwich.
-Get your veggies and Cheese all ready to assemble your sandwich
-I started with Thousand Island side and put down a layer of Cheese including the small amount of American
-I generously put the Tempeh on top of the cheese layer
-More Cheese (I don’t put a lot of cheese just layers of Cheese spottiness)
-Cucumber and Radish
-More Cheese
-Onion and Avocado
-Remaining Cheese and Finish with Bleu Cheese slice, Bleu Cheese side down/inside
-Put on parchment paper
-Bake each side of sandwich at 350* F for 12-15 minutes (implement visual check intervals)
-Cut diagonally and plate
-Grab a good Beer, take a pic and enjoy!
I did not ride yesterday as something came up. Today is the last day for me to reach my February goal of 250 km’s. All being outside in a cold winter month. Strava does a MTS challenge, Monthly Training Series, that I always participate in. I need 30 plus km’s today. The route is depending on the wind, but it’s super sunny! Thanks for reading. Tomorrow, it is March! #RideOn



Vegan Dawgs

Posted on by jeffreylatty

VeggHead BeerCyclist 2.27

Vegan Dawgs
I’m excited to receive a t-shirt that I ordered earlier this month, today! It is the very first FatBike shirt that I’ve come across. Thanks, Teespring. Hopefully it’s delivered before the mail as the mail always comes around 3:00 pm. The USPS always has me guessing. We will see. 



I had a really good Sour beer last night. It wasn’t just any Sour, it had great complexity and it is the closest local brewery to me being 50 some miles south in Bloomington, IL. It is the third Sour I’ve had from Destihl brewery that was at least very good. It was pricy and I’m poor so I probably won’t enjoy another, but it was well worth it. 



I’ve always loved hot dogs. I ate them as a kid. I always ate them at Wrigley Field either before or during many upon many of Old Style’s. Before magically transforming into vegetarianism to save the world, I found the best Dawg that I have ever had.  And it just took some time, but I dug up the only picture that I have of this amazing delight, Chicago-Style Char Dawg from Gold Coast Dogs inside the Chicago Union Station. 



Ever since experiencing this greatness of a Dawg, I’ve been trying to recreate it and make it better. Since I’ve taken the vow to save the planet by establishing an Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian lifestyle, it has been a bit more challenging. I’ve created quite a few different dawgs from the basic Dawg to elaborate and creative as possible. I always use Smart Dogs by Lightlife. They have smaller Dawgs and jumbo Dawgs. I like the jumbo Dawgs better, just because they have a greater gravitational pull to keep all the ridiculous toppings close by that I throw on them.
While I’m at it, I’d just like to share a discovery that I’ve made involving Dawgs and sandwiches. I like pickles and relish, but unpickled raw cucumber is where it’s at! I haven’t used relish or pickles in a couple of years. I haven’t even eaten them. And catsup or ketchup is baby food. Which most isn’t even safe for babies with all of the tomato flavoring with the sugar. Tomatoes are so much better and healthier. I could talk bad about catsup or ketchup for a very long time. If you don’t have tomatoes, donate the catsup or ketchup to a diabetic who can’t find their insulin and throw some Sriracha on there and grow some balls. Why is there two different spellings for the same product that is basically the same pronunciation. The whole idea of IT, buying, writing about IT, smack-talking about IT, even consumption, kills my brain cells and is ultimately mentally challenging. I’m done. 
I’m sharing 5 different Dawgs that I have pictures for so I can Strava #ProveIt. I seriously accidentally hashtagged ProbeIt. Haha. “LOL” belongs with IT. It’s dumb, overused, and so 2000. I have a basic Chicago Char Dawg, Experimental Mexi-Chicago Char Dawg, Italia-Chicago Char Dawg, Lentili Char Dawg and the 333 Halsted. I am and have been Vegan on Fridays for a few months now. #VeganVriday. I promise that I’m done hashtagging. It won’t be long before the actual hashtag finds its way into the dictionary and/or the bible. 



I’ve made numerous varieties of Lentili. It’s my usually Vegan awesome creation. Really I just use Lentils instead of beans. But the name, Lentili, rocks and makes me want to do a shot every time I say it or type Lentili. I drank a little Jameson last night. I’d have a pretty good buzz after this paragraph. I usually make Lentili without oil, but in this case I used leftover Back Burner Ragu Marinara that I used for some Chicago Stuffed Pies that was made with a bit of oil. 



Back Burner Ragu Marinara ingredients:
-Oil, not too splashy
-Garlic, diced
-White or Yellow Onion, diced
-Celery, diced
-Carrots, whole and then diced
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Sugar/Oregano
-I usually throw a little cayenne in
-Tomato Paste
-Canned chopped Tomatoes or be a chef and chop your own
-Water or Veggie Broth
-Time to simmer down now
Steps:
-Sauté Garlic in oil
-Sauté Onion 
-Sauté Celery and Carrots
-I usually add a few splashes of Balsamic Vinegar after the veggies are sautéed 
-Add Tomatoes and Paste and Water or Broth
-Season
-Bring to a very brief boil without scorch torture 
-Simmer while stirring for hours. 
-You want it to cook down. Things are better with time. Cheese, Wine, Beer… The consistency you want to start out with is a little runnier than chunky as it will thicken and swell upon timely simmering.



Vegan Lentili ingredients:
-Back Burner Ragu Marinara
-Oil
-Bell Pepper assortment, Deseeded and diced
-Hot Peppers, deseeded and diced
-Carrot and Celery, diced
-Garlic and Onion, diced
-Go Veggie! “Cheese”
-Balsamic Vinegar
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Garlic Powder 
-Lentils!
-Water or Veggie Broth
-I used mush that I saved from previously deseeding tomatoes and cucumbers. Why not. 
-Time
Steps:
-Oil
-Sauté Garlic
-Sauté Onion
-Sauté Celery and Carrot
-Sauté PEPPERS
-Add Balsamic Vinegar
-Add Back Burner Ragu Marinara
-Add Water or Broth if needed
-Season
-Simmer for 60-90 minutes
-Add Lentils
-Simmer 30 more minutes
-Add “Cheese” and turn off your simmer contraption 
-Probably hot, but ready to serve or save for your Lentili Char Dawg.



Vegan Chicago Char Dawg ingredients:
-Good Buns
-Smart Dog
-Cucumber
-Tomato 
-Organic Mustard is the shit.
-Onion 
-Pepper
-Hot Peppers or Sport Peppers
-Do not disgrace me with IT (Rhymes with Fetch Crup) 
Steps:
-Char your Dawgs by grilling, broiling or baking
-To somewhat imitate that Gold Coast Dog, I cut the end like they do. It’s not necessary and Smart Dogs are grillable. That is a recent change they’ve conquered. They can withstand more heat. They still bubble a bit, but don’t explode (that I’ve seen).
-Char your bun now or later. One it adds flavor. And two it gives ya a stronger platform, host, boat or Bun as most would say.
-While keeping your charring on your mind, get your veggies prepped. 
-Build your Dawg and top with Mustard and a few dashes of Pepper.
-Add a side and a good Beer and enjoy! 



Vegan Mexi-Chicago Char Dawg ingredients:
     I experimented by slicing the Smart Dogs before charring. It is not necessary.
-Smart Dog, charred 
-Go Veggie! “Cheese”
-Serrano Peppers, sliced (deseed if you want)
-Avocado, sliced (seared if you want. I did it in the pic, just to do it.)
-Onion, diced
-Tomato, diced, sliced or whole?
-Guacamole (store bought or homemade) 
-Cucumber, anyway you’d like
-Mustard, if it’s Organic, all over my face
Steps: 
-I charred the Dogs and then melted “Cheese” on them. 
-Prepare all of your veggies.
-Spread the Guacamole on the Bun and lightly char/toast
-If you build it, he will come eat it.
-Add a side and a beer and enjoy!



Vegan Lentili Char Dawg ingredients:
-Good Bun, charred
-Smart Dog, charred and “Cheese” charred
-Go Veggie! “Cheese”
-Vegan Lentili, heated
Steps:
-Get your charring inferno completed and don’t toast the Bun too much as you’re gonna double char that punk.
-I charred the Bun the first time with a little “Cheese” on it.
-Throw that meatless tube steak on the cheesy Bun.
-Add some more “Cheese” on top and find a way to balance it for the additional charring. I used a shallower bowl. 
-When charred, plate your work.
-Does it look good?
-Throw some Lentili on it add a Beer and a side and you’re good to go! Enjoy! 



Vegan Italian-Chicago Char Dawg ingredients:
-Good Bun, charred
-Smart Dog, charred and “Cheese” melted/charred
-Go Veggie! “Cheese”
-Garlic, sliced 
-Cucumber, I cut them into strips
-Tomato, sliced or diced
-Onion, diced
-Serrano Peppers, sliced 
-Organic Mustard is worth it.
-Parsley, if you’re gonna take a beautiful picture to share to your friends. It is also edible 🙂

Leaps:
-Char your Dog. I believe that I baked the Dog first before broiling. I achieved great color with these. 
-Melt/Char the “Cheese” lightly
-Put sliced Garlic on the “Cheese” EVER so carefully and then go nuts and char the Soy out of it. 
-Also, char your Bun
-In the meantime, listen to some Helmet. Yeah, from the 90’s! 
-Your favorite thing, veggie prep, should have already been done during the Edible Vegan Charcoal process.
-Throw it all together. Distance gets you much more points. Have a beer, take a pic and enjoy. Then go for a bike ride! 

333 Halsted:
This one is my baby. It took some time to name and complete with the awesome sense of success it gave me.
The address is 333 Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60661. It is a National Hellenic Museum. It is in Greektown in Chicago in Illinois in the United States of America found in the Northern America on Earth’s Northern Hemisphere inside our Solar System in the enormous Milky Way Galaxy. Just a tiny dot in the vast universe. 
My thought process was to infuse Greek-Style and Chicago-Style into one Dawg. Greektown is an awesome area in Chicago, by the way. This is a Vegan Dawg, but I did leave the “Cheese” away. Add it if you’d like. I’ve been a fan of different types of tapenade for quite a few years now. Maybe not the correct name, but it should have an elaborate name for the awesome ingredients in it. It’s basically a Greek-Style relish. Tapenade is an assortment of capers, olives and oil originated in Provence. Which is France. I’ve never been. I am not an expert and I guess they like anchovies in theirs. 



Greek-Chicago-Style Tapenade ingredients:
-Chicago Hot Giardiniera, super diced
-Capers, super diced
-Garlic, super diced
-Roasted Red Pepper, skinned and super diced
-Hot Peppers, super diced (I used Serrano)
-Onion, super diced
-Cucumber and Tomato, deseeded and super diced
-Green and Kalamata Olives, diced superbly-Pits not allowed
-Red Wine, drink a glass as well
-Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Paprika/Poppy Seed
Steps, Wino:
-I hope that’s good wine. 
-Mix everything together just don’t drown everything with a waterfall of flavor. You just want this tasty concoction to swim and relax, having fun with their friends. 
-Let marinade at room temperature for a while.
333 Halsted ingredients:
-Greek-Chicago-Style Tapenade
-Smart Dog, charred
-Good Bun, charred
-Organic Mustard
Voyage:
-I actually forgot to char the Bun in the picture. Too much wine. It was still delicious. 
-Char the Dog and Bun if the wine lets you. 
-Throw it together 
-I recommend trying those potatoes
-Slice and bake for hourish at 400* F seasoning is always good
-Keep drinking your wine or crack open a 2013 Destihl Saint Dekkera Reserve Sour: Excommunie Trois. The best Sour that I’ve ever had. 



Man, writing these posts are time consuming and make me hungry and make me thirsty. On another good note, it’s super sunny outside and I’m gonna take my Trek HulkRip out for an in town road ride. Thanks for reading this, if you did. I bought all of you readers flowers at Aldi! 



Slow Strava Aptitude 

Posted on by jeffreylatty

I’m new here on whatever this is. Blognet, blogville, blog your mom. Anyways. I somehow started my long-thought dream of blogging all over you. I went for a night FatBike ride tonight thinking roads were gonna be slightly bad for a cross bike. The roads were actually amazing until I came into parks and a cemetery. 

I’ve been drinking all day. I have been consumed with ‘work’. I pace my drink. I rode hard and it was amazing. Just wanted my shit to sync. I guess I am scared of all of you. 



So, my ride uploads through my wifi or others. It then goes through GarminConnect (bless their souls) where it links to Strava, usually. I’m upset that Strava is blank for a crazy night ride, but it is okay. 

There are two really nice women at the grocery store that used to always ring me up after a super long and awful days of work at my old job before I quit. I am horrible with names. But, I’ll remember their faces forever. It was nice to finally see them for the first time in four months. 



I haven’t ridden the FatBike in weeks. And the air pressure was low. The last FatBike ride I was on was an IVCA (Illinois Valley Cycling Association) Wednesday night I&M Canal ride that had a few ice age apocalyptic  catastrophes. The low tire pressure helps grip the dangerous terrain. I biffed it one and a half times. I’m an excellent biff artist. I put some air in the tires. 



My ride uploaded to Strava this morning. Not sure why there is sometimes a delay. I’m close to a 250 km mark for the month. It is not much, but it is all outside riding in the heart of a cold winter. I have two days left and need 40 km. Every mile or kilometer counts. #RideOn

Veggie Burger

Posted on by jeffreylatty

VeggHead BeerCyclist 2.26

I’ve been thinking of this meal for a few days now. And I’m super excited to create this and eat it all. I’m so hungry. Hunger is motivation. I’d love a beer.



I’m enjoying my second 2015 Extra Hoppy Old Guardian by Stone. I’ve already been known to love Barleywine beers, but this one is probably the best Barleywine beer that I have ever had. I’m a hop addict. They make me truly hoppy. 
One thing about Barleywine beers is that that pack a punch. They are always at least 9% ABV. Plan their enjoyment responsibly. Calorically speaking, they are probably horrible for you. Situations like this is where happiness is more important than health. For me, at least. Moderation is the key for anything. 



This meal has a few steps that I did in a special order to have everything ready and hot close to the same time. I prepared the homemade Thousand Island and Veggie Burgers on a previous day. Might as well start with those. 
Pea-Brain Patties:
-Slightly overdone Blackeyed Peas
-Slightly overdone Split Peas 
-Carrots grated dicely
-Diced White or Yellow Onion, carmelized
-Garlic, caramelized
-Oats
-Sunflower Seeds w/o shell
-Sautéed Peppers, sautéed 
-Habaneros, diced
-Dry Brown Rice, slightly over cooked and seasoned
-Baked Potatoes, cooled and diced
-Celery Seed
-Kale, chopped
–
Cumin/Fennel/Salt/Pepper/Garlic
-Egg
-Corn Starch, if needed
-CornFlakes Crumbs
>Mix, Form, Bake



Vegan Thousand Island:
-Veganaise
-Sriracha
-Celery Seed
-Garlic, caramelized 
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Sugar
-Paprika/Garlic/Onion Powder
-Balsamic Vinegar
-Diced Hot Peppers (I used Habanero)
-Deseeded Cucumber, diced
–
>Mix while listening to good tunes
NOTES:
-That is amazing Thousand Island.
-Those Patties were originally supposed to be vegan, but wouldn’t hold together how I like. 
-I love Veganaise. 
-I always use dry beans. Have a little dignity. Do it right and save money! 
I was disappointed with the way the side turned out. Definitely edible and the Burgers were NO JOKE. The side was a Cabbage stir-fry. I did not use oil. I did not even sauté anything. I baked and used Veggie a Broth as a lubricant. Lubricant? Whatever… If it weren’t for the Greek Yogurt I used, it would be Vegan. Veganaise would work great. Cabbage Dry Stir-Fry is the name I gave the side. 



Cabbage Dry Stir-Fry ingredients:
-Garlic and Ginger, diced
-White or Yellow Onion, diced
-Carrot, diced
-Sea Salt/Pepper/Sugar/Ceyanne/Dill
-Cucumber, deseeded and diced
-Soy Sauce/Sriracha 
-PLAIN Greek Yogurt
-Cabbage, finely chopped
-Veggie Broth
So, this burger… Is named Crazy Cheesy Split&Blackeyed Hawaiian Pea-Brain Veggie Burger. It deserves a unique and elaborate name.

The first time I picked up an Extra Hoppy Old Guardian, the liquor store guy, Dom, offered it to me as I had already picked up a regular 2015 Old Guardian. They were in the back as they just came in. Only 6.99 for a bomber. Outstanding! The other day I didn’t see them on any shelves. I figured they were sold out already. I picked up a few other beers and then got to the checkout line and Dom was there. I asked if they were sold out already. Dom said no and grabbed one from underneath the counter as if we were back in the prohibition at an illegal speakeasy. It’s a very good marketing scheme and I hope to pick another up the next time I’m there. Excellent Barleywine! 



Crazy Cheesy Split&Blackeyed Hawaiian Pea-Brain Veggie Burger ingredients:
-White or Yellow onion, sliced thick and at the middle of onion
-Slightly thick cored sliced Pineapple seasoned with Cayenne
-Artichoke, sliced into 1/6 pieces
-Thousand Island
-Hearty Buns
-Pea-Brain Patty
-Mozzarella Cheese, sliced from block
-Sharp Cheddar Cheese, sliced from block
-American Cheese
-Cali Avocado 
-Manpower/Technique 
-Drinkable Good Beer for hydration purposes
I used parchment paper, but ran out. I used a piece of aluminum foil. I also used a vast surplus of love and architecture building/design mentalities. This Sandwich is a tower. And liked to come apart a bit. Broiler and oven was a great help. 



Steps Schedule:
I first roasted the sliced onions and pineapple flipping carefully once for 25 minutes at 350* F. I then broiled them for a minute for color and burnt greatness. They escaped the heat and I set them aside. 
I saved the parchment paper after saving the onion and pineapple from the fire. I put the diced garlic and ginger directly up my nose because the smell was too amazing. I roasted those for 10-15 minutes. I hope you didn’t put anything up your nose. Control the urge! They smell even better once they start to roast. While in oven, I then diced carrot, cucumber and onion. I put them into a mixing bowl and seasoned with dry ingredients and added roasted garlic and ginger. 
I threw the mixture into the oven and got the other burger veggies sliced. I moved the burger prep out of the way. No one likes a cluttered cutting board especially when the Cabbage is on deck. AND Cabbage is CRAZY. With a clean cutting board, I was in no way bored. I cut that Cabbage so good. Mix with Sriracha, Soy Sauce and Veggie Broth and throw on top of already roasting for 20 minutes veggies. 
I used to think I liked longer chunks of cabbage, but finely chopped is the correct way for me. Don’t let me lie to you. 
Now is a good time to get a good grip on your buns and find that crack. If there isn’t a crack, you’ll have to credit card those buns with a bread knife. If there is a crack, put your fingers in there generously and bust those buns apart. We’ll need to lather in between the crack. The lather treatment consists of Thousand Island dressing that you should have already made! You’re gonna want to broil these buns and char a bit if you live on the edge.
Set those beautiful buns right in front of your eyes. Take a good look at those buns and prepare to clothe those buns with edible clothing. I had a concept of stacking ingredients. Oh, yeah, that’s right. I did it again. Throw the Pea-Brain Patty on the ultimate kitchen hardware, your Pizzazz. The patty only needs eight minutes. 
I wanted to smartly stack the layers of this amazing sandwich with Cheese dripping down for a visual stimulation to people. 
I went: Bun, Cheese, Pea-Brain, Cheese, Avocado, Onion, Cheese, Pineapple, Cheese, Artichoke, Top Gun…..BUN. 
Don’t forget about the Cabbage. Mix it with the Greek Yogurt or Veganaise. Plate it all up and sell it! Crazy Cheesy Split&Blackeyed Hawaiian Pea-Brain Veggie Burger all day! 
The sandwich stayed together amazingly in my hands until my teeth and tongue ripped that baby to shreds like a damn carnivore. And it was totally herbivore the whole time! Enjoy! If you wanna see how I rank BEERS, become a friend of mine on Untappd. 
NOTES: 
-For the last few years, I’ve included skins on my veggies as much as possible. I hope people love nutrients as much as I do. 
-My oven is awesome. The broiler is on the top of the inside of the oven. Convenience is amazing. 
-I’m gonna go for a good ride tomorrow. FatBike? 
-Barleywine makes me feel fine!
#RideOn #Cheers

Angry Stuffed Habaneros 

Posted on by jeffreylatty

VeggHead BeerCyclist 2.26

I love having a snow blower and having a shovel as my weapon of choice no matter how much snow. 



I had a few beers in me at the grocery store last night. My sister drove. And I bought Greek yogurt to make a cheese concoction to stuff some habaneros today. And it says “Traditional” on the front in bold red lettering which in my tipsy mind-sense was like, “Sweet, here’s the plain Greek yogurt I need! I rock.” and this morning I opened it up to mix with some other awesome ingredients and it was PINK. I looked a little closer at the container and it had raspberry in little writing off to the side without a single picture of any raspberries. So, I went out to shovel some snow and eventually get the correct yogurt. I’m not a yogurt buff, but that was a little misleading even if I was high on confidence after drinking two Dark Horse Rain In Blood’s. 



Rain In Blood is an okay beer. It is drinkable as long as Slayer is available to listen to. \m/. I like me some Slayer and they were actually my first concert where I was in the middle until slayer came on and it seemed like a million 6’5″ biker dudes bum rushed the stage, squashing me into the third/fourth row back like a bug. I don’t know how to describe general admission “rows” at a metal show. I was 17, a little drunk, a little high and geeked up on some amphetamines. I could not breathe and lasted for a while, but had to crowd surf out with the help of one of those 6’5″ biker dudes. I was pretty close to the actual band when I came out of the crowd and I totally flipped them off! Sorry to get into that, but it is the yogurts horrible labelings’ fault. 
The beer was not very orange flavored and kind of a letdown with the regularly awesome beers from dark horse. I think the six pack was a wapping $12, also. Way overpriced, but immediately had that sense of Slayer come over me when I first saw the beer on the shelf. It was a good feeling. I did make homemade Bleu Cheese Dressing before the yogurt destroyed my whole life. 



I quit measuring ingredients a long time ago. I also came to the conclusion 98% of recipes are just guidelines and are there for a reference. I do have a strong background of cooking on many different levels. My concept isn’t for everyone. Some people definitely need to follow recipes if the food is expected to be edible. I decided not to guess or try to even bullshit measurements to share. I apologize for the lack of recipe completion and for my yogurt in the last sentence. Use your imagination and have some fun! 



Caution:
When handling habaneros or hot peppers hotter than jalapeños, please use extreme caution if touching your face, using the restroom and/or showing a girlfriend/wife/pet/other any touchy feely affection. Your face is always itchy and your bladder is always out of control when handling habaneros. And I have a hilarious, yet painful, story involving my college girlfriend after I was making some awesome chili with various hot peppers that I do not want to get into at the moment. Again, use your imagination. I recommend washing your hands like ten times before the hotness and burning qualities of your hands do fade. 
Ingredients for Bleu Cheese:
-Veganaise
-Gorgonzola 
-Soy Sauce
-Sriracha
-Sour Cream
-Butter
-Milk
-Apple Cider Vinegar 
-Sea Salt/Pepper
-Fresh Dill
>Mix 



Ingredients for Cheese Mixture for stuffing:
-Cream Cheese at room temp
-PLAIN Greek yogurt
-Crushed Sunflower Seeds
-Garlic/Onion powder
-Sea Salt/Pepper
-Sugar
-Dry or Fresh Dill
-Deseeded Diced Cucumber 
-Super Diced Carrot
-Super Diced Sharp Cheddar
-Super Diced Habanero Scraps (if brave enough)



Stuffed Habaneros:
I used the remaining habaneros from a bunch I bought last weekend. I made 17, I believe. I sliced the top off manually ripped the stem off and diced and saved, deseeded and deveined them as much as possible with a pairing knife. It is very tedious and please do not forget to constantly wash your hands! I chose not to level at the bottom. I instead stuffed them all somewhat carefully, somewhat dangerously and turned them upside down onto parchment paper on a pizza pan in a tight circular shape. 



I then tore out approximately 18 inches of aluminum foil and folded into a strip to wrap around the angry mob of upside down stuffed habaneros, tying the ends together to secure this wild bunch and to tighten them up to make them angrier. 
I then put some parchment paper on yet another pizza pan and put it upside down on top the mob and flipped all of the gloriousness. See what I did there. I’m brilliant. I took the stuck parchment paper that was smothering this crazy dangerous mob and discarded. Preheated the oven to 225* F and mentally prepared myself for it to get even hotter in here. I baked them for 25 minutes and then immediately broiled them on low, rotating once halfly (if that even makes sense), for 4-6 minutes, and then turned the broil to high for one minute to add some color. 
Serve however you’d like. These babies are hot as hell. And I would dare/challenge Adam Richmond to eat 15 in his glory days. Good luck to any braves out there.
NOTES:
-I do not want the cheese mixture to get too hot and make a huge mess. 
-I first wanted to level the bottom as you would for stuffed green peppers, but habaneros are so small. I chose not to and created this make-shift aluminum foil contraption to keep the stuffed habaneros standing.
-I don’t really like mayo and I honestly think Veganaise is much better. 
-I’m a huge believer in organics and NonGMO Project Verified, but I am not rich and it isn’t always affordable for me, unfortunately. 
-I’ve seen recipes for Bleu Cheese that call for Worcestershire, but most are not even vegetarian as they have anchovy. 
-And it saddens me to learn last year that Guinness is not 100% vegetarian. 
Also, Slayer has a 1986 album, Reign In Blood, with track number 10 being the song Raining Blood. I doubt I got to listen to it when it first came out as I was only a one year-old and my parents were legitimate, graduated high school in ’69, hippies. That is why that beer made me super excited. 
Winter cycling is awesome and I love doing it, it’s just not as easy to do every day when it’s below freezing. You could follow me on Strava to see if I do ride today.
Athlete number 2678291
I do not do drugs and neither should you! “Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S. Thompson 

Hello

Posted on by jeffreylatty

I am not a professional cyclist. I’m a vegetarian with vegan qualities. I ride hard and far when I need to and want to. I noticed that some of the food available within this eating lifestyle is absurdly high in preservatives and poor on quality. The healthier vegan/vegetarian food out there ready is even more expensive. Which is nice when I have the funds, but that is not always the case. Especially after you put the necessity of good beers in there. I have been out to find a better way to eat with quality by cooking my own food cheaper. And want to share what I’ve come up with and tried. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY 

Eventually I want to start writing about the thousands of recipes I’ve created/modified to answer my tastebuds and eating lifestyle and thousands of awesome beers I’ve enjoyed and some adventurous bike rides I’ve ventured and will trek. I am not a culinary arts degree holder. I am not an English major. I do like to consider myself a professional beer drinker, although I am not paid to enjoy beers. I do love to think I know how to write after a few beers and the tipsiness occurs. Hence, future writings that are awful.