Well hello!

Mighty fine seeing you here this morning!

Welp. I done did it! I got my second dose of the Moderna and I’m vaxxed the fuck up! It was even easier this time than before.

I know some of you are curious as to the side effects and when/if you can expect them, so I’m gonna walk you through this in real “just vaccinated” time. I had a little insight since youngest right had her 2nd shot this past Sunday and I was able to get a rough timeline of the effects from her. Of the several case studies I’ve encountered most people feel no ill effects on the day of vaccination and if they happen it’s usually the 2nd day.

Let’s begin.

I received the vaccine today – which was actually Wednesday 4-21-21 – at 10:15 AM. I drove from Cal State Long Beach where I got my shot to El Segundo where I work and I’m planning on putting in a full days work today. It is currently 1:20 PM work is jamming and I feel fucking fine. I’m scheduled to work until 7:00 PM.

It’s currently 6:30 PM at work on Wednesday and I’m ready to get out of here. I feel good but have wondered if I’ve been dealing with some “loopiness” or being a little dazed. I’m also very tired but then again I worked my ass off here today. Busy as hell. Time to check traffic and head home. Got a bottle of Cabernet with my name on it at home.

Home. 10:30 PM. Bottle of vino consumed. Now watching Sunset Strip by Billy Wilder. Gloria Swanson is a bit over the top but holy shit did she sell out on some unflattering moments in there.

Props.

William Holden was as scrawny as Sinatra back in 1950.

Definite loopiness. I’m not an opiate guy, sorry, but it feels like that first batch of pain killers after a knee surgery. It’s my only point of reference. A little achy. Space cadet central. Body aches but then again it was busy as fuck at work today. A little sneezy. Soreness at the vaccine spot.

I could work tomorrow at this point.

Stay tuned.

I’m not working.

It’s Thursday morning 8 AM. This is some weird shit. Extreme fatigue. Achy as fuck and addle brained as a Kardashian. Doesn’t feel like a cold or flu at all. No fever or runny nose or any of the really ugly flu effects. Just this whole “feel like I’ve been run over by Britt Reid while he was driving under the influence” type thing. 

Bed rest is the order of the day. 

Had a smoothie and some toast for breakfast, took some ibuprofin, drank a bunch of water and went back to bed for a few hours.

It’s about 12:30 in the afternoon on Thursday and holy shit. I feel pretty damn good. Still a bit sore but the brain cloud is gone. Shit! That’s all you got, vaccine? That was nothing!

It’s now Friday, 4-23-21 and I am writing this at work. I’m back in business. A little fatigue today but that’s it.

Please get your vaccine shots people. It ain’t about taking a political side, it’s about trusting science and more importantly it’s about being a decent fucking human being.

 

So, ready for some Gravy?

Bet your sweet ass we’re going back to the sandwich well again. I’m fucking inspired by ’em right now. Can’t lie. I’m also running out of cool weather so I better get my slow oven cooked meals out the damn way while I can.

This one is one delicious motherfucker, I shit you negative.

Some of you folks will be familiar and some may not.

We’re going to be making a Louisville Hot Brown today!

Yee-haw!

I heard about these during Kentucky Derby coverage and saw them featured a few times on the Food Network and they sound fucking delicious.

I mean, roasted turkey on homemade bread with a Mornay sauce and topped with a slice of tomato and bacon? Which of those words are giving you consternation? Not a goddamn one of them!

Besides this is without a doubt the closest I’ll ever get to visiting Kentucky despite my love of bourbon as that is one backwards-ass cracker motherfucker of a redneck hillbilly state and my Socialist urban self has no intention of sharing my hard earned tourist dollars in a state the continually elects a no-chin, waddle-necked, speed-bump, do goddamn nothing of a senator. Fuck that asshole.

Let’s do this motherfucker.

Two types of slow cooked loving today. Hell yes.

Let’s get started on the bread.

You know it, you love it.

Here’s the link if you’re playing the Sunday Gravy home edition.

Yep, the sugar, yeast and warm water treatment.

Attach the paddle and build the sponge. That’s a sentence I’m not sure can be used in any other context.

Then attach the hook and let it knead. Get after that doughball!

Let this go for the requisite 10 minutes. Then place in the usual large oiled bowl for it to do it’s proofing.

You know the drill by now.

We’re going to once again use the heat of the oven to assist us with the rise of the bread. Granted this isn’t a full size Thanksgiving big ol’ whole turkey so it doesn’t cook near as long but it still gives the dough a little help.

Since I made this in April it wasn’t exactly easy finding a goddamn fresh turkey breast.

Three fucking stores struck out.

Ralph’s had a frozen one.

Since we’re working with frozen turkey, the least we could do would be the utilizing of fresh herbs.

What’s this “living” shit on the package?

Oh fuck! It really is alive!. Wish I had a place for an herb garden at the new dojo. And thanks for making me feel like a right proper shit for cutting off the roots of these “living” herbs and then chopping them up.

Fuckers!

Oven roasted Herb turkey breast

recipe greatly inspired by dinneratthezoo.com

6 lb bone in turkey breast – if it’s frozen be sure it is fully thawed and at room temperature

5 tablespoons butter softened

6 cloves of fresh minced garlic

1 onion rough chopped

1 tablespoon sage leaves finely minced

1 tablespoon rosemary leaves finely minced

1/2 tablespoon of dried thyme

2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely minced

1 tablespoon of salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

For you folks with smaller families or maybe you’re cooking for yourself, this is a fucking delicious roast turkey breast that absolutely sits right in the goddamn wheelhouse of a Thanksgiving turkey. Easy as can be too.

Let’s get busy with the herbage.

Pluck them sage leaves.

Then mince up them sage leaves.

Repeat with the parsley and rosemary. After mincing up the herbs add them to a bowl and get the dried thyme and salt in there. Combine.

And you best believe we’ll be needing some garlic up in here!

Don’t just look at them. Mince that shit up!

What we’re going to do is cook that turkey on top of a bed of onion. You could go full mire poix if you wanted.

Let’s add the melted butter to the herbs.

Feel like a good slathering? Well let’s get to slathering already!

That’s real nice. Into the oven you go!

It’s a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes per pound. A 6 pound breast is (gets slide rule) an hour and a half. The math checks out!

When the turkey is cooked let it rest for at least 20 minutes before hacking. It can rest even longer than that as we’ll see today.

Back to the bread. When the dough has risen, been punched down, risen again and shaped then we need to grab a sheet of parchment paper.

Check this shit out.

At first I was pissed like “The fuck is up with these tiny ass sheets of parchment? Can’t a motherfucker find a plain old roll of goddamn parchment paper?”

Then I unfolded one and I was all “Oh shit! That’s fucking perfect!”

This is my actual brain at work.

Shape out the loaf as per standard.

Remember the long tapered look? Yessir.

This week we’ll give the bread the slashes along the top unlike last week when my dumb ass forgot.

When you’ve shaped and slashed and cooked properly the results should be inevitable.

/speechless

It’s just…. Fuck that’s perfect.

 

Let’s get started on our Mornay sauce.

What is Mornay sauce you wonder? It’s basically a bechamel that’s been gussied up with some cheese and seasonings. If you’ve made homemade macaroni and cheese and built your own sauce from scratch starting with a roux? Welp, your ass has made a mornay before.

Todays version features grated parmigiano reggiano – of course – and NUTMEG!

Mornay sauce.

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup of whole milk

1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Dash of salt and pepper.

Start with the roux.

Butter and flour are melted together, stirred, combined and ever so slightly browned.

Gather the seasonings.

Stir the roux to combine.

Then in goes the cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Once the parmesan gets in there it’s going to get nice and rich and bubbly.

What could use the addition of this sauce?

Anything? Any fucking thing ever, including sex. Might want to let it cool down before using as a marital aid though.

Toast! We’re going to need to toast that lovely bread so it will stand up to this meal.

Holy crap it even makes sexy looking toast! Fucking hell this bread was amazing.

Once our turkey has rested – a good 45 minutes today to let the bread cook and cool – then it’s time to give her a carving.

Now let’s make with the assemblage! Get some thick sliced turkey on that toast.

Nice start! Now a slice of tomato on each.

Now it’s sexy time, yes?

Get that Mornay and a sprinkle of paprika on top.

Look! It’s yet another cure for erectile dysfunction!

Into the oven this will go until lightly browned on top and very bubbly. Say, 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

In the meantime.

Hell yes, it’s a bacon garnish!

Let’s check on the sandwich halves.

That’s the lightly browned and bubbly business I mentioned before.

Guess all we have left to do is…

Oh yeah. “Mr. DeMille I’m ready for my close-up!”

Damn.

Just. Damn.

Doesn’t really even need a summary does it? Next Thanksgiving if you have leftover turkey breast then you’ve got an assignment. Know how after the first day or so of leftovers it gets a little tired. Wake that shit up by making one of these. They’re fucking awesome.

Hell yes.

Before closing, tonight is the Academy Awards and I’m going to play a little prognostication game.

I’ve seen all of the movies in the “prestige” categories and even several of the animated short films. SO here goes my best guess.

Best Picture – Nomadland

Best Director – Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland

Best Actor – Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – this is an absolute stone cold lock

Best Actress – Andra Day “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”

Best Supporting Actor – Paul Raci “Sound of Metal”

Best Supporting Actress – Yuh-Jung Youn “Minari”

Animated Feature Film – “Soul”

Cinematography – Joshua James Richards “Nomadland”

Film Editing – Yorgos Lamprinos “The Father”

International Feature Film – “Another Round” which was fucking FANTASTIC by the way

Short Animated Film – “If Anything Happens I Love You” on Netflix and prepare to have your fucking soul ripped out by it.

 

That’s all I’m gonna predict since I’m pretty comfortable with my opinions in these categoroes. I’ll leave the rest to the experts.

Tune in and and see how I do then feel free to make fun of my dumb ass next week or be dazzled by my movie prognostication skills. I’m actually pretty decent at this.

 

Thanks for being here folks. You’re the reason I do this every week.

As always…

Be Safe

Be Well.

PEACE!