Pickle Freak

Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles-January's Pickle of the Month!

2012-01-25T12:33:00.001-08:00

Please, please, please let me introduce you to the pickles that have me running straight to the fridge as soon as I get home. Ladies and gentleman, meet the lovely lady Lynnae of Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles!

These pickles are made in Tacoma, WA by Lynnae herself based on her grandmother's recipe. She started out much like all of you other picklers out there, making them for friends and family and one day found she couldn't keep up with the demand AND her day job, so she took some time off and the next thing you know, she's a full time pickler. Her sister-in-law and another friend have joined in her venture and are the 3 women behind this delicious company. I'm really excited to have these ladies join in on the pickling fun along with my pals over at Miss Jenny's Pickles! We need more women in pickles!

I think their move to the pickle business was a wise one because I cannot get enough of these pickles. They are definitely unique in that they combine my favorite new sweet flavor with a spear form-YES-these are the first sweet pickles I've ever had that weren't cut into slices. I also really love their balance of sweet and heat and GARLIC!

Look at this picture above-that's the first jar I opened and the garlic was nice and spicy and lingered with every bite....yummmm....let's hope they make a pickled garlic soon!

These pickles come in 2 varieties, the Mrs. Pickles which are the original family recipe and the Hot Mama Pickles which have a few added jalapenos for extra heat. I couldn't detect too much difference in the heat levels but my tongue may be immune since I eat so much spicy stuff, so if you're nervous, stick with the original but either way you will be pleased with the delicious punch of flavor these pickles pack!

If you're pickle palate is craving something a little different-try these please!

A Brief History of My Sweet Pickle Tooth

2012-01-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

As a young child I remember sticking a fork into an unlabeled homemade jar of sweet pickles in the fridge and being totally disgusted by the sweet taste. It was probably more a fault of the surprise than the actual pickles but I was turned OFF for a long time but I'm pleased to testify my sweet pickle tooth has been born again. Hallelujah!

The infancy of my sweet tooth goes back about 7 years ago when I encountered a strange van in Meridian, MS in a hotel parking lot. I was living in Brooklyn but was home for a wedding and had my picture taken, holding a can of beer of course, next to the company logo on the van. It said "Mickles Pickles: The Second Best Pickle In the World". A few weeks later after some googling, a jar from Picayune, MS was delivered to me in the mail and about an hour later that jar was gone. I've since nurtured my tooth lovingly along the way, and Mickles were the perfect intro. They are sliced super thin and have a crispy crunch and a peppery bite, all of which is balanced beautifully. Yes indeed these are not pickles for sharing. Grab a jar,a fork,hide and kiss them goodbye, just as the label advises.

My next phase was satisfied by Wickles Pickles which are cut in thicker slices making them easy to chop and great for adding to dishes like potato salad and such, but as you know already, I hardly experience a pickle other than straight from jar to mouth. They chunky slices are sweeter AND spicier than Mickles but I was now prepared for the sugary kick.

And then came along Harold's Sissy Sweet Pickles which are the roughest, rowdiest sweet pickles out there. The slices are big chunks and the heat is SERIOUS. Probably the hottest store bought pickle labled "sweet" you'll ever come across. It was after these pickles that I realized, Oh, I like sweet pickles! I really like sweet pickles!

AND THEN I got 2 jars of Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles and they have been deemed my January Pickles of the Month, and oh yeah, they are SWEET!

Stay tuned for my post on these awesome pickles that have my pickle sweet tooth smiling!

1st Annual Peck Slip Pickle Festival

2012-01-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

1st Annual Peck Slip Pickle Festival

If you were like me and heartbroken you couldn't make it to 1st Annual Peck Slip Pickle Festival you can watch this video and almost experience the magic firsthand. And you have Jennifer Takaki of The Pickle Club to thank for it!

I Had a Very Merry Chipsmas

2012-01-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I had a really great holiday break but I'm back and ready to tackle a couple of my New Years Resolutions:
1-Blog more
2-Eat more

...and I'm doing it right now.

BEHOLD the McClure's Pickles pickle flavored chips in Garlic Dill and Spicy Pickle. These beauties were born when Detroit based Better Made chips partnered with my favorite pickle brothers. I ordered a case of them and had them shipped to my nieces' house in Mississippi for Xmas. A selfless act of love I assure you.

Let's start with the bag. Isn't that the most handsome bag of chips you've ever laid your eyes on? I'm hopeful that the brothers McClure will create a duvet cover, pillow cases and sheet set so I can pretend to crawl into one of these bags every night and sleep. A sleeping bag and maybe some drapes would also be nice.

Now let's open the bag. Are you as surprised as I am to find the chips ridged? I just assumed they would take the form of a thin and crispy chip, much like my original favorite brand of Golden Flake or that they would be a kettle style chip like my other fave Zapps but WOW, they are ridged and I LOVED them for it! You know what ridged chips are great for? Soaking in pickle juice and still being crunchy! Not that these chips needed any more pickle flavor. I tried both flavors but if you're like me and like a little spice, opt for the Spicy Pickle variety.

I also advise you order by the case, which you have to do if these aren't available in your area, but still, if you can buy a bag one at a time, why torture yourself with the tedium? I only took 1 bag home with me back to NOLA and that's the one you see up there, empty. Now what do I do? I guess the next case will be an act of self love.

Harold's Sissy Sweet Pickles

2011-12-13T08:30:00.001-08:00

It's been really amazing, as a pickle enthusiast to watch as so many new picklers have come along in the last few years. One of those picklers is a guy that otherwise may be a nuisance to society so let's all thank the gods that he found an outlet in pickling. His name is Harold and he lives in Texas. He tells tall tales and is quick with a hug, wink or a kiss, like I said, he's a Texan.

I've been lucky enough to meet the feller awhile back when he was in NOLA for The Gourmet Hot Sauce Show. At the time he was just testing out his latest recipe for The Beer Pickle that would join his first 3 types: Frances Cowley Original Dill, 2X Hot, 4X Hot. I'm a fan of all three, especially the beautiful label on The Beer Pickle jar that I think would look fantastic as a tattoo on my future husband or, foregoing marriage, a nice oil painting for my parlor. Anyway, while these pickles are all great, I was truly wowed by their latest addition, a so called "sissy" sweet pickle. I

Now, I've noticed a couple of things:
1-that I REALLY, really like sweet pickles but only if they are spicy and
2-there are now a shit load of these types of pickles out there and I couldn't be happier.
Most people down South call them "Fire & Ice" pickles but perhaps you Yankees don't even know they exist. Harold's Sissy Sweet Pickles are here to ease your painful ignorance and then to cause you more pain. These are the hottest "sweet" pickles I've ever had and there's nothing sissy about them, 'cept the size of the jar. I need a barrel of these fine things.

You can order these fiery, not for the faint of heart pickles here or you can flirt with danger and contact Harold on their facebook page

You've been warned. Enjoy!

Lazy People Don't Like to Be Busy

2011-12-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

...BUT that's been my reality. This is the last time I'll go "on and on" about how busy I am because, well, I'm sure you don't believe me anyway.

I've got so much pickle STUFF to tell you about and I want to do another Pickle Xmas Wish List to show a tally of how much I would end up spending if I bought them all. The price will be STAGGERING I tell ya! I'm also working on my pickle new year resolutions and one will definitely be to order a new jar (or old favorite) of pickles every month.

I gotta go. Pickles need eating.

Katy

A New (Pickle Day)-Nov 13, 2011

2011-11-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

Time's they are a changin'...this year's annual LES International Pickle Festival is a whole new dilly. Last year's 10th year of the festival was the last one to be organized by the amazing Nancy Ralph of the New York Food Museum. She started the festival on Orchard street and every year lovingly watched it grow. I had the pleasure of working with Nancy one year and will never forget any of my experiences at past pickle fests!

The reigns were passed earlier this fall to the organizers of the popular New Amsterdam Market under the Brooklyn Bridge near the South Street Seaport who have renamed the festival the Peck Slip Pickle Festival.

I won't be able to make it this year but you can bet I'll be sitting here with FOMO so I can't wait to hear all about it. Also, according to the NY Food Museum website, there's a yet to be announced pickle fest in the spring on the Lower East Side! I will not suffer FOMO for that one!

Oh and if YOU are suffering from FOMO as well, be sure to check back with my friend Jennifer from The Pickle Club TV, she always covers the fest and does an amazing job!

PS-dear Peck Slip Pickle Festival promoters....that image of a horde of shopping pickles is super CREEPY!

Ohhhh! I Had a Pickle Cake!

2011-11-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

October was totally nuts thanks to my extensive birthday celebrations that are now *officially* over...sigh....I'm sad because I still didn't do everything I wanted to but nevertheless, I suppose it had to end. Anyway, here's my awesome pickle cake that another of my cult devotees, Megan King, brought to my party at The Mayfair, the official Home of The Pickle Freak!

Did I say home? I meant bar. Same difference right?

I'm looking forward to blogging LOTS in the coming days to get you all caught up with my pickle pursuits!

Dilly Lounge

2011-11-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

Y'all been to my lounge yet?

Dill Pickle Popcorn

2011-11-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

My friend Jennifer Flynn is one of my biggest success stories-I have completely converted her to the Pickle Freak cult.
She was recently in Dallas and brought me back this bag of pickle flavored popcorn from Uptown Popcorn. When she sees anything pickle related, she knows she has to get it for me. As should all of you.

The bag was devoured in about 5 minutes. You can order all kinds of flavors (but why bother, just get the Dill Pickle) online. So if you're gonna be the weird relative that sends a tin of popcorn as a Xmas gift, you can at least redeem yourself by getting cool flavors. They also have a size called "Party" that weighs 13 lbs-that's what I want. You can email me for my address and ship that party my way.

Pickle News & More!

2011-10-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

The great ladies behind Miss Jenny's Pickles participated in the President's Jobs Council and look where it landed them-AND their pickles-in CHINA. Congrats to you guys and please send us posts from your adventures in China!

Oh, I'm going to be profiled in an upcoming book by Andrea Chesman and published by Storey Publishing called The Pickled Pantry! I'll be sure to brag about that even more once the book is available!

Back in September I attended the International Food Bloggers' Conference at The Hotel Monteleone (home of my fave (non-pickle) drink the Brazilian Sparkle at The Carousel Bar). I had an amazing time, met wonderful people with great blogs and I ate like a rich person. If you're a food blogger yourself, I highly recommend attending any of the IFBCs-the next one is November 11-13 in Santa Monica!

New Blog Buddies from IFBC:

One Hundred Eggs

Chef It Yourself

Native Palate

Bite and Booze

Seattle Food Geek

Capdeville, the awesome bar & restaurant that just happens to be next door to my job, is now serving FRIED PICKLES-coincidence? I think not, but then again I DO take credit for anything pickle related that happens anywhere near me. These are unlike any fried pickles I've ever had because the batter is chock full of tasty buffalo style hot sauce-GENIUS! They could be a little crisper but the batter to pickle flavor is spot on.

Ok, guys, I'm really sorry for such lazy blogging but with so much going on I'm struggling to keep up. But DO STAY TUNED for a very thorough upcoming report on Naked Jay Pickle Vodka!

Hello, Lover

2011-10-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

We've only met online but it's pretty safe to say I'm in a relationship...with Naked Jay Vodka. JUST TODAY I learned from a coworker that there was a pickle flavored vodka out there and a quick google search and a tweet later there's a bottle on it's way to ME!

People, this is a big deal and yeah, I'm a little excited.
Go ahead and find your own bottle and we'll meet back here to find out if you mix it or drink it straight from the bottle.

Hunger Action Month

2011-09-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today I am extremely proud to be blogging on behalf of 2nd Harvest Food Bank here in New Orleans and the Greater Acadiana area. Most of us take for granted how surrounded we are by amazing local food here, planning our future indulgences while still eating our current one, but not everyone is so lucky, but the good news is, it's so very easy to help.

September is Hunger Action Month- a national movement to raise awareness and take action to help the 50 million Americans who experience hunger.

Throughout the month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, including my local Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, is working to engage citizens to take action and help spread the word about how pervasive hunger is in every community.

Hunger is closer than you think. Nationwide, 50 million Americans suffer from food insecurity. In Louisiana 1 in 8 people is struggling with hunger. 1 in 5 children in Louisiana is at risk for hunger. In any given week, nearly 42,000 people receive food through Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana.

But hunger’s impact is felt by many more than the millions living with food insecurity: hunger impacts child development, health and wellness, education, workforce development – our general welfare as a nation. It is an issue in every community – and food banks work tirelessly to combat hunger and aid those living with the everyday disaster of hunger.

In contrast to what many believe, hunger does not only affect the homeless. Hunger is a daily struggle that can impact anyone. Many families are just one paycheck away from needing to rely on a food bank, food pantry or soup kitchen.

Local food banks are on the frontlines of the battle against hunger. It is only through the food, funds and time donated by members of the community that food banks can lead the fight. September is your opportunity to get involved with the fight against hunger as each individual has the power to fight hunger. There are many ways to help including hosting a food drive, volunteering, sharing hunger facts through social media, preparing food for an elderly neighbor or visit the 30 Ways in 30 Days calendar for more ideas on daily ways you can take action.

Throughout the month of September follow the hashtag #fighthunger to hear how members of our community are taking action and to hear about other ways you can help Second Harvest Food Bank. For more information on the Power to Fight Hunger campaign visit www.no-hunger.org.

Pickling Demo in the French Market

2011-09-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hey kids, there is ALOT going on this Labor Day Weekend in NOLA. Not only is it time to celebrate Southern Decadence but yours truly will be sweating out my Friday night Saturday afternoon in the lovely French Market.

Casey Burka will be prepping, chopping, packing and pickling while I ramble endlessly and hopefully insightfully into a microphone. I must admit, the idea of my voice amplified terrifies me, BUT I'm in New Orleans afterall-I can have a drink (a McClure's Bloody Mary of course) and loosen up and I can rest assured that everyone else will be in good spirits along with me.

So come on down to the French Market this Sunday, September 4 at 2pm. Edible New Orleans and The Southern Food & Beverage Museum are hosting this event!

#IFBC : I'm IN!

2011-08-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

WooooHooooo! Somebody (thank you FOODISTA!) ponied up the dough for Pickle Freak to attend the the 2011 International Food Blogger Conference this weekend which will be held Fri-Sat-Sun at my favorite hotel, The Hotel Monteleone.

I can't wait to meet all of my fellow bloggers here in NOLA, the new city that I am thankful every single day that I now get to call home. I know that I have been busy checking out all of y'all's blogs and I imagine you'll return the favor. So here's a few things to get you all caught up on Pickle Freak:

1-I've always known I was a Pickle Freak and actually come from a line of Pickle Freaks- the song "Born This Way" should come to mind
2-I'm from Mississippi, lived in New York and then moved to NOLA. There are really amazing pickles in all 3 places.Coincidence?
3-John Besh is the keynote speaker at this year's IFBC. Did you know he makes really awesome pickles?
4-I have a lot of green and pickle themed clothing and wearing costumes is NOLA is perfectly acceptable.
5-If i didn't have a blog about pickles, I'd have one about fried food and a NOLA treat, SnoBalls.

YOU. MUST.HAVE.ONE. Talk to me, I'll set you on the right path (there is only one).

I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Safe travels getting here and welcome to NOLA!

Knock Knock. Who's There?

2011-08-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

The International Food Blogger's Conference!

Yeah, it's happening this weekend in NOLA and at the Hotel Monteleone too.
Why, I sip on delicious Brazilian Sparkles and frozen things by the pool there all the time! Wouldn't it be awesome if I could attend?
Maybe if I did I wouldn't title posts things like "Knock Knock. Who's There?"

I need $350 dollars, somebody cough it up.

STUFFED

2011-08-12T07:40:00.001-07:00

Do you have a garden bursting with jalapeno peppers and wondering what to do with them? I sure as shit don't, but I'm hoping you will, because I need to make more of THESE! A friend at work was awesome enough to bring me a big bag of peppers from his garden and I brought them home, cracked open my fridge and decided to do this:

I had a few cubes of salsa jack cheese from Whole Foods and a few wrapped pepper jack string cheese things (?) so I washed, split and seeded my peppers and stuffed them with cheese. Next I took a few slices of bacon (I only had turkey bacon) and split each right down the middle into 2 thinner slices and wrapped them around my stuffed peppers.

I popped them into my small toaster over and waited a few minutes and then devoured these beautiful things.

The peppers were nicely roasted, the cheese was all melted and the bacon was crisp. What more could you ask for in a snack? I wish you could grow jalapenos to the size of eggplants so I could make a huge one and eat it for a long time...these things were amazingly delicious and probably the best thing I've ever just up and decided to make. A friend of mine, Mike Walton told me he does the same thing with peppers but with a slightly different technique.

He slices off the tip and top of the pepper and wearing a glove, removes all of the seeds. Then he stuffs the pepper with cream cheese and wraps the whole thing in bacon, using the bacon to cover each open end of the pepper and then roasts.

I don't think there is any variation of this that would not be good?
What's your recipe?

A Jarring Experience

2011-08-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

I've been a car-less (not careless) pickler for about 7 years now, so I've had a few adventures in hauling pounds of produce and cases of jars on buses and trains, up narrow staircases and the like. But now that I have my own kitchen and a few awesome friends that always check with me before they go to the grocery store I've been able to really stock up on jugs of vinegar and water and lots of jars. My goal is to always have on hand my basic needs, so if a pickling opportunity strikes, I AM READY.

On my last shopping trip I picked up 2 cases of jars to supplement the 1/2 case of waiting jars I already had tucked away. I'd filled the other half back in June with my 1st NOLA batch of pickles . My usual jar of choice is a Ball Brand wide mouth jar. Sometimes I have silver bands and lids, sometimes gold (don't you wish they came in all sorts of shiny aluminum colors?). But on my last trip to Wal-Mart I decided to try their line of canning jars and so saved about 2 cents on a case of quart jars and a case of pint jars.

The line is called "Mainstays" and they are pretty lovely jars. The main attraction is sort of their lack of one-the jars are totally plain. No logo on the side, just a smooth, clear surface, which is perfect if you want to add a label. And if you do, check these out!

I didn't see a wide mouth jar option so I went with the regular size and I have to admit, for pickling you really have to have a widemouth. I'm usually a pro at packing my jars nice and tight while still making them look pretty, but with these jars it was a struggle even with my pencil thin wrists.

The glass of the jars seemed a little thinner than a Ball jar but maybe that is just my perception since they don't have the added thickness of the logo in relief on the side. I am pleased with them so far and will keep checking back for a wide mouth version. I'll probably but Ball brand again the next time I purchase jars because they are made in America (Mainstays are made in China) and the difference in cost is really not an issue. My goal is to eventually have the perfect number of packed jars and empty jars that are continually being reused and recycled every pickling season so that I really don't need to buy new jars anymore.

Are you obsessed with jars? Do you have a preference when it comes to your jars or will any old jar do?

Brooklyn Brine's 2nd Annual Pickle Eating Contest that I Will Miss

2011-08-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Pickle Kin

2011-07-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Harold, purveyor of gourmet pickles from Texas is most certainly my kin folk. I first "met" Harold via this here ol' blog when he left a comment on one of my posts urging me to stop messin' around with other "hot" pickles and to try his instead. After corresponding back and forth it was theorized that he may be my long lost father...'cept my dad is alive and well and I look just like him, so, love ya Dad, but there is no doubt that Harold and I are related somewhere along the brine line.

Well, I called him out about his pickles not messin' around and sure enough, he had the smarts to send me a whole box of his pickles: a jar of the original Frances Cowley dills, a jar of his "2X" hot pickles with habaneros and a jar of his "4X" extra hot pickles with even more habaneros. I've got all 3 sitting in my fridge right this moment, no doubt keeping the other jars in there highly entertained. These are sassy pickles from Texas with a salty sense of humor.

All of these pickles come in thick, chunky slices, which I love, because for me they are a mess-free meal, only a fork need be "dirtied". The original Frances Cowley dills are just a simple, straightforward dill that tastes better than anything Vlassic, Mount Olive etc can sell you. My friend Ruby Verbena tried them at the NOLA Hot Sauce & Gourmet show and shrieked with delight (of course, Harold, I must point out, at this point she had yet to taste MY pickles, just sayin'...). My friend Annie tried these the other night at my house and said they had just the right amount of heat for her, anymore would be too much. She is a wimp (I'm kidding Annie, just testing to see if you read the blog). The 2X or "Purdy Hot" pickles and the 4X or "Dern Hot" are the same recipe as the Frances Cowley dills just accordingly spiced up with habanero peppers, although I SWEAR my 2X pickles are hotter than the 4X ones! What makes these pickles unique is their super salty taste, so if you're the type that adds salt to your tortilla chips, margaritas and cans of Tecate, these are for you.

After Harold sent me this big box of love from Texas, I had the pleasure of meeting him at the NOLA Hot Sauce & Gourmet Show. He welcomed me like family and I was happy to learn he is even funnier in person than his witty facebook updates and happier to know that he was even more hungover on that Sunday afternoon than I was! He and his pickle crew attended some sort of open bar for the show vendors and he declared that it was a flat out mistake to put him anywhere NEAR an open bar. Like I said-KIN FOLK.

And just like kin, Harold didn't let me leave without a jar of his brand new pickle offering-The Beer Pickle-which I have to say is the COOLEST jar of pickles I've ever laid my briny hands on and it deserves its own post-my google search of "beer pickle" has already turned up some very interesting things so stay tuned.

Eat Like a Freak: Garlic Jelly

2011-07-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

I think I already do. Eat like a freak that is, but just in case, I ate especially freaky yesterday, in an especially freaky place. The NOLA Hot Sauce and Gourmet show in Kenner...

New Orleans is such a great place and while it's full of Southern CHARM, I forget sometimes that I really live in the Deep South again and then I find myself in a place like Kenner which is a mere 10 minutes outside of New Orleans and oooooooh my...there were um...a *few* rednecks there...including this guy:

It was really hard to get this photo because A) I had to look at him and B) he was pacing around because he was a participant in the "spicy lick-a-thon" and I reckon the heat was a gettin' to him.

ANYHOO, the show was great. We walked around and filled our tiny spoons with all kinds of hot and BBQ sauces, pickles and jellies. I did indeed eat like a freak, 'cuz I don't even like jelly but I LOVED THIS STUFF:

Is Garlic Jelly weird? Any kind of jelly is weird to me, so I'm just asking...but whoa is this stuff GOOD! I have no idea what I'll eat it on since I don't eat a lot of bread but I may have to make an exception for this stuff. Plus I just really love the way it looks, all those little chunks of garlic and bits of parsley suspended in jelly really captivate me (probably because I'm a Southern redneck myself-mawmaw, LOOK! Jelly!).

The maker of this magical stuff was one of my favorite people I met that day. Rita Smith and her husband Roger make all kinds of salsa, jellies and of course pickles, but it was the line of jellies that really grabbed our attention. You can look them up on their website, which is on the internet, (so is my blog, by the way) at www.olehomestead.com. I'm pretty sure it's the only place you'll find "Crawfish Jelly" (which is the most amazing color of peachy pink I've ever seen and I wish now that I'd gotten a jar just to gaze upon)!

I met some other amazing folks but that'll be the next post I write!

NOLA Hot Sauce Show!

2011-07-14T06:38:00.001-07:00

The New Orleans Hot Sauce & Gourmet Show will be held this weekend at the Pontchatrain Center in Kenner. Admission is $5 and I guarantee you will get your money's worth that day.

Also, I need a ride. Let's go on Sunday. Thanks.

(PS) Check out this gorgeous website!

Made in NOLA

2011-07-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago I stayed in on a Friday night (really hard to do in NOLA) so I could hit the farmer's market on Saturday morning, you know, EARLY before it got too hot... but I slept til' 10 anyway and I just resigned myself to the fact that it's summer in New Orleans. It's HOT no matter what you do or try to do.

I scooted down on my Vespa with the intention to just buy enough cukes to make 2-3 quarts, but I ended up getting a whole basket full for $3-they were all short and chubby, hence their bargain price, but I was going to slice them into rings anyway, so I crammed my full market bag in to the seat of my scooter and got home to get down to business!

I made 8 quarts and after all the jars were cooled down, I had to hide them under my counter so I wouldn't be tempted to open them early. It took every bit of my will power. In order to let them "sit" for 2 weeks it would be July 1 before I could open a jar. On that day, I put one jar in the fridge before leaving for work and when I got home that night I cracked open the first jar with MUCH anticipation!

The first jar was empty before the weekend was over. Yes, my day's labor 2 weeks prior was a huge success and now I'm thinking, I only made EIGHT QUARTS....sh*t!!

Here's what I used for the brine ( I ended up making 2 batches of brine-you can just double the amounts):
4 cups water (I used "spring" water, not tap)
4 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
1/4 cup of fine sea salt (actually a little less)

Pack each jar with a teaspoon of mustard seeds, a few hot peppers, a few cloves of garlic, and a sprigs of fresh dill
Pack in your cukes
Bring your brine to a boil and then carefully pour over your cukes and fill your jars
Seal your jars with your lids, that you boiled separately and let cool a bit

Do everything in your power to forget you made these for 2 weeks and then enjoy!

NOLA Blogger Meet Up

2011-06-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

If there are any other NOLA based bloggers that read Pickle Freak, please join us TOMORROW, Thursday, June 30th from 6-8 pm.
The meet up is free to all and we'll be learning about Word Press and discussing anything that comes to mind.

It will all take place at Launch Pad, where I happen to work. I didn't plan this event it just happened this way-isn't my life magical?

More info and RSVP on Facebook.

There's a bar just next door so afterwards we can all have a beverage at Capdeville!

This picture is symbolic of different kinds of veggies being united as pickles, just as we bloggers will be united.

Empty Crack Vial

2011-06-29T07:20:00.001-07:00

You Know You Want It!

I Bought Crack in the French Quarter

2011-06-20T18:05:00.000-07:00

You already know I have a problem... a bit of a habit...but what am I supposed to do when the pickle pushers just FIND ME?

I'm learning fast that in THIS town, temptation is every.where.you.look....and even where you don't look. I knowingly ventured to the 25th Annual Creole Tomato Festival in the French Market a few Sundays ago with the agenda to buy a few pickled things, pickled Mirlitons being high on the list. A bus ride downtown, a fresh lime daiquiri and $10 bucks later, Mission Accomplished: pickles in hand.

But these were just gateway pickles. The hard stuff would find me a few bars later. My friends and I ventured from bar to bar-Pravda (no AC!), The Abbey, and then Johnny White's....a den of crack. All I did was sit there and from the farthest corner of the small, narrow bar I saw a vision of a woman standing outside in the light holding what I wanted. A flat box- a case of Ball mason jars-I would recognize those colors and that font anywhere-full of jars and....a go cup with a Hurricane from Lafitte's Blacksmith Bar. Could it be? Is she really selling pickles? Right outside the very bar I'm in when there are HUNDREDS of bars to choose from? How did she know?

I marched towards the door (possibly staggered) and barraged her with questions, "Are you selling pickles? What is your name? I have to have a jar! How much are these? OhmygodIwriteablogaboutpicklesandIcan'tbelievethis?"

HOW MUCH for a JAR?

I gave her $5 dollars and pawed a jar and she gently took my hand and said "No, take these. You have to try the CRACK PICKLES." Oh I took the crack pickles alright and I ate them almost immediately. They were spears with a clear, simple taste of brine and mustard seed. They tasted like warm sunshine on a blanket. I managed to share a few but I clearly hogged the majority of the jar and then at my final bar of the night, I polished off the remaining pickle juice.

All I've got now is an empty jar with a handwritten label and a strong urge to eat more crack pickles! I didn't catch this seemingly mirage of a woman's name but she did tell me her farm, Lone Cypress Farm has a facebook page and from there I learned that their main mission is rescuing stray animals-they use to farm to grow produce and use the sale of their harvest to support their rescue. Crack with a Cause!!

She assured me I could find her again another Sunday night, same place-ish, same time-ish (this IS New Orleans after all) and I sure hope I do. You can order your own crack online and I urge you to do so. Don't make me do crack all alone.

American Sector-Pickles @ the WWII Museum

2011-06-09T12:24:00.001-07:00

I was a little obsessed with these pickles before I even moved here from reading about them on my fave NOLA food blog Blackened Out. But now that I'm HERE, I'm TRULY in love with these green spears of patriotism.

Chef John Besh runs the restaurant American Sector which is part of the museum but admission is not required. The pickles are free but I've noticed on my repeat visits they aren't automatically brought to your table, so don't be shy and ask for them as soon as you're handed your menu! They are very tangy pickles with an initial heavy bread and butter taste but I've noticed that with every bite I pick up a different subtle taste which keeps me happily munching away. Also, they change slightly in flavor every time I've visited, which tells me that are made fresh on a very regular basis.

The menu is great and I try and order something different every time I visit, but my favorite dish (besides the amazing corndog) is the garlic honey glazed chicken wings because they come with a trio of pickled veggies. Pickled squash, watermelon and radish is pictured below. The radish was underwhelming (but I'm not really a fan), the squash was delicious (I'm not usually a fan) but the watermelon was magical. It was still very sweet but had a spice and tang to it that I loved. I ordered the wings and had no idea they would come with so many pickles on the side-perfect!

I'm lucky that I have a job just down the street and a friend that works at the Museum, so it's a quick and luxurious lunch spot for me. Everything I've had is amazing right down to the hotdog. But what's really special about this place is that every trip I've made there has had an emotional impact on me. To be seated next to a WWII Veteran who gently cuts his wife's food for her or to snap a photo of a Veteran and his wife at the next table for them to remember their trip here makes me feel so grateful. So if you see me a little teary-eyed at American Sector it could be the pickles, or the corndog or the spicy wings, but it's not.

Thanks to everyone who has served and a big salute to those serving now.

Homemade-esque?

2011-06-07T09:20:00.001-07:00

Vlasic Pickles is launching a new pickle and as I was trying to sort through my ANGER at this campaign ( I usually welcome ANY new pickles on the scene...) I found THIS article on Gothamist.com with my exact thoughts and emotions expressed perfectly by the very articulate Bob McClure of McClure's Pickles.

Here's a snippet from their obnoxious press release ( I was invited to the "farm-to-table STYLE tasting event but I don't think I'll be flying back to NYC to attend):

You may be asking yourself, “what’s the big deal about a pickle?” Consider this the “pickle for everyday foodies” that answers the call for people who want to eat fresh and choose quality, but don’t want to drive across town to the specialty market or wait for the Saturday farmer’s markets to do so.

1-What's the big deal about a pickle? Well that question just pisses me off.
2-"Consider this the "pickle for everyday foodies"...but don't want to drive across town to the specialty market-So you mean it's the pickle for foodies who don't really give a shit and are too lazy to drive? THOSE FOODIES?
3-"...or wait for the Saturday farmer's markets..." or so either the lazy ones who don't want to drive or the impatient ones who can't wait, THOSE FOODIES...

Maybe by putting "everyday" in front of "foodies" just means assholes.

See? I'm really upset by this. Why can't they just come out and say, with all these fantastic people making awesome pickles we thought we'd better get our shit together and make a product that you're gonna demand from us anyway or else we'll go out of business eventually. OR they could come out and say "we're seeing young, creative, passionate people creating a market that we can dip into, so, hey, we ARE!"

And what really makes me the maddest is... I still wanna know what they taste like.

Frog Ranch Peppered Pickles

2011-06-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

WOW-I can't believe I haven't told y'all about Frog Ranch Peppered Pickles yet... I am really slacking. These pickles are long gone from my fridge now because they were sent to me back in January by my friend Aggie. She lives in OHIO..or as she likes to call it, the LAND OF BLAND... but then she found these pickles and now she's not sure what to think!

Pickles can really make you rethink your whole life.

These pickles are sliced into thick chunks and the entire bottom third of the jar is sliced jalapenos. They are some of the HOTTEST store bought pickles I've ever encountered that simply said "hot" and not EXTRA or XX Hot. Way to go. I wish all things labeled "hot" were really this hot. You can tell from this half-assed photo of the jar in my fridge that I had already eaten past the point where there is no longer pickle juice near the top of the label and I ate them so quickly I never even bothered to snap a pic of them on the end of a fork. So you'll just have to use your non-bland imagination to picture a thick, chunky pickle slice in your brain.

I encourage you to support Ohio's effort to end blandness and order yourself a jar soon!

On the Menu: Pickle Martinis

2011-05-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

I wish this was more common. The one listed above is from the Patois menu here in New Orleans. Pickle juice is so tasty in a drink... every single time I've taken a jar of pickles to a bar and asked for a pickle martini, anyone around who also tries it has walked away a fan. What's stopping YOU?

Pickle Juice (on Ice)

2011-05-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid the best summer treat was a big 'ol sno cone from Loretta's Sno Cone Hut-a small aluminum shed that would magically appear in the hottest spot (literally and figuratively) in town, the Wal-Mart parking lot- and stay until the next school year began. I'm ashamed to admit that as a young pickle freak I never even DREAMED of a pickle juice sno cone but I was known to take shaved ice and poke it down into my actual pickle to exaggerate the tartness of my concession stand treat.

Well, maybe I shoulda been born in Texas. There the pickle juice sno cone is a common treat as this pic taken by a friend suggests and is evidence of a people who know how to beat the heat.

Well, the folks in Texas may have ONE up on us in new Orleans, but don't get TOO cocky yet ya hear?
If you happen to know me personally, you should be well aware of my new obsession with a NOLA treat called the Sno Ball. Don't call it a Sno CONE, because it's NOT-it's much more fine than a sno..ugh..i don't even want to SAY IT (cone). See, we took the shaved ice all you other people know and love and spun it into something else. Yeah, SNOW. Well, at least one place has and it's the holy grail of sno ball joints-Hansen's Sno Bliz-old man Hansen invented his own fine shaving ice machine and the result is unlike anything I've ever had. I'd rather eat a sno bliz snoball than any other sweet thing in the whole wide world.

So now let's put some pickle juice on it!

Actually somebody already has, at another snoball joint called "Droopy's"-they use sour pickle juice and will even poke a pickle down the middle of your snoball if you ask nicely but they are waayyy out in the 'burbs and as I don't have a car, I haven't ventured out to Droopy's....but you KNOW I WILL but in the meantime, I'm making friends with the kids at Hansen's so if (when) I show up there with a jar of pickles they won't even blink...

Oh! You Wanna See?

2011-05-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

Oh-you wanna see my tender young cucumber plants? Well, here's my little patch, my first time experiment with growing just about anything. I have no idea if this container is big enough but I'll wait and see what happens.

Here's a close up of my plants-it's interesting how the leaves are shaped differently and what is that white stuff?
Please share any tips YOU have and does anyone know how long it will take before they bloom and start producing? Obviously I'm just watering them and keeping my fingers crossed at this point.

The Problem

2011-04-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Another empty jar. This is actually the garlicky remains of a jar of homemade pickles from a Facebook Friend in Chicago named Brad Owen. His pickles are called Brad's Best and on the label it says "made with a sprinkle of pickle magic", which I think means lots of garlic, not that there was ANY left once I really finished this jar.

Hell yeah, these pickles were GOOD to the last chunk and I even got scolded for eating them in a (shitty) diner in Manhattan which angered me greatly but that's another story...anyway, the problem is the freakin' jar is EMPTY and it's just one of possibly thousands I've gone through. So this year I'm not only making my own pickles, I'm growing all the ingredients too.

If you've got pickle growin' advice let's hear it!

Help a Pickle Brother Out!

2011-04-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hey Pickle Freaks,
We all need more pickles in the world and Crazy Steve is doing his part but he needs our help.

Donate to his worthy cause on KickStarter by clicking HERE!

He makes several varieties of PICKLES and also SALSA,my second favorite food group. Your generosity will be repaid with pickles-as it should be!

Check out his condiments on a mission and be a missionary your ownself!
www.crazystevespickles.com

Back to Brooklyn

2011-04-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I may have missed The Brunch Experiment in NOLA but I had a few of my own in Brooklyn. My first experiment was to finally walk in a door I must have passed hundreds of times in Williamsburg and have brunch at The Roebling Tea Room. Bill Murray's son is the chef there and I must say he makes a damn fine biscuit but it was the three large, beautiful jars of pickles on the counter that made me swoon.

My primary reason for returning to New York was to attend the opening of a show by the German artists Venske & Spänle at my former gallery Margaret Thatcher Projects. I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks in Europe with the artists last summer and it was so great seeing their work again and getting to spend time with them at their studio in Brooklyn. We spent most of the day around their table eating, well, brunch, and lots of cheese and of course, pickles.

This jar of Polish pickles was already on the table waiting for me and over the course of the afternoon and evening I (we) pretty much finished it off. We also made a trip to the wondrous grocery store a few blocks away called Western Beef where I spent most of my money on weird beverages like purple corn chicha and one lovely jar of pickled "tomato peppers" from a country I can't remember. I also can't find the picture of the pickles although I'm quite certain I took photos of it because it was SUCH a lovely jar...yeah, it was a really nice jar... anyway...

I spent lots of time buying pickles and eating pickles and going into stores and wondering if I should buy more pickles to take home with me but since I wasn't checking my luggage I decided nothing was going back with me this time unless it was in my stomach so I was really glad that respected pickler Nick Horman of Horman's Best Pickles came out to hang and eat more pickles with me my last night in town!

I've missed you Brooklyn and your brine (and yes, this is a subtle note to BROOKLYN BRINE that I missed seeing you dude)! I'll be back!

I went to Brooklyn when Brooklyn came to NOLA

2011-04-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went back to Brooklyn for the first time since I moved to New Orleans a few months ago. I wasn't quite ready to leave NOLA-the weather here has been so nice it felt weird to pack socks, much less a coat, AND I was also going to miss the New Orleans tour stop of The Food Experiments!

The Food Experiments is a series of food competitions started by these 2 guys-Theo Peck and Nick Suarez

They both live in Brooklyn and are the founders of a food phenomenon there where they host competitive cooking events based around a different theme each time. They got their act together and took it on the road with a little help from Brooklyn Brewery. The first stop was in Austin where the theme was Pork and then they headed for NOLA with a taste for Brunch. I was excited to have them see my city but I was so bummed when I learned it was the ONE WEEKEND I would be away...in Brooklyn of all places. I tried to help as much as I could via email in the days leading up to the New Orleans Brunch Experiment and I was so happy that they arrived in town a few hours before I had to take off for the airport.

We had a couple of beers at what I consider to be one of New Orleans finest water holes, my neighborhood bar The Mayfair. I don't know how but I convinced Theo and Nick to cab it uptown to join me there and once they realized you have to ring a doorbell to get inside the bar, we had a great time. My friends Brad Rhines and Jason McCullar entered the competition with a lovely entry and walked away with the esteemed Judges Prize. Congrats to Nick and Theo for a successful event and congrats to all the winners...Brad I hear you still have some homemade duck sausage in your freezer and I know where you live.

Too bad I missed it...but my consolation prize was a trip to Brooklyn!

On the Brain

2011-03-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's SPRINGTIME and I can't concentrate. Here's a portrait of my brain.

Rocket Pickles

2011-03-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

I just ate the last two DELICIOUS pickle spears in my tiny, precious jar of ROCKET PICKLES.

I am in mourning.
This small jar of pickles was one of the most powerful I've had in awhile. I rationed out small nips of the brine and limited myself to only a couple of spears at a time all while my gluttonous instincts said "eat the whole jar NOW!"...

I was sent this lovely half pint of habanero seasoned pickles back in January after perusing the website for Black Powder Foods based in Rutland, Vermont and adding them to my Xmas wish list of pickles. The pickles arrived in January so you can clearly see how much restraint I have used in nibbling them. The Rocket Pickles are just one of many pickle varieties they offer, (naturally I went straight for the hottest) but they have LOTS more and I'm already working on my pickle budget so I can get them ALL!

Perfect Pickle Spears-yep!
Tarragon and Rosemary Pickled Garlic-ok!
Haba-Dilly Beans-now please!
Margarita Pickles-must.have.
Sunshine Pickles (Lemon, Pepper and Rosemary)-oh yeah
Habanero Relish-I love pain
Dark Matter Hard Candy (habanero CANDY)-This would make a great band name and yes I must have this!

Well, Black Powder Foods, you've been warned...I like what you do and I'm going to make sure you keep doing it.
I will mourn the loss of my Rocket Pickles but will celebrate knowing more will be launched my way soon!

Beat Me or Eat Me

2011-03-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Heads up NOLA-Theo Peck and Nick Suarez have been stirring up cooking battles in Brooklyn for a couple of years and now they are comin' to get YOU. The Food Experimentst cooking battles are hitting the road for a national tour and land in NOLA on Sunday, April 3rd at The Howlin' Wolf.

The challenge for New Orleans is BRUNCH, a meal we should know a thing or two about since it falls right between drinking all night and drinking all day!

Visit the website to apply and enter your brunchy best or to buy your ticket to attend. Admission gives you free reign to snack and judge and also lands a Brooklyn Brewery beer in your free hand. Winning gets you amazing bragging rights and a trip to Brooklyn to compete against other national winners.

Pardon Me

2011-03-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much time lately for bloggin' because New Orleans turns into a 2+week party for Mardi Gras every year. I've had friends in town visiting, I've eaten like a queen, I've spent any free evenings I've had making my costume with a friend and just generally living a fantastic life. I'll get back around to blogging soon, but first, St. Patrick's Day this weekend with my sister's family and my pickle freak nieces!

I hope you all are having as much fun as I am-Pickle Power!!!

(((Zayda's Pickles)))

2011-02-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

My prayers have been answered!
Zayda's Pickles are now available online!!!!!

Consider yourself a lucky bastard now, because previously these were a little harder to come by. I seriously encourage you to explore this whole line of products. I can say the pickles and the peppers are amazingly delicious and spicy and I can't wait to try the salsa! You can read my earlier posts about the magic of Zayda's here and here.

Crazy for Tru

2011-02-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

Just before Xmas I wished on my blog for a jar of Tru Pickles and Greg Skufca from the Tru Pickle headquarters in Colorado sent me a jar, well, 2 jars actually. The first jar never made it to my door and I suspect my crazy neighbor and I have one more thing in common now, but the second jar (yes, after wishing, I begged) DID arrive and I'm in looooove...!

We really it off and there was a time when we were inseparable. And we still would be if Tru hadn't somehow slowly withdrawn from our relationship...what did I do wrong? Is it because I want to eat you? Please, why can't you last forever? I want you as my "everyday pickles" but everyday there is less of you.

You are so cool, crisp and garlicky with the perfect amount of spice for anyone. If only every jar of pickles on my grocer's shelf was just like you and if only I had a fridge FULL of you all to myself. If you readers live in a place where you can walk into a store and grab these pickles, consider me jealous. Crazy ex-girlfriend jealous. I'm driving by my own fridge right now and seeing if they're in there.

2 left in the jar and about an inch of brine...please don't leave me Tru Pickles!
Can I have your address? It's only fair, you already have mine...and my crazy neighbor's. I swear it wasn't me.

www.trupickles.com

Martha Stewart I am Not

2011-02-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

But I can offer you this budget friendly tip that will make you and the pickle freak in your life happy...and warm...and maybe even tingly. The next time you're at the supermarket, invest in a gallon jar of jalapenos and then take whatever less than exciting store bought pickles you have on hand (or "invest" in a jar of these too)
and stick 'em down in the jar of jalapenos.

The longer you leave them in the jar, the HOTTER they will get. Unlike Martha.

super bowl of pickles

2011-02-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

It is safe to say that last night's Super Bowl just didn't measure up in New Orleans to last year's Super Bowl. In NOLA we all gathered to watch the game, but at the party I went to, we spent more time with the gumbo than the Black Eyed Peas. I did align myself with the Steelers by eating all items made with cheese the same color as their "terrible towel".

I also ate a few pickles.

Fried pickles made an appearance and I have to say, these were the best homemade fried pickles I've ever had. My friend Brad made them and they were "restaurant quality"! They held their crisp-ity crunch way after leaving their deep fried bath.I tip my hat to whoever gave Brad a deep fryer for Xmas.

A tip of the hat is also due to my friend Daniel. Daniel has already conquered the stage with his band Double Dong and film with his role in Nit Wit. He's conquered fatherhood with 3 children in almost as many years, is a pretty good bowler, can kiss a dog like nobody's business and all while looking good in a pair of cut off jeans short-some would say an impossible feat. He's also taken on pickling and guess what?

HOT DAMN. They make me smile.
They arrived at my door the night before the Super Bowl with their very own label drawn and attached to the jar and the next night they assumed their place on the mighty party table amongst the cheeses and cheese filled things.

Which I then ate.
Sooo...remind me again who won the game?

Watermelon Pickle Stink

2011-01-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

The Four Loko Pickles have unleased their watermelon pickle stink!

I congratulate Mr. Dave on an inspired and brave pickle journey.

Pickles and Popcorn

2011-01-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

Brianna commented in an earlier post that in elementary school she and her classmates would sell pickles and popcorn to raise money. Genius I say!!! When I was a kid, we sold, umm... pencils...yeah, not exactly genius, but I guess bubblegum scented pencils were sort of cool.

Anyway, I have a pretty strong popcorn habit, not quite like my pickle habit, but close enough. Back in December I was jonesin' so bad for my air popper that I left behind in New York I asked my mom to buy me a new one for Xmas and now I use it at least once a day. Of course my mind has since wondered how to combine my popcorn love with my pickle love but so far my first attempt has been a HUGE FAIL. I took the direct route and "drizzled" pickle juice over my popcorn. It made a sad sizzle sound when the juice met the popped kernels and made the popcorn really soggy. Oh yeah, I ate it anyway but I won't be trying that "recipe" again. I wonder now if a misting spray bottle would work? Hmmmm....

Naturally I turned to the internet for answers. Here's a good selection of the basic varieties I found.

This recipe is one you can try at home but I'm a little scared because what if I eat nothing else for the rest of my life?Jolly Time Lime Pickle Popcorn Recipe

Does the weird green color turn you off? Not me.
Popcorn Wagon

Gluten Free, hipster pickle popcorn.

For the office, for your purse, for your pocket, sniff it, smoke it, snort it-it's an Urban Accent!

Freak Pickles: Four Loko Pickles

2011-01-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

I've always been a freak magnet and for the most part I still speak to most of them (ahhh-hahahaha) but this time I'm afraid I'm the freak that is drawn to the magnet. I've introduced you to him before when he made Sriracha Hot Sauce pickles but perhaps your memory needs some liquor and caffeine and these links to Mr. Dave's latest pickle project: FOUR LOKO PICKLES!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

So see, he's just begging for my attention with his freakish ways...and he's got it. I can't wait to read how these turn out and how many he eats and how soon he regrets it and how many he's going to send me and how soon he blocks me from his mailing list!

Bold & Spicy

2011-01-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Louisiana boasts the highest pickle-in-a-pouch consumption per person in the US? Congratulations Louisiana, it's true, and this niftly little fact came to me directly from none other than the President of Van Holten's Pickles Co. himself after I mentioned that since moving to New Orleans my own consumption had increased drastically because down here you can find them in really strange places, like at the hardware store.

My presidential pal at Van Holten's generously sent me a case of their new Bold & Spicy Chipotle flavor to see what I thought of it. We all know I'm a fan of anything spicy but perhaps you don't know I'm usually not a fan of chipotle flavored things...it just tastes smokey to me...well guess what? Turns out I like smokey pickles.

The chipotle flavor is really strong on the first bite but gradually the smokey flavor becomes pretty subtle and the HEAT takes over. Yes, these pickles are really BOLD & SPICY with serious heat building power. I also like the smokey maroon color on the packaging and the bursts of juiciness popping off the pickle. I appreciate these sorts of things.

There is no way I can keep track of my own pickle consumption but I sure can't wait to see Louisianna's numbers for next year! Thanks Van Holten's!

French Market Pickles

2011-01-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

Just before Xmas I spent a very sunny and warm day with a friend strolling through the French Market in New Orleans. The French Market is a large open air market nestled between the Mighty Mississippi and the French Quarter. As we came upon a Cajun Santa Claus selling Xmas trees Annie pointed out two ladies eating Sno Balls-a New Orleans treat that I am newly obsessed with since my first taste. I loudly protested that those sno balls could not compare to the real deal at Hansen's Sno-Bliz and as I did so, Santa's helper tried to convince me that he could change my mind. I had no money and he wasn't giving away sno balls so I guess we will never know but as I slinked away I found I had wandered into a whole shelf full of pickles!

They had all kinds-tomatoes, green beans, cukes, and of course, my new favorite, pickled mirlitons! It was reassuring that pickles had such a nice presence in the French Market amongst all the bottles of hot sauce and bags of Zapps. As we kept on walking I found pickles just about everywhere we went (this happens alot when you are ME).

There was no one manning the "Gator Bites" booth so I'm not sure if this is a new nickname for pickles or if they'd run out of gator...

And here is just one of many pickle ornaments I came across that day. This one was in an antique shop where it was passed up for an empty bottle of Dr. Nut that day.

Does this post seem a little rambling? I'm sorry, I think I'm still hungover from New Year's Eve, 12th Night, and the Saints playoff game...but there may be no end in sight in this town...more beignets and coffee?

Full Circle

2011-01-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

A year ago, probably to this exact day, I was visiting New Orleans. I rang in the New Year with old friends I was lucky to see once a year in a town I hadn't visited in years, years that were "Pre-K". The thought of moving to New Orleans had been swirling in my head ever since the storm and my trip last year was a visit to check it out and to "test" whether or not I could see myself living here. I'd written my friend Brad earlier and half jokingly said "convince me to move to New Orleans" and a few days later he responded with a thoughtful and heartfelt list of reasons to live here that pretty much did what I asked... I couldn't get down there fast enough and when I did, the voice inside my head said "Yeah, You Right!"*

During my visit, Brad shared with me his mom's homemade pickles he'd been given while he was home visiting her in Mississippi for Xmas. They were sweet and onion-y and made with love. I found these pictures of the pickles and Brad today as I was browsing, wondering how to start off my new year on the blog.

So as I begin my New Year in my New Orleans, and NOT as a visitor, I want to thank Brad and his wife Julie for their hospitality, generosity, sense of humor, and enthusiasm for life in this beautiful city. I'm glad they are old friends who are new again. I'll be lucky to call them old friends again. So here's to new friends, new pickles, new experiences, new love, and New Orleans (* And to peppering my speech with New Orleans sayings)!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

A Pickle Carol

2010-12-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, it's the holidays and here I am lips burning, eating a Van Holten's Hot Pickle and gazing at my pickle ornament covered Xmas tree. I'm going to take this moment to watch yet another episode of Cops rather than watch It's a Wonderful Life and share with you my pickles of the past, present and future, lord willing.

Pickles Past

You probably already know (or assume) that Santa has been leaving me pickles for many years now. It began with a gallon jar of pickles under the tree, and then a case of Van Holten's in my "stocking" and eventually advanced to having a box of McClure's pickles shipped from Brooklyn to Mississippi. Yes, Santa know's me well, but seriously, any scrooge or elf or baby Jesus knows I LOVE PICKLES.

Pickles Present
So let's hope Santa is quick enough to realize I've moved and that I have a few new pickles I'd like to find in my stocking this year. The first is Brooklyn Brine, a pickle really from my past but one I'm keeping in the present by letting Santa know he can order them online, buy them from Williams-Sonoma or give me a ticket to LGA so I can visit my pickle pal Shamus who makes the most amazing pickled Lavendar Asparagus, Whiskey Sours and Serrano Green beans among many others. Santa can also pick me up a case or two of my new local, "everyday" pickles-Stuarts Cajun Dills-these are spicy spears with a great homemade taste that I wish also came in slices and whole dills because they are so good and really hit my pickle spot.

Pickles Future
I have a whole list of pickles I want to try in the future but for now it's going to take a Xmas Miracle to get these in my unemployed stocking, but I can say I DO believe in miracles and I might add I've been a pretty good girl this year. So here goes:
Tex Critter Pickles-a rootin' tootin' version of a Wickle which you know is my pickle CRACK

Rocket Pickles from Blackpowder Foods-hot habanero pickles!

Tru Pickles-how beautiful do these look?

Oh and Santa, I'd also like to mention that McClures Pickles now sell JUGS OF BRINE and I know how much we both like jugs.

Oh So Thankful

2010-11-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

I am feeling really thankful this year for sooo many reasons-being back in the South, living in the most beautiful city in America and being amongst lots of old friends and having the chance to make so many new ones. I'm not making it home to Mississippi to visit my family this year so I'm house and dog and kitty sitting for an old friend (and former roommate and PF supporter!), Ruby Verbena.

And oooh how I'm thankful for Ruby Verbena (ok, her real name is Danielle). I arrived at her double shot gun house that she shares with a husband and 4 critters, walked into the kitchen and first found this:

3 things I am grateful for: ZAPPS Potato Chips in my 2 favorite flavors, Cajun Dill and Spicy Creole Tomato spiked with Tabasco and a can of Ro*Tel. I've already eaten one bag of chips and I'll take that can of Ro*Tel and add it to a hunk of Velveeta and make a Tackett Family traditional holiday meal. Some call it queso, others just cheese dip, but real Southerners just refer to the whole cheesy concoction as "rotel dip" or simply "rotel".

So I checked the fridge for the other vital ingredient and found this!
4 more things I am so thankful for! Wickles, Gundelsheim Barrel Pickles and 2 varieties of Van Holten's Pickles which always remind me of Xmas and the holidays.

I may not be home for Thanksgiving but I sure do feel At Home.
Thanks Danielle!

Yes, It's True

2010-11-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

I've made a lot of changes in my life since August: I left my job, apartment, city, you know...stuff like that, but perhaps the BIGGEST change in my life is this: I now watch football. College, professional, highschool, whatever.

Highscool football? Yes. My sister teaches art at New Albany High School in MS and this year, we (I mean they), are undefeated! Go Bulldogs! (That's me eating a pickle at one of their games). College football? An invaluable member of my family played for Alabama and so we roll with the Crimson Tide, except for when my sister, her husband and their 2 children attend every single Mississippi State game they can. Maybe I carefully avoided football during my own college days at Ole Miss because I didn't want to be the lone rebel in attendance during family holidays...ok, no that wasn't it at all, but it does make me laugh every time my young nieces shreik in horror when they are reminded that I went to that "other school" in Mississippi.

Professional football? Yep. The problem began a couple of years ago when Eli Manning took the NY Giants to the superbowl, I mean, I was living in NYC and I graduated the same year as Eli from Ole Miss so how could I NOT get a little involved?...and then, well, the next year I visited New Orleans and fell in love and that same year, the SAINTS went to the superbowl and WON! For the first time ever! Bless You Boys! It's amazing to see how much love there is for the Saints down here and its impossible to not get swept up in it. IMPOSSIBLE.

OK. Enough making excuses. Football is awesome when you live in New Orleans and the whole ENTIRE town is racked with nerves and pride and prayers and rituals that the SAINTS WIN...and it sure don't hurt nobody when you can watch the game with a bucket of chicken AND a bucket of pickles! There's no turning back now! Now excuse me, I gotta stand up and get crunk.

Thanks to Nick Horman of Horman's Best for the awesome bucket of spicy pickles he sent for my birthday!!!!!

NYC's BEST PICKLE?

2010-11-12T06:24:00.000-08:00

VOTE for New York City's Best Pickle!!!
Just follow the link above to vote in Gothamist's poll for best NYC pickle. I've voted, ummm, a few times...all of this is to celebrate the "other" pickle holiday: National Pickle Day which is celebrated on November 14th.

WHO did I vote for?
Brooklyn Brine...and Horman's Best...and McClure's...I'm hoping for a huge 3 way tie. SO VOTE NOW!

Vote For New York City's Best Pickle

The Multi-tasking Mirliton

2010-11-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

You can do anything with a mirliton... and at the Mirliton Festival last weekend it was all done.

So,we all know you can obviously pickle it, but you can stuff it with seafood and ham,

...and you can fry it up(my favorite cooking method of all time)...

...and you can put it on stuff, like make a slaw and garnish a taco with it or you can put it on a pizza.

And in New Orleans you can sit in the perfect fall sunshine and listen to the Mardi Gras Indian funk band the 101 Runners and eat to your heart's content.

I'm too relaxed and happy to write anymore!

Nola Foods

2010-11-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

Halloween weekend I got really lucky and was hooked up with a free pass to VooDoo Fest, a 3 day music festival in City Park in New Orleans. While I am usually opposed to large, crowded music festivals, when it's free I won't turn anything down. And so I made my way to VooDoo Fest.

My friend and I hopped on the street car and began our journey but first we made a pit stop for a few festival supplies: sunglasses, Zapp's Potato Chips and, ummm...pickled pig lips? I spotted this lovely display of tastebud treats at Walgreens-2 jars for $7!!

I figured outside snacks wouldn't be allowed in (and I was right, the rest of my bag of Zapp's was confiscated at the gate) so I snapped the pic with the plan to return and when I do, you're gonna eat a pickled pig lip!

VooDoo Fest was amazing-City Park is the most beautiful setting I've ever experienced for a festival. There was plenty of space for everyone, lots of beer and booze and the food choices were unBElievable!

My only complaint?

No pickles. Not even a pig lip. Next year I hope pickles make the Nola Foods list at VooDoo Fest!

Mirliton Festival!

2010-11-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, November 6th, is the 21st Annual Mirliton Festival in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, but it will be MY FIRST and I am super, super, excited!

Have you ever heard of the Mirliton? You can read about my first encounter with this delicous pickled vegetable here.

It's new to me, but down here in New Orleans they have been celebrating it for over 20 years. According to the website for the festival there will be a second line, food, arts, beer, and more music (there's a band called The Mirlitones!). I can't wait to learn more about this vegetable that lends itself so beautifully to pickling, to taste it in other dishes and hopefully I can grab some seeds and try growing my own. Has anyone out there ever pickled or cooked with the Mirliton?

I'll see you there and back here after, Mirliton Freaks!

Gurken Freak (Berlin)

2010-10-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so you know how I missed last Sunday's 10th Annual International Pickle Festival? Well, I'm still coping with the emotions and my doctor told me I should just compensate by wildly bragging about a trip I DID make: my pickle-y pilgrimage to Germany and Italy.

Yes, indeed, this small town gal FINALLY made it to Europe and while I'm sure everyone who has been claims THEIR trip was the most magical, I can confidently say, no, MINE was the most magical. I even saw a unicorn.

If I told you about everything we did on the trip you would just be sick with envy and you probably wouldn't even believe half of it, so I'll just stick to the pickle parts.

We landed in Berlin, and just off the plane, before we even checked into our hotel, we wandered into a small, smokey bar with 2 guys sitting there-it was not even 10 a.m. and these guys were either winding down a long night or starting off a long day, either way, I was impressed. As I peeked into the bar, I turned my head in the opposite direction and saw a small store across the doorway-rows and rows of pickles!
I felt like I had wandered into the Promised Land and took for granted that I would see such sights all throughout Berlin, so I didn't venture in and I regret that I never made it back. The Promised Land would prove to be a little more elusive, as would the pickles...

...which eluded me in Berlin and it wasn't until we explored East Berlin that I enjoyed an afternoon of beer and pickles. In a rather fancy organic market I snapped a photo of the pickle selection and was immediately reprimanded. I was scolded in German and told, I think, that photography is forbidden. Forbidden in East Berlin? Forbidden to photograph groceries or just pickles? AHHHH, international relationships can be soo tricky! Well, I bought the pickles and they seemed ok with that and after a stroll along Karl Marx Allee (where we were scolded again for our photography, geez)we stopped by the East Gallery for a rest. Just behind the East Gallery, which is the largest remaining section of the Berlin Wall, is the Spree River and along the river are a few places one can rest on the banks or even spend the night on a boat/hostel. We snacked on pickles and gummies and then boarded the Eastern Comfort for a frosty mug, and of course, more pickles.

After the sunset we crossed the river and said goodbye to East Berlin. Well, good bye for now...

10th Annual International Pickle Day!!!

2010-10-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

The best day of the year is near upon us. Sunday, October 17th is the 10th Annual International Pickle Day held on the Lower East Side of New York from 11:00 am until 4:30 pm. It is the biggest and best celebration of pickles and preservation all year!

But this year I probably won't be there. Moving to New Orleans has proven to be a slight distraction, albeit a LOVELY one, so I'm equally saddened to miss it and thrilled to be in New Orleans. The fact that this 10 year anniversary of the pickle festival is on my BIRTHDAY makes it even harder to not be there. Sigh........

So in lieu of attending, I'm going to re-visit my Pickle Days of yore.

Are you tearing up like I am? I need a hug.

2010-10-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Yes!
I am finally in New Orleans.

How long before I own these shoes? How long before I own a menagerie of green wigs? How long before I am sporting a pickle-themed cabaret outfit...on any given day?

We shall see!

The Journey South pt. 2

2010-09-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

That's me eating a pickle at a high school football game. Just thought I would share the experience. It brought back a wave of memories for me although this time around I was much more comfortable with myself, 1) because I'm not in high school any more and 2)because I wasn't wearing a high school band uniform.

So, my journey South to New Orleans stalled a bit because I was having too much fun in Oxford, MS and because I was waiting for a ride down to Nola. In the meantime, I had plenty of pickle adventures. Like the night I explored a few "new to me" bars like Snack Bar-the latest venture from Oxford's very own James Beard Award winning chef John Currence. We ordered the pickle plate

and I asked the bartender to make me a pickle martini. I was extremely pleased with the results, even the pickled EGGS.

This was my first pickled egg experience and the texture was firmer than I expected and made it tolerable, but I washed it down right away with my martini which was one of the dirtiest and best pickle martini's I've had in awhile. I don't remember much after that, 'cept it was good and I had fun.

I think it was the next day that I had lunch with my newest friend, PJ. He had a jar of pickles that he picked up while in New Orleans the weekend before that he wanted to give me, so we got together to investigate.

Behold, the pickled Mirliton...and why yes, that is a shot from the front porch of William Faulkner's home!

I'd never heard of a mirliton before, have you? So I looked it up and found that its a squash-like veggie very common in Louisianna. HOW PERFECT IS THAT? A brand new pickled item to usher me to my new home. The jar was ceremonially cracked open at the Mexican place where we had lunch, but later in the afternoon I lolled about at Faulkner's place with my mirlitons and was taken by their photogenic qualities.

I was ALSO taken with the taste. The pickled mirliton is firm, more so when you stick them in the 'fridge for a littlel bit, and juicy. The texture was perfect for a crunchy pickle and these were really sour and spicy. My love affair with the mirliton began...and it continued all the way to New Orleans as I ate the jar in the car.

Me and the mirlitons have finally arrived in New Orleans!

The Journey South pt. 1

2010-09-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'm a little in between worlds right now-I've officially left Brooklyn and have been drifting South the entire month of September. On the way to Mississippi I made a stop in Asheville, NC and visited the Biltmore Estate-of course they had a Christmas "shoppe" and of course I found these:

Other pickle stops included buying a jar of "Smokey Mountain Baby Dills" from a roadside stand outside of the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Tennessee:

They didn't taste homemade at all and I suspect they are mass produced to appear "homemade" at roadstands just like these all over the region, but still, I needed a pickle on the road and well, they did the job.

I had better luck once I reached Oxford,MS. My first stop was at my friend Laurie's restaurant called Tallulah's Kitchen. She serves a variety of wonderful dishes, but I ordered a container full of FRIED STUFF-her homemade corndog and fried pickles-I've been HOMESICK ok, so just lemme have my fried stuff!

Both were amazing. The pickles were nice and thin, just like I like 'em but they still had a strong pickle-y taste to them. The corndog was simply a religious experience.

Later that same evening, my pilgrimage continued, to the holy places of Oxford, MS; Square Books, Thacker Mountain Radio and of course, my waterin' hole. When I lived in Oxford it was called The Longshot and it was the place I spent a lot of time with a lot of people, but mostly with my friend Jim. We had a table near the Ms. Pac-Man game and the jukebox that could magically be the social center of the universe or the quietest place in town. Now The Longshot is gone and is a sushi place called Two Stick and it was there last week that I made a new pickle freak pal named PJ.

Upon my arrival in Oxford, my friend Laura Beth presented me with a jar of her homemade spicy pickles and I stuffed them in my purse to try later. Several bars and beers later, I made it to The former Longshot with my pals and I whipped out the pickles and passed the jar around. Once PJ explained that his initials really stand for "pickle juice" I went to the bar, grabbed 2 straws and we sucked down an entire quart of pickle juice much to the horror of everyone else in the place.

It feels great to be back.

Keeping Up with The Shamus Jones' of Brooklyn Brine

2010-09-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

It's practically a full time job keeping up with Shamus Jones of Brooklyn Brine, but luckily, I don't HAVE a full time job at the moment, so I'm just kickin' back and reporting on how busy he's been.

First, congratulations to Shamus and Brooklyn Brine on their first year of business. There was a party on July 31 to celebrate and it also launched his brand new Whiskey Sour Pickle. I was there for a only a second (it was packed) but I had a pickle and it was great. I'd also had a chance to preview a test batch and those I ate quite a few of and I can seriously say to you-EAT THESE PICKLES!

Then there was Shamus' TV premier when he was featured on Food Crafters-a brand new show hosted by Aida Mollenkamp on the brand new Cooking Channel.

And there's also the fact that Brooklyn Brine's Lavender Asparagus was chosen as a Featured Fall Item in New York Magazine.

Oh and how about this?Cooking Light Magazine, in their October issue, named Brooklyn Brine Fennel Beets as one of their Best Tasting Products in their "Best of The Rest" category.

Crap, I also forgot to mention their write up in a little rag called The Wall Street Journal.

Sooo....if that doesn't make you green with envy you can turn yourself green by entering the Brooklyn Brine Whiskey Sour Pickle Eating Contest that is going to held October 1 at Black Rabbit, a great bar in Greenpoint in Brooklyn. The competition starts at 9 PM and the first person to eat 6 jars of pickles wins $100! This is a competition that requires speed AND endurance and will hopefully become an annual tradition so that I can be there next year to compete and if you loose, well you just ate a ton of Brooklyn Brine's Whiskey Sour Pickles so you still win!

Beach Pickles

2010-08-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

I enjoy pickles.

I also enjoy the beach.

Luckily this summer I received a huge box of portable pickle snacks from Van Holten's-the pickle in a pouch people! I've had a love affair with these enormous pickle snacks since childhood, so I was undoubtedly thrilled to receive a giant box from the company that included one of every variety they offer and once the box of pickles arrived I always had a couple of chilled ones ready to be trhown into my bag whenever I left the house.

I obviously ate my old favorite variety first-the "Hot Mama", but when I tried the newest variety, the Sweet and Tangy Pickle I discovered a new favorite. I've just completed one leg of a loooonnnng road trip from New York to MS and I kept my eyes peeled for this new variety but never saw it....maybe I didn't look too hard since I had my own pickles from Van Holten's packed for the car ride already!

This is Going to Hurt: Saying Goodbye to Brooklyn (Brine)

2010-08-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

In a few days I'm loading my belongings into a truck and driving back to the South with my mother and a couple of friends. I've spent almost 7 years in Brooklyn, all of them amazing, all of them full of action, adventure, love, heartbreak and hard work. I've had 1 internship, 2 jobs, a couple of romances, a few times of being adventurously single, and 5 apartments. Now I'm ready for a new adventure...but first I have to say goodbye.

Starting this blog definitely changed my whole life in Brooklyn. I was immediately welcomed into the Brooklyn and New York pickle community and every single person I've met along the way has been amazing: Pickle Girl, Jennifer Takaki from The Pickle Club, Nancy Ralph from The NY Food Museum and Pickle Festival, Rick Field from Rick's Picks, Bob and Joe McClure of McClure's Pickles, Nick Horman of Horman's Best, and George from Spuyten Duyvil Grocery.

But it's Shamus from Brooklyn Brine I hate to say goodbye to the most. Shamus and I have known each other almost as long as Brooklyn Brine has existed. Over the past year we've found ourselves at pickle events and parties, and at band shows and bars.
We always, I mean always talk about pickles, but we've grown beyond just pickle talk and being able to count Shamus as a real friend means so much to me.

Shamus' energy and enthusiasm for doing what he loves is inspiring and it's not only limited to Brooklyn Brine--he's got enough positivity to share with everyone and I feel privileged to have him as a personal supporter and friend. I've always been told to follow my dreams, but hearing it from you means more than you'll ever know.

You deserve all the success in the world and I look forward to watching you achieve it. Thank you for your friendship Shamus-I'm gonna miss you (and your pickled lavendar asparagus)!!!!

XOXO,
Katy

Welcome Home Hotties

2010-08-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

I flew from Munich to Paris to New York City earlier this week. Returning back to Brooklyn was difficult after what was a truly magical trip to Europe. I was tired and hungry and had no groceries so I turned to the two things I ALWAYS have on hand: Pickles and Pasta.

I boiled some noodles and opened the fridge and saw my almost empty jar of the newest delight from Ricks Picks--Hotties--a ridged pickle slice flavored with Sriracha Hot Sauce and lots of garlic. I mentioned before how tired I was, so all I did was boil the noodles, drain them and then I took a spoon and got a great big scoop of the minced garlic in the reddish bottom of the jar of Hotties and dumped it on my noodles along with the few remaining pickle chips.

Perfect first meal back home.

Brooklyn Brine 1 Year Anniversary Party

2010-07-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

Guess where I will be Saturday night?!
SATURDAY JULY 31, 2010
9 PM!!! Woooooooo Hoooooooo!

Going Places

2010-07-27T11:39:00.001-07:00

On Sunday I'm leaving for the Land of Pickles, or Germany as you may know it. It's my first trip to Europe after a lifetime of being a hick from a small town, which has proved to be very charming for me, so let's hope I don't come back too worldly, with a taste for the good life.

I will land in Berlin and then travel to Munich in Bavaria. Gherkins from the Spreewald Valley will be my constant companion throughout, along with this guy:

When I get back I will tell you which is weirder, the boy or the pickle in a can. I can already tell you which is more travel-friendly and which is more can-like.

Hot Winner

2010-07-21T11:15:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Vicky Z, winner of the www.snubbr.com hosted giveaway of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen Solomon. Vicky it's no doubt your no-nonsense approach to staying cool helped you achieve this glory!

Eliminating clothing IS key to staying cool folks! It's just that simple.

Thanks again to everyone for coming out of the woodwork and saying howdy!

I wanna love this, but I'm not touchin' it

2010-07-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

I see this strange Dill Pickle Dip concoction every time I go to Target (which is not as often as you would think, considering my family background) and I fight with my blog-induced desire to try everything for the sake of bloggeristic integrity (wha?) and my very real dislike of "creamy" things. Dislike of creamy things reigns .

Can anyone out there, who is not traumatized by the sight of mayo or anything resembling it, report on the dip? If it really tastes like pickles would I be tempted to eat it? Yes, but someone's gotta convince me first.

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It-GIVEAWAY!

2010-07-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Freaks!

Now is the time for you all to come out of your cool, dark, hiding places and leave a comment. The nice folks at Snubbr.com are giving away a copy of the book

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen Solomon to one of my lucky readers and all YOU have to do is leave a comment telling us your favorite tip for staying COOL during these HOT days of summer.

I hope it involves pickles or perhaps drinking out of mason jar, but regardless, leave a comment for a chance to win this awesome book, and please leave or send your email address so I can contact you if you win! Ok, get to it-you have ONE WEEK!

And after you're done, go to snubbr.com and ask for expert recommendations on anything from pickles to mason jars or gift ideas for that "special someone you know" who loves pickles and mason jars.

UnFancy VS Fancy

2010-06-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was the 4th Annual UnFancy Food Show held at The Bell House in Brooklyn and I went to check it out. As I approached the venue I saw a few food vendors outside offering sausages and pizza and made a mental note, but I went ahead to the bar and got straight to Pickle Freak business: my first "official" bloody mary made with McClure's Pickles Bloody Mary Mix.

I say "official" for 2 reasons. One, I worked for McClures at Pickle Fest a few years ago and it was my duty that day to pour sample shots of their spicy brine mixed with tomato juice. I knocked back many a shot that day which surprised me because there was no booze included and I didn't even think I liked tomato juice! The second reason is because I've never ordered a Bloody Mary from a bar, ever. Well, what can I say? My life has changed FOREVER. It was a spicy meal in a glass with booze! Who needs solid food when you can sip the best meal ever through a straw AND get a buzz? Am I late to the whole idea of Bloody Marys or am I early to the "Drink This, Don't Eat That, Loose Weight and Maybe Be an Alcoholic Diet"? Well, as the kids say "it's all good".

And yes indeed, everything else I had that day was good too. After I sipped my breakfast/lunch I crawled through the super crowded aisles and did some sampling: bacon flavored peanut brittle, beer flavored popcorn, ginger soda, bread and olive oil and my absolute favorite of the whole day, besides the magical Bloody Mary, Sweet and Spicy Beef Jerky from Geralds. Holy cow, I would like to eat a whole cow's worth of that stuff.

And then I remembered the vendors outdoors...I had worked up a thirst, so I got a raspberry and basil popsicle from People's Pops while Moto made me a fresh margarhita pizza...and damn, after that I was done. The UnFancy Food Show was definitely a successful event, but I felt like this year's new location was already outgrown by the event. The vendors were packed in and the aisles were teeming with people, add to that mix live bands, DJ's and booze and you have a party more than a showcase and that's why I had to leave before I snapped and yelled at the 400th person to elbow past me, stop, turn around 3 times, and then elbow me again.

The next day I set out for the Fancy Food Show at the Javitz Center in Manhattan. This was my first time to go and its sheer massiveness was a refreshing change from the day before. I could somewhat leisurely wander the aisles and I was able to chat with the vendors at every single booth I stopped by and my first booth to find was Miss Jenny's Pickles from Kernersville, NC.

I reviewed Miss Jenny's Pickles a few months back and I was excited to meet my fellow Southern pickle pals so I could thank them for getting me a pass into the show. I found them on the outer fringe of the room and was graciously welcomed. OH how I love Southern Hospitality! Miss Jenny introduced me to her husband and BFF and I introduced her to The Pickle CLub TV and William from "50 Best.com" who is compliling a list of the 50 best pickles (I hope he is using PickleFreak.com as an invaluable resource). I was lucky to have the chance to sample all of their pickles once again, including their new Habanero Bread & Butter Pickles, which I literally ate an entire jar of for supper the next night.

It wasn't just Miss Jenny and her crew who were super nice that day. I found every vendor who's booth I wandered into extremely gracious that day. I fell hard for several products from Low Country Produce, especially their spicy pickled garlic and Noel, the owner, couldnt have been nicer. I also met the woman behind Cheriwith Valley Pickles which happen to be the very first "fancy" pickles I got hooked on...$14 a jar at Dean and Deluca, but man....totally worth the price if you can't make your own! Of course I saw Rick from Rick's Picks too. He was a little swamped with wheelin' and dealin' but he totally took the time to give me a Pickle Person t- shirt, which, of course, I will probably be buried in, so, Thank You Rick! Oh and I got to try his new Sriracha Flavored "Hotties" Pickle-I have an unopened jar with me right now (I'm on a bus to Boston by the way!) that I will eat over this 4th of July weekend! I also met the woman behind Root Cellar Preserves based in Boston and my, was she lovely! I tried her whole line of pickles and it was such an awesome experience-truly like being a kid in a candy store.

I'll be sharing more with everyone soon on all the old AND new pickle vendors I staggered across that awesome weekend. But I'm due at the beach, so later!

Let's Catch Up: Summer Edition

2010-06-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, a place where I actually have no business being, except that pickles are considered FANCY FOOD! But before I head to that on Monday, I'll be much more at home on Sunday at the UNFANCY FOOD SHOW in Brooklyn!

I attended last year and stocked up on McClures Pickles, Taza Chocolate and homemade Beef Jerky and this year I'm looking forward to hoarding Brooklyn Brine's Lavendar Asparagus and Serrano Green Beans, which are pretty fancy, actually. Even I'm surprised I like both so much but that should tell you just how seriously good this stuff is. I can eat an entire jar of the asparagus in minutes...

I also hope to get caught up and tell you about some of the GREAT pickles I've received in the mail (you know how much I love mail), like the spears, jams and salsas I got from Lani in California all because I answered a question for her (the answer was WHEEL HOUSE PICKLES), the pickles and asparagus I got from a cop in Wisconsin, to the garlicky pickles from Brad Owens in the windy city...these are the pickles that got me reprimanded in a diner...but I'll tell you all of this later. OH-one last thing - there is an exciting NEW PICKLE from Rick's Picks that is guaranteed to spice up the summer!

Ok, we'll chat more later, we have so much to get caught up on!

Recipe: Pickled Garlic Scapes

2010-06-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

2 cups water
2 cups distilled white vinegar (5%)
1/4 cup of kosher salt (actually just under 1/4 cup)

In each jar: a pinch of mustard seeds, a few hot peppers, fresh sprigs of dill, 2-3 garlic cloves. This brine made just enough for 1 quart of pickled garlic scapes and 2 pints of sliced cucumbers.

I pickled on a whim after I saw these garlic scapes for sale at the Farmer's Market for $2 a bunch and then I noticed a giant bunch of dill close by for only $1.50 so I grabbed them both and said "Why not?" I had my other basic supplies already back at home-vinegar, spices, jars, lids, etc. I just made one more stop at the small bodega right off my subway stop and I grabbed a couple of Kirby cucumbers and 5 hot peppers for a dollar.

I had no recipe in mind. I just cleaned my produce, and got ready to pack my jars. I used a quart jar for the scapes-they wouldn't fit in the jar the way they were bundled from the market, so I took each one indvidually and coiled it in the jar and they just look beautiful that way. Down in the center of the "coil" I poked in a sprinkle of mustard seed, 2 or 3 hot peppers, sprigs of fresh dill, and yes, I added garlic to my garlic scapes. Why not? When you pickle on a whim you can do ANYTHING!

Then I did the same with my cukes. I just cut them in to slices and crammed then into their half pint jars. (My roommate Breuk took this lovely photo).

The cucumbers turned out AMAZING-in fact, I think they are my favorite ones I've made to date. I've already polished off the first jar, leaving me with the dilemma of eating the 2nd jar myself or actually sharing...
The pickled garlic scapes are interesting in that the taste changes a bit as your work your way through a vine. The fatter, more fibrous end is my favorite part with the more narrow tips being a little more bitter. I think they may take a little more time to bathe in the brine than the pickles. I'm already eating them but I know they will get better over time-if I can wait that is!

Hallo Berlin!

2010-06-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Look out Germany, I'm coming for your pickles...

...and I've already begun training. In Hell's Kitchen there is a large beer hall type of place called Hallo Berlin that serves a pretty big selection of beer and wurst. My travel buddy and I went there back in the spring with the artists Venkse & Spänle who will be our hosts for part of our adventure in Deutchland. The menu says "German spiced pickles, $2"", and Gregor (the Spänle half) ordered 2. Naturally, I assumed 1 was for him and the other was for, um, everyone else, but Germans can be wiley and I thought to double check. Nope, Gregor just wanted 2 for himself and it was at THAT MOMENT I knew that I couldn't be in better hands for my trip to Germany!

I ordered my own pickles.

I was expecting a bowl of whole gherkins but instead we were presented with an elegant platter of spears and I was not one bit disappointed with taste or presentation. Here's the platter about 2 minutes after being placed on the table:

Venske & Spänle are two German artists who work together in carved marble. Their work is truly amazing and I have been privileged to work with them and get to know them over the years at the gallery. They have always extended an invitation to visit them in Munich where they live part of the year when they are not in Brooklyn or traveling the world and I am so excited that I can finally take them up on the offer when I visit in August. It's a guarantee when we are together that beer and pickles will appear...and then disappear.

Fried Pickle Round Up!

2010-06-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

I get asked about Fried Pickles a lot and I'm always surprised when people in New York have never heard of them because they are much easier to find here than I ever would have imagined. Fried Pickles originated in the South but their popularity is widespread.

Here's a quick run-down of some of the ones I've tried and tested, near and far, out of my pure devotion to "research":

First up is Jimmy's Diner on Union Street in Williamsburg. I've been here twice and have since retracted my declaration that I find cornmeal battered pickles inferior. These are thin and crispy and really hold their crunch.

Say what you will about Hooters, but they make a damn fine fried pickle. And yes, there is a Hooters in Midtown so don't act like you've never been.

This basket is from Corner Burger in Park Slope. These are the most familiar to me and the closest thing to my favorite authentic Southern fried pickles in taste AND in quantity and cost.

Which leads me to my all time FAVORITE FRIED PICKLES from Ajax Diner in Oxford, MS.
Golden Perfection and the proper dipping sauce, Comeback Sauce.

But fried pickles also come in SPEAR FORM. They aren't my first preference if given a choice but I still love them. These are from a horrible BBQ Joint in South Beach Miami, but hey, who needs BBQ when you can make a meal out of these beefy guys?

In New York I've only found one place that serves fried spears, SoHo Park, and they are very good, but I don't have a picture, so here is a pair of McClure's Spicy Spears I fried up at home:

There are some bad fried pickles out there, so beware. Brother Jimmy's, the Manhattan BBQ franchise, is the worst offender, serving a basket of almost hushpuppy-like balls of dough. These below are from a bar in Bushwick called The Wreck Room which also used way too much batter but still I ate them all...I mean, a bad fried pickle is still a pickle that's been FRIED. I just wouldn't want anyone who has never had a fried pickle to have these as their only representation of a beloved Southern snack.

Just as I thought I could wrap up the fried pickle round up, I went to the Big Apple BBQ Festival in Madison Square Park this weekend. After a small sampling of BBQ it started to rain, so me and a fellow Southerner stepped into a place across from the park on 23rd Street called Live Bait. We both perused the menu and pretended like we might order real "food" but we just couldn't pass up THIS:

My friends have a saying, "If it's green, it's trouble, if it's brown order double"...and we ordered triple;fried pickles, fried jalapeno rings and hushpuppies. So that concludes my summertime Fried Pickle Round Up-now go out there and order brown!

Pickle Party Video-Pickle Back Edition

2010-06-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

A Pickle Highlight from Hoarders

2010-06-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was watching a marathon of the show Hoarders and there was a trapped, bedridden hoarder on one episode who yelled out for a pickle.

"Will you bring me a pickle?!!!", he hollered from underneath a pile of clothing. His cruel wife snapped back, "No, I will NOT bring you a pickle!!"

Was it a glimpse into my future?

Pickle Backs-Live and Learn

2010-05-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night was The Pickle Club-hosted Pickle Party at Destination Bar where they serve fried pickles and the increasingly popular Pickle Back – a shot of whiskey with a pickle juice chaser. When the bartender set these up I was hoping the pickle juice was going in the larger glass but as you can see from my hand model, who wishes to remain anonymous, that was not the case.

In order to maintain my false identity as a "journalist", I felt it necessary to try the Pickle Back. Do I know what whiskey tastes like? Ugh...yeah. Do I know what pickle juice tastes like? Um, YEAH. But what happens when one follows the other? MAGIC, very dangerous magic!

It was my educated guess that the pickle juice Destination Bar used as the chaser was from a variety of Ricks Picks, either Spears of Influence or Kool Gherks, but I honestly don't know. I ALSO don't know what happened the rest of the night, besides a quick photo with my pickle pal Jennifer and a few more Buds. Thank you Pickle Backs. Live and Learn.

If you can handle your whiskey I highly recommend the Pickle Back, but you see, I CAN'T and I already knew this but I did it anyway,(duty calls!) on an empty stomach to boot. So what's the moral of this story? Well, obviously it's THIS: if you add pickle juice to any number of vices, I'm gonna have to do it.

Pass the syringe.

Pickle Party

2010-05-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Come out Tuesday, May 25th for The Pickle Club's next Pickle Party!

If there's a promise of pickles and booze, you know I will be there, and if there's not a promise of booze and pickles, check my purse.

Here are the details:
Tuesday May 25th at 6:30 PM-11:30 PM
Destination Bar
211 Avenue A at 13th Street
Half price drinks until 9!

Jennifer of The Pickle Club has organized this and it's gonna be a great way to inspire you to gear up for the pickling season, meet professional picklers and young entrepenuers or just hang out with pickle enthusiasts. Or, if you want, just come out and point at the crazy pickle people. Go ahead, we won't care one bit.

The bar is serving Pickle Backs and Fried Pickles so get there early and say hello before I'm too drunk and bloated to speak..say...6:45?

Scapes on a Plate!!!!

2010-05-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've had enough of these motherf*ckin' scapes on this motherf*ckin' plate!!!!!

Hahaha. Just kidding. I dream of being on a plane overtaken with garlic scapes and the only way out alive is to eat them all. If a baby's life depends on me finishing this jar, I'd be giving its frantic mother a reassuring wink right about now that says don't worry ma'am, we're all going to be ok.

Garlic scapes are the plant that shoot out of the garlic bulb, which is really good to know since I've been telling people it's the "vine that garlic grows on"...shows how much I know. But maybe you'll forgive me, because I've never grown garlic and every time I've taken this jar of scapes out, no one ELSE knows what they are either. I encountered garlic scapes for the first time at the 2006 International Pickle Festival where there was a woman with a gallon jar of them, all tangled up, pulling them out, cutting them up and sharing then with anyone who passed by but it was 3 years later before I had my own jar to feast on (A Feast of Scapes?).

This jar, which is the only jar of scapes I've ever had, was given to me by none other than Pickle Girl when we met to discuss our joint participation in the 2009 International Pickle Festival. We had a fabulous day but I'm sad to say that the "pickle universe" hasn't seen much of Pickle Girl since then! The scapes themselves have a slight garlicky flavor (always a good thing) but these from Pickle Girl have a delicious brine. Her recipe is posted on her blog here so she's thrown us all a rescue line to save ourselves from a lack of pickled garlic scapes and for that we should be grateful.

But we sure do miss you Pickle Girl! Power to the Pickle!!

Kosher Style

2010-05-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Couples today just don't take the time to sit down to a nice pickle anymore.

2 Year Anniversary

2010-05-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading along since the "old days", before all the damn kids started ruining things, then you can celebrate 2 years of Pickle Freak dedication! I'm just kidding about all the damn kids.

Pickle News Courtesy of Blackened Out

2010-04-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite new blogs is called Blackened Out and it's run by a couple of guys (more?) down in New Orleans. My friend Randy was already a devotee when he showed it to me on our trip down there over New Year's Eve and now I find myself eagerly reading it daily.

Today I read their latest review of the new John Besh venture The American Sector and I was awestruck by the mention and photo of complimentary house made pickles served in a small mason jar. Do you have ANY idea how thrilling it is to see this and understand why? No, I don't think you do.

It's because it's like they are instructing you to drink the juice. You don't have to shoot whiskey or drink a pickle martini, just pick up your jar and drink dammit!

You may have also noticed that this article goes into further detail about actual food AND that the restaurant is in the WWII Museum but I didn't. I stopped at the jar.

Pass the Salt & Pepper Pickles

2010-04-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Pass the Salt & Pepper Pickles WHAT?
Pass the Salt & Pepper Pickles PLEASE.

Yeah, that's right, watch your manners. These are MISS JENNY'S pickles and she's a lady dammit. Well, actually, she's two ladies......

Miss Jenny's Pickles is a brand spanking-new pickle company that started just last July in Kernersville, North Carolina by two Southern gals ('bout damn time!) named Ashlee and Jenny. They offer 3 varieties of pickles: Bread & Butter, Hot, and Salt & Pepper and they were nice enough to send me jars of all three!

I ate the hot ones first and as is usually the case they were gone before I could drag a camera out and shoot them...but even a half empty jar still looks pretty damn good doesn't it? I started with the hot pickles and then a few hours later I cracked open the Bread & Butter Pickles and I was tricked into thinking they tasted the same. So I got all three jars of pickles out and treated myself to a little "taste test" all in the call of "duty".

I was shocked by how similar they all tasted in my memory and how completely different they tasted once I had them all side by side. Each variety really has its own distinct flavor: the first two you can probably imagine already as I'm sure you're familiar with Bread & Butter Pickles and you know what "hot" means don't you? It would be easy to say the "hot" ones were just a spicy version of the bread & butter ones, but it wouldn't be completely wrong either. The Salt & Pepper flavor was what really had me excited. The base flavor was once again similar to the other two-a bright vinegary taste with just a hint of sweetness and cider vinegar but then, you guessed it, a sharp twang of BOTH spices you're used to shaking on your mashed potatoes.I've never heard of this kind of pickle and as far as I know, Ashlee and Jenny are the only ones making them. I'm told they are based on a recipe from Miss Jenny's grandmother and that it took several attempts to get the recipe just right.

Well, I'll say they've done it. These pickles belong on your checkered,oil-cloth covered table, in your picnic basket and in your fridge! Pass the Salt & Pepper Pickles PLEASE. Be nice or your won't get any.

You can support this small, independently, female owned pickle company by clicking here and learning more and by calling their toll free number for ordering. Something tells me that whoever answers the phone will be the nicest person you talk to all day!

Horman's Best ( I Could Get Used to This)

2010-04-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

I feel pretty lucky most days, I mean, I've got a job and a fridge full of pickles and I've got a fridge full of pickles at my job. What more could I want? My pickles hand delivered to my job by the person who makes them?

Well, sure, that's a START. See that guy's face on the jar? That is Nick Horman of Horman's Best Pickles and last week he walked right in to the gallery and handed me a jar of kosher dills. He knows I like 'em spicy so he told me he added extra heat just for me. I could get used to this...

Nick is a third generation pickler (lucky) but started making his own pickles after graduating from college with a degree in philosophy. Student loans are a bitch. He is a calm, cool, approachable guy and it has been my privilege to get to know him after meeting him at the 2009 International Pickle Festival. He has his own pickle philosophy (he better!) and I admire him for his personal approach to pickling. You may already know him as the guy from the pickle festival selling the original Pickle on a Stick or from the pickle cart at 6th Avenue and Carmine Street, but what's really cool is that if you don't already know him, you can find him and say hello. Nick only sells his products on site at farmer's markets and other places in the city, fresh out of a series of 5 gallon buckets or from his website.

I, of course, like the spicy ones, but there are many flavors to choose from, like Horseradish, Honey Mustard, Red Flannel and Sweet Cajun pickle chips. I can also highly recommend one of my favorite pickled items ever: pickled cherry peppers, which Nick has also hand delivered to me in the past and I devoured them by eating 2-4 (this is an example of my "restraint") every morning for breakfast until they were gone, which reminds me I really should keep breath mints on my desk.

If you can't get out and meet Nick Horman yourself you can order from the website, but you're missing out on the best part of Horman's Best. Lucky for me I get the Horman with my Horman's Best!

Just Born

2010-04-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and the new pickles have just been born!

Migraine Cure: Zayda's Pickled Banana Peppers

2010-03-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Kevin Finklea came back.

And yes, he is the finest living artist in America (Ok, him and THIS GUY).

Earlier Kevin had already brought me more products from Zayda's Pickles, this time Pickled Banana Pepper Rings but because I work so hard, I'd totally forgotten they were stashed in the fridge and then I got a migraine and forgot who Kevin Finklea even was, until he walked in the gallery one more time. This time he brought me 2 slices of pizza because I was floating on air from all the Excedrine Migraine pills I'd eaten over the past 2 days, and without a doubt saved my life that day.

Despite the high level of non-functioning I experienced that day, I obviously still had some wits about me because I had this idea:

I felt much, much better after eating it. Thanks Kevin Finklea!!*

*Kevin's show ends April 17th at Margaret Thatcher Projects.
** The pizza and pickled peppers didn't actually "cure" my migraine but I'm still so high on Excedrine does it matter?

Video: Preserving Haiti

2010-03-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

Nobody works harder than Jennifer from The Pickle Club, I mean, the woman is a FORCE. Check out all her hard work for the Preserving Haiti Benefit that was still a ton of fun despite being held on the night of the worst winter storm of the year. Oh, and watch me loose yet another pickle eating contest.

For me the night was all about coming out to HELP no matter the weather, and I'd like to give a BIG thanks all who did brave the storm, especially my guys from the Pickle Party and a handful of my peeps all of which are named Michael*.

Our small devoted crowd managed to raise some money for our chosen organization Forgotten Children of Haiti which was represented that night by the daughter of the founders of the charity. I was really touched by the story of their mission that night and was excited to bid on a few things in the silent auction...specifically THIS:

Yes sir, I WON IT and while I won't tell you what year I was born, I can tell you that I was indeed born in the Year of the Pickle!
You can find your own sign in the Jewish Zodiac at www.jewzo.com but if you're not a pickle I feel sorry for you...

*(well almost, a few were named, Todd, Becca and Breuk)

Grillo's In New York!

2010-03-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

**These retail for $6.99 and are in Whole Foods in NY MA
CT RI & NH and also online

Remember Grillo's Pickles and how jealous you were that they were just sold in Boston? Well, now you can get them in New York at Whole Foods! I got an email from Travis Grillo with the exciting news and hopped on the bus and went down to

the Union Square Whole Foods to see for myself.

I had to fight my way through a throng of shoppers and carts to get to them, but by god, I made it, and yep, sure enough, there they were in the cold case. And not just Grillo's Italian Dills but HOT Grillo's Italian Dills!!!

How have I not had these? Travis-you got some 'splainin' to do.

I didn't grab these hot ones like I wanted too because the place was a freakin' circus, I've already been run over by a woman and child in a grocery store in Fairway, so I'll come back on a Monday, during the early part of the day, when I'll have a clearer shot at my prey. Grillo's Italian Dills are also available online, so if you don't like Boston, New York, Whole Foods or crazed people ramming into you with hot soup and kale, then you're in LUCK!

Look at all that garlic...damn, I've gotta go back in there and get some.

Polish Goldmine

2010-03-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

I cannot resist a grocery store. I will wander the aisles of any grocery store anywhere and the further away it is from being a Wal-Mart or C-Town, the better, but still, I can kill some time in a Wal-Mart (hell, it's practically a family tradition). It's rare that I'm actually looking for something specific, it's more that I'm excited that I will possibly find something weird that I can take home and display on a shelf or EAT and it will cost me no more than $4.99. That is strong bait for a Southerner...

So check out the Polish Pickle Gold Mine I wandered upon in Williamsburg at Topps Grocery store on North 6th street, just off of Bedford. 2 whole shelves full of not just "exotic" products, but PICKLES and oh yes, all for under 5 bucks!

First there was the sign:

I love that they have the Claussen Pickles hidden away in a dusty corner somewhere...

And then there was a huge basket filled with these:

Who doesn't need a bag o' pickles? I need a belt that I could use to strap these around my waist like a fanny pack.

There were several varieties by the Lowell Brand: pickles with hot peppers, with sweet peppers or just "cucumbers in brine". I struggled with a decision for at least 10 minutes, but I ended up taking home a jar of the ones with hot peppers (of course). I'll save the bag o' cucumbers in brine for a gift if I'm ever invited to anything, ever again. There were also a few other varieties, like the simple Krakus Brand "Polish Dill Pickles" and some labeled "Pickled Dill Gherkins".

I opened my jar as soon as I got "home" (I was house-sitting in Bushwick) and I wasn't thrilled with the results... a little soft and barely spicy. Still, better than most common grocery store items and very similar to the German Gundelsheim pickles I use as my "everyday pickles" but I'm not done with my Polish exploration though, oh no. I think I'll go back to basics and try the simplest ones and then work my way through the spices. Because it's only a matter of time before I'm back in there wandering the aisles anyway.

Zayda's Pickles

2010-03-03T16:58:00.001-08:00

Ohhhhhhh My God. Have you heard of Zayda's Pickles? Probably not unless you live in Philadelphia like a lucky bastard. I had my first taste of Zayda's on that early morning bus ride I took with Jennifer from The Pickle Club to the Rosendale Pickle Festival back in November (I think it was 9:56 AM, Saturday, November 22nd, 2009).

She told me they were made in Philly by a guy who didn't advertise and had no website, he just made pickles and sold them to bars, delis and anybody who wanted them, mostly out of a rented Ryder truck. If you saw him in the pickle truck you could walk up and get your own. And oh yeah, he's also a comedian. I immediately started to picture my new life in Philly...

Zayda's Pickles are a regional specialty made by a regional orginal, Steve Slutsky, and I for one, hope it stays that way. A quick google search for Zayda's Pickles turned up a long article about the man behind these pickles and the toilet-seated tricycle he rides around town, but not much else. Steve Slutsky doesn't feel the need to expand his business or cast a wider net for customers...if you live in Philly, you can find his pickles, and if you don't, well, tough titty.

Enter Kevin Finklea.

Kevin is an artist based in Philadelphia and "lucky" for me, has a show up at the gallery where I work. When he came up to install his show he brought me a jar of Zayda's...and it just so happens to be my opinion that Kevin Finklea is the finest living artist we have in America...in the world if he brings me a jar of pickled cherry peppers when he comes to de-install.

Zayda's Pickles are really crispy and have a great full sour flavor and the spice goes all the way through the pickle and stays with you the entire time. You can smell the peppery spice as you bring it to your nose and it's surprising when it actually tastes as spicy as it brags to be. I usually don't go too crazy for Kosher style pickles, but I will buy as many jars of these pickles as I can from ANYONE in a toilet-seated tricycle. Hopefully it's Steve Slutsky, who's known to say "Eat the heat. Poop there it is".

Amen.

Dill Fresca at Dumont

2010-03-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

On the menu at Dumont in Williamsburg is the Dill Fresca:

Gin, St. Germain, fresh cucumber, fresh dill, lime and soda.

Refreshing, refined, sweet, crisp and as pretty as it is delicious...and the drink's not half bad either!

Thank you, I'll be here all week, try the steak.

Available (and you know you want it) at Market

2010-02-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

Last Fourth of July my friend The Swarthy Menace (look at that chest ladies!) was in town and he invited me to a barbecue in Ditmas Park. When The Swarthy Menace invites you somewhere, you just go, but I was already "Ditmas curious" and the idea of grilling out in a yard, with grass, was heavenly to a homesick Southerner. I didn't want to show up empty handed, so I grabbed a jar of McClure's Hot and Spicy spears and hit the door. When I got there The Menace introduced me to the host, Tim, and a yard full of lovely people and while they helped themselves to the pickles I brought, I helped myself to the first of many Budweiser Tallboys...Happy Birthday America...

...I slept on the couch that night. Wait, no I didn't, I slept on the cushions from the couch on the floor. But who cares. Playing croquet for 4 hours (that was just ONE game) and drinking all night with The Menace was worth it. The next day, Tim, our ever patient host, asked me more about the pickles I brought and where they came from, and where the hell I came from, and then eventually kindly called a car to shuttle my pounding head home. I bid farewell to The Swarthy Menace and left Ditmas Park determined to come again. Well, I moved here a few months ago but I've yet to make my way back to Tim's croquet course (I have seen The Swarthy Menace again-this time in swarthy New Orleans)but I did, just last week, receive an email from him. I was expecting an invoice to have those couch cushions cleaned, but instead, Tim wrote to let me know how excited he was to find McClure's Pickles in our neighborhood. What a pleasant surprise!

That's right McClure's Pickles are now available right here in Ditmas Park. Coincidence? Of course. But I'll still take credit for it anyway. Mimi's Hummus , on Cortelyou Road has recently expanded to have a small shop next door called Market. I stopped in last week to have a peek at the pickle selection. Not only do they carry McClure's but also a couple of varieties from Brooklyn Brine (check out their hot new blog). I also spotted some clear quart containers with a handwritten label saying "Mimi's Pickles" – house-made pickles for just 3 bucks!

So, Tim, I guess this means you don't have to invite me over again just to get more pickles...but you can if you want to! I might be better behaved without a swarthy influence, but I can't make any promises.

** And now the New York Times is, once again, finally caught up with Pickle Freak.

Three's a Charm

2010-02-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

*Note: This event is just ONE DAY AWAY! Woo HOO!
**Note: All of these pics are from our Pickle Happy Hour back in January at Uncle Vanya's
***Note: My mom says this first picture looks like 4 green turds. Thanks Mom!

The third pickle party of this still brand new year is just days away and I'm here to lure you there. Here I go:

Pickles

Booze

Pickles and Booze

Need more?
Ok-The Pickle Club and some of New York's best pickle vendors and fans will gather on Thursday, February 25 in an effort to do OUR part for the aid of earthquake victims in Haiti. All you and I have to do is show up and eat pickles...we can have a nice cocktail and bid on items in a silent auction and eat pickles and have a nice cocktail. Did I mention there will be pickles and booze?

Seriously, please come out. Not only is it a good cause but it'll be a whole room full of amazing, cool people. Come alone and mingle, bring a date or bring your office after work. It's for a great cause and you know you want a pickle! I'll be there eating my weight in pickles (for a good cause!) from Brooklyn Brine, McClure's, Ricks Picks, Horman's Best, The Pickle Guys, and Katchkie Farms (Thunder Pickles!) on Thursday, February 25, from 6-10 at the GS Lounge@ Gas Light, 39 West 9th Avenue at 14th Street.

Is it Thursday, February 25th yet?

Preserving Haiti

2010-02-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Pickle Club will host a wonderful night of drinks and pickles to benefit the charity Forgotten Children of Haiti on Thursday, February 25th from 6-10 PM.

Come out and join Jennifer from The Pickle Club, myself and all the New York Pickle Gang as we gather to raise funds for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. We know how to have a good time and we'll make sure you have one too.

All the info is in the video but if you have questions email me. If you can't make it please donate whatever you can to the charity of your choice.

Sriracha Inspiration

2010-02-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Back in October I was, once again, googling for spicy pickles when I killed two birds with one stone. I found a hilarious new blog AND these intriguing spicy pickles made with Sriracha Hot Sauce, or "Rooster Sauce" as I've always called it. "Mr Dave" of the Ridiculous Food Society of Upstate New York really caught my attention and he's continued to win my admiration with posts like: "Mr. Dave is No Longer a Bologna Virgin". But ANYWAY*, when I first discovered rooster sauce I went a little overboard and kind of put it in everything I ate. I added it to spaghetti, slathered it on pizza and pretty much used it as a ketchup substitute. And then I just walked away.

But after seeing this amazing recipe and following up on it a few weeks later when he declared the pickles were awesome I knew I had to revisit Sriracha.

But it looks like lots of people are already beating me to it. I saw on Facebook a couple of weeks ago that Rick of Rick's Picks "discovered a new use for Sriracha" so I KNOW he's a got a trick up his sleeve and then when my friend and fellow blogger down in Memphis posted this about Sriracha Carole H left a recipe in the comments section where she takes a jar of store bought pickles and adds Sriracha, sugar and onions to the jar.

I can't wait to try my own recipe the next time I pickle...what else has everyone out there been adding Sriracha too... *(besides bologna)?

PS-Here's a great article in The New York Times about the history of rooster sauce, written by a fellow Southerner,John T. Edge of Oxford MS nonetheless.

100 Posts, 1 Tweet

2010-01-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

I've rambled on for 100 posts already and trust me people, I'm just getting started.

It's taken me this many posts to realize that I'm really and truly a "blogger" and now that the term "blogger" no longer makes me feel dirty I'm taking the next step; I've just Tweeted for the first time.

Who just tweeted? That's right, I just tweeted. Still sounds dirty.

Krazy Katy The Pickle Lady (That's Me!)

2010-01-27T16:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Jeff interviewed me while I was home in Aberdeen, MS for Xmas and wrote this great article about Pickle Freak for the Monroe 360 Journal.

Aberdeen was such a small town that growing up we all recognized the car of the newspaper's photographer. I can remember debating whether or not to run through the sprinkler in the front yard or the back yard depending if I wanted my picture in the paper in my mickey mouse bathing suit(courtesy of Tots to Teens of course)or not. Not much has changed but now it's my friend Jeff that gets recognized everywhere he goes on behalf of the paper...and I always run through the sprinkler in the backyard these days. Thank you Jeff for the article!

More Action Shots

2010-01-26T16:16:00.001-08:00