FortKnox's Journal: My VIP training and more Basil vs. Oregano

Well, tomorrow is the day that begins my training to become someone important. I'll be leaving work around 3:30pm to spend dinner with the wife before catching my plane. I'd bring Joey along, but he's caught the croup from this weekend, and needs to stay at home (with the sister-in-law).

I have to admit, I hate travelling. Even though this is important for my career and isn't even a full week, I hate leaving my wife, and leaving my son (especially when he's sick!). I don't want to sit in a hotel room most nights bored out of my wits, and I don't want to sleep alone, cause I rarely get sleep that way. I'm starting to sound like some clingy, high-maintanence girl, aren't I? ;-)

Eh, anywho, hopefully I'll have net access this week so I can write JEs and post my week 2 thoughts and week 3 football picks. If not, then you guys will know why I'm gone.

This past weekend (including Friday) was spent at my folks house, and back in Pittsburgh to celebrate my grandmother's (Marotti) 89th birthday. Was a good amount of fun, cause almost all of the Marotti family was there (including grand and great-grand children).

While I was there, my highly cultured and gourmet trained chef of an aunt (the eldest) and I talked. I asked about oregano. She says "I've been to Italy dozens of times. Only rarely will you find an odd village that actually uses the stuff. Most Italian villages use whatever grows around them for their dishes (she even talked about a village known for their lemon dishes, cause lemon trees are common there). Basil is common, oregano, however, is a greek ingredient. Oregano migrated to Italy, eventually, but is only used in Pizza sauces. Rarely will you find any traditional sauces or meals with oregano in it (except the pizza sauce I mentioned)." She went on to talk about how much northern Italy uses cream sauces, and only southern really use red sauces and stuff like that. I also learned that I shouldn't salt my sauce, but drop at least three or four anchovies in instead. They add salt + flavor that way. Can't wait to try it (but I have to do it behind my wife's back, cause she can't stand seafood).

I'd ask you how you all are doing, but I won't be able to really read and reply until late tonight. Feel free to reply... I'm sure mekka and bofh31337 will jump into the basil v oregano battle... just understand I'll be a while before I read and reply.

what part of the boot?

[Triumph The Insult C]

my family is from around the achilles. abruzzi to be specific

gravy is red. not white. no cream. none of that finnoc' stuff. no bolognese either

interesting about the salting with anchovies...

[tuxette]

We've made puttanesca sauce lots of times here, and the anchovies give an interseting kick. We could probably use anchovies in other sauces. Not that we use salt anyways. Our usual "kick" ingredient is, of all things, Marmite :-)

Basil (and note on croup)

[Cy Guy]

You have to be very caeful with oregano. When I used to make pizza for a living we'd get canned pizza sauce and it already has the basil (fresh when the sauce was made) in it so you didn't have to use the dry stuff or keep fresh on hand. Oregano on the other hand, we were told by the second generation Italian American proprietor is only to be sprinkled on the pizza just between the sauce and cheese layers - he explained that tomatoes and oregano don't mix as the acid in the tomato will make the oregano bi

Re:Basil (and note on croup)

[FortKnox]

Its Joey's second run-in with croup. He had it when he was 1 (about a year ago) and this is the second time. He doesn't even appear to be sick unless you hear the cough. The only bad part is he coughs himself awake at night, meaning I have to go calm him down.

That, and the wife is in the second trimester, so I feel bad for leaving them both. Just a thing, ya know.

Re:Basil (and note on croup)

[bofh31337]

I've found that mostly true of the fresh Oregano. Most pizza joints use dried, and it doesn't become bitter. It's really the cooking that causes the bitterness, but it is a classic combo for pizza... mmm...pizza... Maybe I'll get out the old stand mixer and make pizza for dinner....

sit in a hotel room most nights bored

[TechnoLust]

Uhh... so why do you sit in your hotel room bored. Chicago is a big city, I'm sure you can find SOMETHING to get into. Besides, btlzu2 is up there, you could look him up and let him take you out on the town.

And yes, I mentioned before that Oregano is a greek spice and you are pretending to be italian, but you are really greek and such is your aversion to oregano. :-)

Yup

[DaytonCIM]

I have to admit, I hate travelling. Even though this is important for my career and isn't even a full week, I hate leaving my wife, and leaving my son (especially when he's sick!). I don't want to sit in a hotel room most nights bored out of my wits, and I don't want to sleep alone, cause I rarely get sleep that way. I'm starting to sound like some clingy, high-maintanence girl, aren't I?

I'm headed to Minnesota tomorrow morning... I feel the same way.

Travel sucks.

Re:Yup

[bofh31337]

How can you hate travling? New places, new faces, a whole new adventure. Have a wild hotel party with strippers in your room. Live it up. Do a line of coke off a hot strippers tummy. Drink a bottle of vodka. In other words, party like a rock star!

Ok, that may be a weeee bit extreme... But fun!

Re:Yup

[Abm0raz]

How can you hate travling?

Prolly the same (or similar) way that I hate travelling. I hate leaving. If I travel, it's in the summer. My last 3 years of vacation time efrom work have been spent sleeping in, lying on the couch all day, drinking all night, repeat for 1 full week. What little travel I've done has been for things I was forced to go to (i.e. they wouldn't/couldn't come to me).
1. to see the god-daughter (anyone else find it ironic that a atheist has a god-daughter?)
2. visit the ex (sh

Re:Yup

[arb]

Have a wild hotel party with strippers in your room. Live it up. Do a line of coke off a hot strippers tummy. Drink a bottle of vodka. In other words, party like a rock star!

Why travel to do all that stuff when I can just as easily do it at home? ;-)

Re:Yup

[baldass_newbie]

Agreed.
Business travel sucks.

Boston myself, this week. Up at 3:30 am to get a 6:00 am flight (Philly International security absolutely fucking sucks).

Land. Go to office. Two days of design meetings. If you're lucky, you can sneak off instead of having a 'canned' dinner. Wouldn't mind going with my boss, honestly. Good dude. But if you wind up in a group...bah.

Won't sleep well in the hotel. Will get up too freaking early. Then it's back to meetings and catch a 6:00 pm flight back so I can get in

starting?

[dubiousdave]

I'm starting to sound like some clingy, high-maintanence girl, aren't I? ;-)

Starting? I wouldn't say that.

Anchovies

[EggDye]

This sounds like an extremely amusing cooking tip. Not only could I salt and flavor my sauce, I could cause my fishphobic in-laws to have brain aneurisms when they find a little fish in their pasta.

Anyway, do you leave the anchovies in the sauce or take them out before serving?

Re:Anchovies

[FortKnox]

they'll breakup within a few minutes in the sauce. Keep in mind that I simmer my sauce for at least 6 hours (4 can work if a major rush, but my rule is at least 6).