Archive for the ‘Food Holidays’ Category

Fishin’ For Fame

1 Comment
Posted 30 Mar 2011 — by FV
Category As I see it., Contests, Food Holidays, Meal Deals!

Catholics have taken over the world, or at least it seems that way this time of year! We are half way through the season of Lent in everybody’s favorite fish frying religion. Our highways and byways are polluted with signs that make it look like a political campaign time of year. Yet these signs, some homemade, some professional, aren’t touting the platform of our next great leader, but trying to garner the business of the fish crazed public during Lent. It’s duck season…wabbit season…duck season…wabbit season…duck season…

Nope, it’s fish season. Cod beware! If you live under water and are delicious, find the nearest rock or patch of weeds and hole up! It’s not just Catholics that are after you, it’s EVERYBODY. Local church fish fries have spilled their banks and become huge money makers for fire halls, American Legions, Mooses, Elks, charitable organizations and everyone else with a deep fryer and a fish bun! The menus have also expanded, many events offering shrimp, crab, pizza and baked goods. Much to my dismay McDonald’s is the largest purveyor of fish sandwiches on the Earth! (ugh, I’ll choose my battles for now)

With all this feeding frenzy I will take an opportunity to plug my own Church’s Fish Fry. I know that not all of you will be able to take advantage of it, but I hope that those within the area will come down and take part.

I am also asking a special favor. A local radio station is taking submissions for local fish fries that they may come and broadcast from. My church has a unique fish fry whereas we have our event during lunch hours, most are during dinner hours. We are hitting around the 800 mark for sandwiches each week and looking to do even more! We also offer free delivery to local businesses! Lastly, what other fish fry employs the help of yours truly, the Food Vigilante?!?!

So, here is the link to go and vote in my church for the broadcast possibility. Y108FM Monty and Zeke Fish Fry Broadcast

The Church is Immaculate Conception in Irwin at 308 2nd Street. The phone number is 724-864-7788 for pick up or delivery orders. Fish Fry goes from 11am to 2pm every friday during Lent.

All the fish is fresh and hand breaded and you can also get it baked. Haluski and Mac ‘n Cheese are available. Look for yourselves! :)

 

Fried

FV recommended, Baked!

 

Fish me, I’m Catholic,

FV

Attack of the Teenagers!

3 Comments
Posted 25 Mar 2011 — by FV
Category As I see it., Food Holidays

Milestones come and go and none really affect me much. But, I just had one recently that caused me just the slightest of pause. I have, alas, become the father of a teenage boy. Thirteen doesn’t sound or look menacing at all, yet it resonates with the near future filled with the struggle to keep a step a head of puberty, bold and brazen independence and a driver’s license! I will take stock in the anecdotes of warning that I get from fellow parents in the same club, but I will, for now, enjoy the whispering hold that my son and I have on his pre-teen childhood. Besides, my kid will never do any of those terrible things I hear about, right? HA! We’ll see.

At any rate, we hosted yet another successful at-home birthday party and put on some ritz as well! My budding teen invited five of his friends over for a birthday party and the Food Vigilante was hoping to give this group of mini-teens a glimpse of true culinary excellence, or at least something interesting enough to eat to drag them away from the video game system for around 15 minutes! My son is a seafood lover, the party was on a Friday, most of our neighborhood is Catholic, so a seafood fest was a good fit.

Yes, I had a back-up plan for any land lubbers. Yes, I checked with the parents of the attendees about seafood allergies. Yes, I put too much effort into a meal for 6 teenage boys.

Here are some pics of the festivities…

Buffalo Shrimp!

Tomato Garlic Mussels!

Lobster Tail! Barely got this shot they were shovin' the food down so fast! Ugh, teenage boys, lol.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake!

Cerimonious Blowing of Candles.

Last, but not least, all of the gracious teenagers showing me adoration and gratitude for a feast fit for kings!

Ok, so they cared more about the Sony Playstation3, silly teenagers!

Love them while they will still hug you in public, love them more when they won’t, for they will again.

One down, two to go,

FV

Lent. Yum.

1 Comment
Posted 24 Mar 2011 — by FV
Category As I see it., Evolution Of FV, Food Holidays

I am experiencing a little pang of guilt this morning. See, us Catholics are knee deep in the Lent this time of year and I have chose to abstain from a few different things. First, let me clear up what Lent is the best that I can. Lent is not much different from Ramadan or any meditation period where you try to better yourself, sometimes even through abstinance and reflection. I think Richard Simmons has a version of Lent called “sweatin to the oldies”. A lot of confusion and debate rises up when Lent is mentioned, but it really is less complicated than people make it. Many people choose paths to better themselves and in the process usually have to ‘give something up’, Lent is no different. There, comprender? (yep, by lingual baby, I don’t mess around!)

Now, on to my guilt (then second most important thing to Catholics, HAHA) I gave up or have chosen to abstain from 4 things during Lent. 1)Any meat besides seafood. 2)All added and/or processed sugars. In anything!! 3)Alcohol. 4)Eating after 8PM. Ok, I know, these seem more health orientated than religious, but imagine the amount of prayer you would need to live with these guidelines for 40 days! It’s only been almost three weeks and the smell of meatloaf weakens my knees.

What this has forced me to do is be much more creative to maintain my nutrition levels (mainly concerning protein intake) and my interest in each meal. Luckily there are seemingly endless variations of foods that live in the water and I don’t have any seafood allergies! It’s breakfast that has been a bit challenging. There’s no unsweetened, fish based cereal that I could eat without proper alcohol consumption, but that’s out too. So, honey is ok because it is not processed, or at least you can buy it that way. Peanut butter can also be bought without sugar in it. Lastly, bread has been the most difficult, almost every brand has sugar, even high end organic breads usually have organic cane juice, a fancy word for processed sugar, albeit organic, but still processed. I found a brand of German pumpernickel bread at my beloved Aldi that contains no sugar at all! No preservatives either, only whole grain. Pumpernickel is sort of a moist bread almost the consistency of banana bread or zuchini bread, but more dense. It comes pre-sliced and must be kept in the refrigerator once opened. It has nuts in it and is just delicious. So with these three ingredients I had this this morning for breakfast…

Is this really a sacrifice??

If this is a sacrifice, then count me in. It was tough, but somebody had to eat it! The point is, if we give up something not so good for us it forces us to be a little more creative. As always, I implore you, get out there, read your ingredients, know what is going in your mouth and eat to live, don’t live to eat.

Abstain and learn,

FV

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