It may appear I have been really slacking as of late. No self respecting food lover could or would let there blog go so long without any posts. I must say the main reason is pretty personal but hey what F! if I can not share it here where can I share it.

Roughly around my last recipe posting I discovered I had come down with my second type of cancer. I had previously beat bladder cancer around 3 years ago. I was pretty shocked to discover that I had come down with skin cancer on my rear end. The cancer itself was not caused by exposure to the sun or other elements though. It was caused by a recurring wound where the scar tissue turned cancerous. At first it did not seem like that big of a deal as skin cancers are one of the easiest to deal with – luck was not on my side though. I had a fairly large mass that needed to be surgically removed which in turn pretty much removed most of my left buttock. It has currently been left open while I start in on both chemotherapy and radiation therapy before I am able to get it closed up. Last thing the doctors want to do is seal up cancerous tissue.

So I have been in and out of the doctors offices for some time. I finally got a surgery date in late November and am now at rest and beginning the rest of the therapy at Stanford medical center. I imagine I will not be cooking or even preparing any foods until I get out of here which may take 5-6 weeks if not longer. In the meantime I get to dine on what the hospital so kindly offers. I must admit though after having my share of hospital food in the past, what they offer here is far from the worst I have had and they even offer a healthy choice organic farm raised local meal sized soup for lunches if one if inclined to try it.

So unable to cook and not wanting the blog to perish I figure I will do the next best thing. I do happen to know most if not all of my recipes by heart, plus I can add in a wide assortment of guides that can help the home cook.

I am horrified to see that the last update was back in February of this year. A lot went on in my life and none was pleasant. After beating bladder cancer and just checking out the rest of my health since I am a paraplegic. In an area where I had a past wound we discovered to my horror again that I had developed skin cancer in the scar tissue, due to the area being injured over and over again over the years. I did not even know it was possible to get skin cancer that way. I went in for some surgery to remove some or all of it. Well they did not get it all and during that stay something went terribly wrong. I still am not 100% sure as I was also having a drug reaction that would make me forget periods of time and in essence have a different personality. Well apparently my kidneys failed, no idea why they were healthy when I went down there. I also apparently did not have 1 surgery, I had 4 much to my surprise after being filled in months latter.  Yes months latter. See it is hard for relatives and even your wife to fill you in on everything that happens when well to be honest you have almost full amnesia over. I was there one day, then someone else for a week and then back again. In my mind only the night had passed. I am still trying to figure it all out, reading my hospital records and asking questions. To make matters even worse, that other personality was the 100% opposite of me. It was mean, abusive, and well it hurts to think about it and what I may have said. People around me know it was the drug but still, it came out of me.

I am still dealing with the issues of all of this. I still have a large wound that needs another surgery to remove whats left of the cancer, unless they decide on chemo. So far though it sounds like it will be surgery. After that I hopefully can work on healing or getting the wound closed up for good. Then I can think longer down the line to eventually getting my legs amputated. Yes I do mean cut off. They are of zero use to me, they make it harder for me to get around, they could honestly kill me by throwing a clot, and honestly I am not one of those that will ever benefit from all of the new technology such as stem cells.

I have been stuck in bed for some time. I actually spent a lot of the year in either the hospital and then a rehab hospital. I did not even get out until August of this year. It still really hurts to sit up in my chair and the doctor has limited the time I should do it. I do however plan on buying another wheelchair that fully reclines so that I can get up and around yet still stay somewhat laying down. That should get me out of my room more often and restore some sanity and well give more help to my ever patient wife who has put up with all of this.

I do love cooking and I have really discovered that I am pretty damn good at teaching people how to do it as well, even over the phone. To be honest my wife never was much of a cook and she just had a few dishes she knew. So over the past few months I would walk her through dishes over the phone. Now she can whip up even new dishes with very little input and they are pretty damn good. There are misses, but the last couple months I must say her hits have been shining and I can barely remember a bad dish. She even got about a 90% on how I like my potato salad (another post), with next to no direction. Did I mention I am so picky about potato salad that I rarely eat anyone else’s?

Back to the blog. I do plan on keeping up with it now assuming I can. I also will be posting some or possibly many of my wives dishes on here. Honestly she barely even knows about this site and is a bit shy, so I may just keep it hush hush for awhile. They are good though. I just wanted to apologize for not being present for the last 8 months. Very few things on the web irritate me as much as an abandoned site that just stays there with nothing happening on it at all. I also really am starting to hate how this blog looks. So do not be surprised if you do see some changes in how it looks. Lastly some of you should comment, I do not bite and I know your visiting, I do see the stats after all.

Mexican cheese breakdown for those who are interested in trying them but do not know where to start. Please do not take this as a end all be all reference. These are just the ones I personally know and what I personally think of each of them. I will try to come back and revisit this post with pictures as I purchase each again. I admit they are not something I keep on hand like say cheddar or parmesan.

I am one of those that also thinks cheese’s can be broken down into four categories – fresh cheese, melting cheeses, hard cheeses, and creams. Does not mean that one could not be used in another way I suppose. For instance I have used parmesan in several sauces melted before yet it is a hard cheese. Though I will warn you now that I am pretty sure that most if not all of the fresh cheeses do not really melt under heat, they just get soft but hold their shape.

Fresh Cheese’s:
Queso Blanco: If you are familiar with Monterrey jack cheese you will understand this one. It does not really melt but it will get very soft and creamy when heated. Works great when stuffing something, and if you like mozzarella sticks – try making them with this cheese.
Panela: Very mild like Queso Blanco and acts the same in regards to heating it. Often crumbled in taco’s or burritos. I actually love to crumble some up and mix it into re fried beans while cooking them. Remember it does not really melt and holds its shape for the most part. So you end up with pockets of cheese.
Queso Fresco: Another very mild cheese. Also does not melt. Great for crumbling over beans or salads.
Requesón: Only way I can explain this one is a mix between ricotta and cottage cheese. Can be used in the same way and has about the same taste.

Melting cheese’s:
Queso Quesadilla: Very mild great melting cheese. I am sure you can guess from the title it is perfect for a quesadilla, do not stop there. It works perfect with burgers too.
Asadero: Our first yellow cheese on the list. It has some tang unlike the Quesadilla. Almost a light cheddar flavor. I like it in baked dishes like enchiladas, yet also makes a great nacho cheese.
Manchego: Made from sheep’s milk and has a good salty tang to it. Tastes a lot like feta. Can come in different ages. Does make an excellent grilled cheese. 
Oaxaca: Still trying to figure out difference between this one and the Asadero cheese. It does seem a bit more stringy and perhaps a slightly stronger flavor. I had it stuffed into zucchini blossoms and it was excellent.
Chihuahua: Found out this one also goes by Queso Menonita. Produced in the region of Chihuahua and also previously (currently too but not exclusively) by Mennonites. Has a flavor like a mild cheddar. Seems to work great in sauces and dips. Though I had it in chiliquilla’s and can not think of having them with any other now.

Hard Cheese’s:
Cotija: Very strong flavor, reminds me of an aged parmesan. You may find this one already grated. Crumbled over many dishes and apparently one of the new “it” ingredients for TV chefs lately. I think its pretty good on tostadas and in soup.
Anejo Enchilado: Not as strong as Cotija, more like say a Romano in flavor. One thing that makes it really stand out is that it is often coated on the outside with Paprika or Chile powder. Good as a stuffing for enchilada’s or sprinkled on taco’s. One other point, apparently it can be either sheep or cows milk. I have only had the cow variety.

Cream Cheese’s:
Crema Mexicana: Very similar in texture to sour cream. Has a sweeter taste and a bit of tang, yet really reminds me of heavy cream. I have found out you can whip it and it holds its “whip” a long time – way past heavy cream. Even though it is south of the border in taste I hide this one in many other dishes, especially sauces where i want a richer flavor. Works very well in pasta sauces. It too has become another “it” ingredient with many TV chefs.

I have a hankering to pickle things (OK no idea where that word came from). I am almost certain that I will begin tomorrow. I know the weird weather and more likely the fact that we bought some small canning jars for another project spurred it on in my mind. It also could be that I did strip my dwarf lemon trees of every fruit they had and preserved those in their juices and salt, lots and lots of salt. Either way I want to make assorted pickles, some types that I know I already love and a few things I am not sure if I will even like.

To go with some idea of what you may or will see posted here I will jot down a few of what I do plan for now. Let me know if you have any other suggestions please.

• Pickled onions. I know they are great on beans (see my non recipe), I recently had a hamburger and was thinking this would just rock even more with some pickled onions on it.
• Pickled carrots. I have always loved these. My Nana used to put up pickles, jalapenos (grandfather was a fiend), and a few other things. Anyways she would make the occasional jar of pickled carrots and would stick a few carrot sticks in the jars of jalapenos too. I found a food crush I can not let go of.
• Pickled radishes. This would be a new one. Just want to try it after seeing some radishes at the store. Plus they can be planted soon anyways – yippee for fast growing vegetables.
• Pickled cabbage (kimchi). Only have barely tried the stuff in a jar that stores carry. That was also about 25 years ago as my dad had a thing for it. Back then he liked things I did not such as blue cheese and well kimchi. Times have changed and I am now interested in giving it another shot.
• Gardenia pickle. I am very tempted to toss a few veggies together to make a gardenia style pickle. Seriously have you seen the prices on this stuff? I know I can get some cauliflower, carrots, celery, boiling onions (hm pickled boiling onions), bell peppers, and peppers. Yeah it can be changed up but I think you get my drift. Perhaps this one though is for actual canning and not just a jar in the chill chest.

I am not that big of a fan of sweet or bread and butter pickles though. I like them sour. I will take the occasional sweet pickle but yeah – just not high on my list.

Off topic, I will get you all some more recipes here again soon along with pictures. I just have been really, really bad about remembering to use the camera. Plus I seriously hate my little point and shoot camera, especially since I have a wonderful Nikon just sitting in my closet with a collection of lenses. I should make the switch and then perhaps I will then remember to take more pictures and better ones at that.

I honor all things sandwich, I find them the near perfect food. They are portable, tasty, often contain everything your body needs, are equally good hot or cold, and of course there are infinite varieties. The idea of a sandwich sounds easy, yet it is also one of the easiest things to mess up as construction as just to much to do with how great a sandwich can be as what is in it.

We can have fights about every aspect of what makes the perfect sandwich, going literally layer by layer. Breads alone can stir deep debate without even tossing in the possibility of if a flour tortilla wrap or a pita pocket still counts as a sandwich. Arguments over condiments, vegetables, meat types, non meat fillings, seasonings, sauces, and as you can see – name it and there is some debate. Let us not even start about hot or cold, and if you should dress a sandwich in the morning that is to be eaten latter that afternoon.

Of course to many though the art of the sandwich has almost become a lost art. Not so long ago the at home cook was able to whip up a whole slew worth of tasty sandwiches that were not only good, they were respectable. Today it seems if you do not end up going to some deli, or odd smelling chain sandwich shop (you do smell it right?), your chances at even a mediocre sandwich are often dashed. I may be being very critical of such shops, and I will still give props to the few mom and pop deli’s that do it right but I must say those 3 or so chain sandwich places are doing to sandwiches what burger chains did to burgers – and that is not right.

Ending my rant now and I will leave you with the top 10 sandwiches:

• Roast Beef, on sliced sourdough: Mustard, horseradish mayo, pepper jack cheese, pepperoncini, red onion, light amount of arugula.
• Dry salami, on sourdough roll: Mustard, easy on mayo, cheddar cheese, pepperoncini, red onion, dill pickle slices.
• Thick bacon, bibb lettuce, and tomato (garden picked only): White bread toasted on one side of bread only, mayo on soft side of bread, salt and pepper the tomato.
• Pulled pork, on kaiser roll: gently sauced with a spicy KC style BBQ sauce, with mayo based coleslaw added onto of the pork.
• French dip: Beef slowly braised in rich beef and onion stock – then fork shredded. Dutch crunch roll, slathered with mayo on each side, few grinds of black pepper, several slices of avocado, and sweet white onion. Served with the cooking broth.
• Tuna fish on homemade wheat bread: Light on the mayo, plenty of pepper, finely diced red onion, and either capers or dill relish.
• The very humble egg salad sandwich: White bread, not much mayo, touch of grain mustard, salt and pepper, capers, celery seed, and finally diced sweet onion.
• The Rubin: More fond of it on sliced sourdough but will take it on rye. Corned beef (can not be dry), drained sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. Lightly toasted.
• The Cuban (sorry if I do not know correct name): Cuban bread, mojo marinated slow roasted pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and yellow mustard. Then pressed and toasted.
• The muffuletta: Muffuletta loaf, homemade olive spread that must have cauliflower, celery, and carrots in it, capicola, salami, mortadella, Swiss cheese, and provolone cheese. – This sandwich must rest for awhile before it is allowed in my top 10.

Feel free to agree with me, pull out your voodoo kit and punish me, or try and change my mind. Yes I am aware I left off many peoples favorites. I listed no hamburgers, primarily because I do not classify them as sandwiches. I did snub the cheese steak as well as the meat ball. I also admit that I was mighty torn leaving off one of the all time great legendary status sandwiches of all times, even in my realm – the leftovers Thanksgiving dinner sandwich. After heavy heart I left it off for the only reason being that it is a sandwich that only can really take place after a Thanksgiving dinner, and if you are like me the real reason for having one.