herwig's

Do you like pork products, or simply pigs in general? Are you a glutton for verbal (and, in some instances, physical) punishment? Most importantly, do you have a sense of humor and a hunger for fine, filling, and flatulent food?


If so, this place is for you.

I made my way down to State College, PA, over Labor Day weekend to spend some quality time with my family. My brother, who's currently living there, has stumbled upon quite the unique and extraordinary restaurant--it’s called Herwig’s, and it’s magnificent. The cuisine is all Austrian, all the time, and although I can’t speak from personal experience, it’s all authentic too.

Aside from the delectable dishes, which I’ll describe momentarily, one of the draws of this place is its utter disregard for manners and niceties. The servers and cooks aren’t afraid to bully the patrons, and do so with wild abandon. They’ll even pelt you with plush pig toys when you're not looking.

It’s all in fun, though, and it all is fun. Particurlarly enjoyable is the eating portion of the experience. The options are handwritten on a chalkboard in German, and there's no pointing and ordering--they make you say what you want, no matter how badly you butcher the pronunciation.

Here’s what my party of four ordered:

Hax’n—a whole pig’s leg, sauerkraut, and knodel, expertly-consumed by my brother:

For the record, he only allowed me enough time to take two pictures, which was kind of him but explains why you don't see the porker's limb in all its glory. The sauerkraut is a favorite for him, but he's learned that there are limits to what his system can handle...

Bratwurstplatte—two brats, potater salad, and sauerkraut, handled nicely by Merlin:

His only disappointment? The place is BYOB, and he had none.

Rosmarin Schweinsbraten—rosemary roast pork, sauerkraut, and potato salad, which completely conquered Mamster, who had to shamefully ask for a box:


Mariniertes Huhn—grilled chicken breast, tater salad, and a green salad, which I’m proud to say fit nicely into my belly:

The seasoning of the chicken was wonderful, and the pat of herbed butter on top certainly didn't hurt. I really enjoyed the potato salad--it was mostly smooth with an occasional hunk of soft tuber, with hints of mustard shining through.

We were all pleased, and aside from Mammy’s shameful display, we were all members of the Clean Plate Club. Herwig's is good eats.

Other highlights of my trip to State College included burgers, all cheesed up and straight from the grill...


...and grilled corn--can the rods of golden kernels get any better? I vote no.


I also scored a bounty of tomatoes, potaters, and squash, canned green beans, salsa, and dilly beans, jams, jellies, apple butter, applesauce, and a good dose of lovin'. Even though I've been living 700 miles away for about two years, my Mamster still takes good care of me.

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my latest acquisitions

Meet Zappa:


Meet Bella:


I've been contemplating getting a cat for awhile now, and sucker that I am, I walked away from the Adoption Center at PetSmart with two. I just couldn't help myself.

Can you guess why I'm calling him Zappa?


So it's a little bit of a stretch. Whatever, I like it.

He's a frisky little fella who plays hard and sleeps hard. He purrs when he eats, prefers to play with a plastic bag or Bella's tail rather than the silly toys I got, and of all the soft spots around my apartment, he chooses to sleep amongst the wires. I guess he likes the simple things in life.


Bella is all kinds of special; for one thing, she's polydactyl. She has an extra digit on each paw, and it makes her look like she's wearing little mittens--sooo cute.


Mutant paw! You could almost say she has MAN HANDS!

She sleeps in my lap, nestles in my hair, and pretty much won't leave me alone, but that's okay because Zappa ignores me completely.


She seems to be more of a ham for the camera too.

For the record, if she had been male, I would've had to call her something from one of the best movies ever. Not Count Rugen--he was evil--but perhaps Inigo. Or Fezzik.

I promise not to inundate you with kitty pictures, but I had to share. I'm a proud mama. :)

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a slab of buttered cornbread a day...

...makes one healthy, wealthy, and wise.


Or am I getting my adages mixed up?

I may have mentioned before that my grandpa has eaten a piece of cornbread with his lunch every single day for as long as I've known him. Sometimes he even has some for supper too. Needless to say, it's something my grandma can make with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back whilst adamantly quizzing me about any men in my life.

This isn't your fluffy, cake-like, sweet, Yankee-fied (no offense intended) version. Rather, it's classically Southern, with a crispy, crunchy, crusty exterior and crumbly, coarse, super butter-absorbent interior, perfect for sopping up whatever meat or bean or vegetable juices might be pooling up on one's plate.


There are two requirements for Grandma's recipe: a cast-iron skillet and shortening. It's just not the same without those components.

As I mentioned above, sometimes my grandpa has a second piece of cornbread for supper. He doesn't slather this one with butter, though, oh no. This one he crumbles into a glass of cold milk. Have you tried this? Grandma calls it "cornbread milk"--pretty aptly-named, am I right? I must say, it's pretty amazing. Be sure to let the bread get soggy and flavor up the milk--you won't regret it.


I'm contributing this recipe to Laura from The Spiced Life for her wonderful event Grandma's Recipes, which spotlights recipes passed down to us from our grandmothers. Isn't that a great idea?


Any recipe we've been lucky enough to learn from these women is undoubtedly a keeper.

Frannie's Fine and Fabulous Cornbread
(I made a half-batch, which is why mine's so thin)
1/3 cup shortening
2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1 egg, slightly beaten
scant 2 cups milk

Spray an 8-inch cast-iron skillet with nonstick spray, toss in shortening, and place into an oven preheated to 450F.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, egg, and milk; mix until combined. Remove melted shortening from oven and pour into mixture; stir until blended. Pour batter into the skillet and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Turn out onto a plate, slice, serve, butter, and consume.

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dropping in on the little brother

The Mamboni and I currently live about 12 hours apart, so when my little brother chose to pursue his graduate degree at Penn State, he provided us with a lovely rendezvous point--his apartment.

(squash love)

Last weekend, I drove south and Mamalamadingdong drove north and we met in State College, PA. It was quality family time and there was good eating to be done. We had moist, homemade banana bread...


...and really smooth and creamy ice cream from Meyer Dairy:

(I had coconut chocolate chip...)

I came back with loads of peppers...


...and squash...

(in the midst of a lovers' spat, apparently...)

...as well as some homemade hot pepper jelly, apple cinnamon jelly (heck yeah!), and spicy salsa. Quite the haul, wouldn't you say?

Apparently, the little red peppers are unbearably hot (I haven't tried them out myself...), so does anyone have any suggestions for how I can use them? While you're at it, what should I do with this lovely butternut squash puree?


I value your input. Really.

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a wonderful weekend and some love for the gracemeister

Where to begin? How about with this burger:


It was one of the many terrific aspects of my holiday weekend.

Other noteworthy eats include Mambino's ambrosia salad...


...grilled hot dogs...


...baked ham and pasta salad...


...wedding cake (from a truly fantastic affair--congrats, Sarah & Aaron!)...


...and of course, the desserts about which I've been fretting for a few months now:


This picture is all you'll be seeing of the end results. I planned the ingredients superbly, but the timing and logistics were another issue altogether. By the time I made it to the reception, it was a race to get the desserts to the table before everyone was already through the line. I was quite frazzled, and believe it or not, take pictures for blog wasn't at the forefront of my mind. You'll just have to take my word for their beauty and decadence. :)

Yes, I'm happy and very relieved to report that although there aren't any more pictures, the desserts (sugar-free banana pudding, peanut butter brownie bites, mint oreo truffles, and miniature turtle cheesecakes) were a hit.

Note to self: For future catering events, hire help.
(That's not to say I didn't have any help. I would've lost my sanity without the Mamboni, my sister-in-law, my grandmothers, and my future cousin-in-law.)

Other happy news--I've received three award-type recognitions. Val of More Than Burnt Toast has given me a bear hug. No, not just any bear hug--a giant bear hug:


I'm sure most of you are familiar with Val's blog, but if you're not, you're sorely missing out on some delicious recipes and extremely artistic photography. Go visit!

Nancy of A Recipe A Day has given me the Arte Y Pico award. She and I have sort of swapped places--I live in her hometown, while she now lives in my home state. She has some amazing entries on her blog, so if you like good food, go check it out!

Finally, Leslie of The Hungry Housewife has passed on her first award to me:


Leslie is quickly becoming a super-blogger, keeping her site chock-full of good eats and entertaining entries. Don't take my word for it--go look for yourself.

Thank you, ladies!

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i wanna go home...

(See--even Michael Buble gets homesick.)

I'm easing back into the swing of things after a quick trip home for my cousin's wedding. I know you were worried.

(Bet you can't guess what's on this plate. I'll give you a hint--it's edible and muy delicioso.)

The wedding was incredible, I'm so glad you asked! Lovely ceremony, lots of dancing, AMAZING food, and oodles of friendly people.

(This wedding is not to be confused with the wedding for which I'm preparing the desserts--that one's in July.)

The gorgeous cake:

(Please disregard the unsightly background decor...)

Being at home was very refreshing (except for the oppressive heat)--I guess I didn't realize just how homesick I'd been.

To me, home = good food. For example, even on this short trip I managed to finagle a burger from the grill (stuffed with pepper jack cheese, I promise!):


Before dropping me off at the airport, the Mambino and I had lunch at a snazzy Mexican restaurant in Roanoke--Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy.

First and foremost, their chips and salsa are incredible. The chips are the most delicate, crispy chips I've ever had, and the salsa is wonderful. They serve a little cup of extra hot sauce as well, and to my slightly-numb taste buds, it was just right.

Mammajamma had fajita tacos, served on a massive plate with pico de gallo, rice, beans, guacamole, and sour cream. She proclaimed it the best fajita dish she'd had at a Mexican restaurant.


I got two enchiladas (also with refried beans and rice)--one was filled with avocado cream (swooooon) and topped with ranchera sauce and the other was stuffed with spicy chicken and topped with green chile sauce.


Plates of Mexican food are not the most neat and tidy, but there's no denying the mouth-watering that occurs upon viewing them...at least in my case.

So, I've returned to NY. More specifically, I've returned to an apartment so unbelievably hot and stuffy, the paint was practically peeling off of the walls. I will say that this heat is nothing compared to what it was in good ol' Virginee, so I guess that's at least one point in favor of NY.

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beaver mode

When I eat an ear of corn, I eat an ear of corn. I don't mess around.


I go into beaver mode and chisel away at the thing row by row until every kernel is gone. Yes, this often results in corn mush all over my face, but it's worth it.

(gnaw-some corn holders, eh?)(yeah, I said gnaw-some)(insert groan here)

My grandfather and little brother share this slightly obsessive trait with me. My grandpa grows all kinds of corn in his garden, and I'm bummed that I'll be missing out on it this year. Boy, I've been spoiled by that man's garden.

And speaking of Little Bro, I'm thrilled to report that he'll be making a move to Pennsylvania soon and starting a doctorate program at Penn State. Yes, he'll be making the switch from Hokie to Nittany Lion, whatever that is.

Sidenote: I went from Maroon to Hokie. What the heck is up with these vague mascots?

Anyway, LB'll be about six hours closer to me, so instead of being 700 miles away from my family, I'll have one member right down the road--only a measly 350 miles away. Hooray!

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there's no place like home

I hopped on a plane and went home for Easter weekend. I didn't realize just how much I missed those goobers also known as my family until two of them rolled up to the curb to pick me up from the airport.

I got in half an hour early, but that was okay--it gave me a chance to sit and bask in the sunshine WITHOUT A COAT. Oh, Virginia, how I've missed you and your mild weather.


It was lunchtime, so the three of us (Mammalicious, Lil Bro, and I) cruised over to TGI Friday's for some grub. As you probably know by now, I have a tendency to morph into Goldilocks when I eat out. Lil Bro says my expectations are too high, but he's a self-proclaimed "baby bear."

I've never been disappointed by TGI Friday's; I guess there's a reason you should never say never. My first inkling of a less-than-satisfactory meal came when Lil Bro received his side salad (if you can call it that). It was composed of about 10 pieces of lettuce, one crouton, a quarter-sized sprinkling of cheese, and two or three cherry tomatoes. It was just pathetic.

For my entree, I chose the California Club Sandwich (I guess I'm wishing I was still in CA...), which sounded great--avocado (yum!), turkey, ham, jack cheese, tomato, and lettuce on ciabatta, how could you go wrong? They managed. The amount of avocado on my sandwich cannot even been considered a dollop. Not a smear. Honestly, it looked like someone with a head cold had sneezed into their hand and wiped their palm on my bread. No thank you. The meat consisted of a very thin slice of ham and two very thin slices of turkey. The bread was stale. I was thoroughly disappointed. Mamster and Lil Bro were satisfied though, so maybe my standards are indeed too high.

Moving on.

We had our Easter meal on Saturday since my flight back to NY was mid-Sunday. All my grandparents came over to our house, and it was so terrific to see them. They dote on me. :)

We had wonderful food for every meal--Friday dinner was brown-sugar basted ham, sweet potato casserole (you know it!), fresh steamed broccoli, and sourdough wheat rolls with the help of Eb's ancestor (Mammicus refuses to name her starter).

Easter lunch was rotisserie turkey...


...my special baked beans...


...my grandma's green beans...


...fresh pineapple, so juicy and luscious...


...dressing...


...and Mammacita's favorite--scalloped potatoes:


It took a double team to carve up that beastie of a turkey:


Big Bro and his wife provided musical entertainment--she's extremely talented and he's becoming quite an adept guitar player. He's also a blossoming bread maker:


Mammy gave him a cup of starter (which he'd better suitably name) so he can make his very own sourdough back at his home in NC.

I had a great trip, and it was over all too soon. There really is no place like home.

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my cup runneth over

Meet Little Brother...


...incognito and masquerading as Jackie O.

Over the past few months, he's been applying to graduate programs. For a doctorate. In English. Can you say over-achiever?

[I'll go ahead and mention here that although I stuck it out and eventually earned my Master's degree, I was pretty much sick of school about two weeks into that first semester. Apparently the ambition gene skipped right over me and went straight to LB.]

He's already heard from three schools, and I'm just chock-full of big-sister pride because he's been accepted to two (as if there was ever any doubt). Perhaps Meatloaf said it best: "Two out of three ain't bad."


Congrats, LB! My cup runneth over!

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