Troy Davis to be executed after parole board denies clemency.

A Georgia parole board has denied clemency to Troy Davis, the death-row inmate whose case attracted international attention amid what supporters say are significant doubts over his guilt. With the failure of Davis' last-ditch appeal, announced Tuesday morning, he appears all but certain to be executed by lethal injection Wednesday at 7 p.m.

"He's guilty," Joan MacPhail-Harris, the widow of the Savannah cop who Davis was convicted of killing, told reporters Monday before the board announced its decision. "We need to go ahead and execute him."

Davis, 41, was convicted of the 1989 murder of Mark Allen MacPhail, an off-duty Savannah, Ga. police officer. MacPhail, who was running to the aid of a homeless man being pistol-whipped, was shot three times in a Burger King parking lot before he could draw his weapon.

Spare me the sob story, he got what he deserved.

Isn't it cool to have a president who loves basketball so much that he lets everything else go to hell?
Are you ready for this?

So at a whim he takes Air Force One, at a cost of roughly $180,000 per hour to operate and costs us taxpayers at least $365,000, not including the staff costs and other expenses to take David Cameron to a college basketball game in Ohio. So, at an expense of who knows how many millions, he takes his little buddy to the game. What an immature little child he is.
But think of it this way, the more we can keep him away from the White House the better it is for all of us.

Fire Up Air Force One, Big Mama is going on vacation! Again!

And yes, you guessed it.  She's bringing along her usual crew and staff, and escort planes, and friends, and  Hollywood/TV  idiots, yes, the  whole kit and caboodle.

Hawaii is a perfect place to go to and to get away from both the cold weather and the pests that call themselves  newspaper reporters who what to know why the president has been such a failure this past week, month, year!  So take the kiddies and run, run to all those beautiful beaches and have lot's of fun on the taxpayers dollars once again. That's what hard working  taxpayers were  invented for.

Eggs Benedict The Perfect Valentines Day Breakfast

About twice a year I get the urge make Eggs Benedict. Anymore often than that and I'd have a heart attack. And weight about 300 pounds.
This isn’t really to hard to make but takes a little work.

1. First thing is to toast your bread and cut in cubes about 1/2’ pieces. Also prep your avocado, and set to the side.
2. Secondly, saute the pancetta in a small non stick skillet, after a couple of minutes and the shallot and cook until soft and the pancetta is slightly crispy. Should only take a few minutes. Set to the side.
3. Now the sauce. In a small sauce pan melt the butter then add the flour to make a roux. Cook a minute and then add the milk. Bring up to medium heat to thicken the sauce. (This is a basic white sauce) Then add the wine and cook until warm, add some salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and keep covered. Right before you serve the sauce add the lemon and dill and stir.
4. Now the eggs as the sauce cooks. I like to make mine in a large 2 or 3’ deep fry pan. Fill with approximately 2” of water and add the vinegar and some salt and bring to a medium heat … almost boiling. Slowly drop in one egg at a time. The vinegar will keep the eggs together. PUT THE LID on, turn off the heat and let simmer 3 minutes. Perfect every time!
5. Now to put the glasses together. Fill each brandy glass or wine glass with 1 slice of the bread cubes, top with a spoon of the pancetta and onion mix, then top with a spoon of the avocado. Top with a poached egg and then drizzle with 1/4 cup of the white wine and lemon dill sauce.
6. This is a perfect morning breakfast. Remember the sauce except for the lemon and dill could be made ahead. Also the pancetta and onion mix as well and just heated up in the microwave. So don’t panic, it is absolutely great.
7. Tradition says that Benedict is served with an English muffin, Canadian bacon and a poached egg

I wonder who was the first person that thought that the white thing that came from a hen's butt was eatable?

Dumplings at the Grand Szechuan, New York City

I went here on the advice of New York foodie and TV Food critic Ed Levine, because I find I agree with the majority of his reviews. This place is a definite find. In Midtown too, the so called foodie graveyard of Manhattan. This is the kind of food that will linger in your brain for days after eating it. The incredibly silky tofu comes with a smokey, fiery pepper sauce with ground pork, the perfect dish to spoon on rice. The wok fried chicken with almonds and green onion was like a dish of the most incredible fried chicken you can imagine cut into bite sized pieces wok tossed with chili peppers and sliced almonds and green onion. Sounds simple enough but this is not your father's Chinese food.
I can't wait to go back. I'm addicted to spicy foods, and this place is like heaven. I'm glad to finally have somewhere like this nearby (rather than having to travel all the way to Flushing and back for Spicy Tasty or Little Pepper). My meal: Ox Tripe and Tongue (spectacular! amazing spice, mouth-numbing, everything was so crisp and fresh), Dan Dan Noodles (not the best I've had, of this standard szechuan staple.. i wanted a little tartness or tang, but it was still really good), Scallion Pancake (SO good, surprisingly. it was light and flaky, delicious. Not at all, thankfully, the typical soggy dense greasy version), Braised Lamb Fillets with Napa Cabbage and Roasted Chili (amazingly spicy! the lamb was extremely tender. all the different little vegetables were all cooked perfectly. the only negative thing i could say is perhaps it could use a little less salt)... I keep looking over the menu, planning my next visit (Spicy Sesame Noodles, Beef Tendon, Chef's Ma Paul Tofu, Double Cooked Sliced Pork Belly...) The restaurant decor is nothing special, kind of standard, it could be Cleveland in 1980, but nothing is dirty or tacky. The service was as helpful as they could possibly be. There was a cute moment where the server asked if he could take my plate and I sort of went yeah but no but yeah it's so hard to say goodbye!, we both laughed. The clientele was varied -- a Hispanic couple who ordered safe dishes and pushed things around, not eating much. a Jewish couple with sleeping infant who ordered safe (and a lot!) but loved every bite. a few Chinese couples who were really enjoying themselves, and me... At one point the Chinese couple next to me complimented me, saying I really knew how to order the good stuff (aka I eat like them), and it's surprising how i could handle the extreme spice (which was too hot even for them).

Merry Christmas The Drinks Are On Me

Drink Up My Friends, the drinks are on me! Ho, Ho, Ho...

The holidays are a great excuse to drink up and be jolly.
As a vodka aficionado I am always searching for the most enjoyable vodka that I could find. And I am proud to say Titos vodka has become one of my former favorites. Of course Kettle One is still my Numero Uno.
I mostly drink Vodka in straight on the rocks or in martini's where I usually use Ketel One. Tito's has a very distinct flavor to it which I really like in my Martini's. And by the way, it's made right here in the USA.... in Austin at Texas.
Give it a try.

Tequila Shrimp Quesadillas

This is a real cool dish..
Crispy tortillas, melty cheese, and boozy shrimp makes one stellar quesadilla. Serve with Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, crema fresca, and a cold beer for the ultimate snack.
What to buy: Asadero is a mild Mexican cheese that melts well. If you can’t find it, try substituting mozzarella or Monterey Jack.
Crème fraîche and crema are types of naturally thickened fresh cream (the French and Mexican versions, respectively) with a tangy flavor and rich texture. If you can’t find either, plain old sour cream is a decent substitute, but you may need to thin it with a little water so it’s easier to drizzle.
Game plan: For a slacker solution, leave out the shrimp, add a little more asadero, and make it a cheese quesadilla.
INGREDIENTS
9 ounces grated asadero cheese (about 4 cups)
8 (10-inch) flour tortillas

1 Bottle of Tequila
INSTRUCTIONS
Scatter 1/2 cup cheese evenly over 1 tortilla. Using a slotted spoon, remove 1/4 of Tequila Shrimp from sauce, arrange on tortilla, and drizzle with shrimp sauce to your liking. Scatter with another 1/2 cup cheese, and top with second tortilla. Repeat to make 4 quesadillas.
Heat a seasoned cast iron skillet or a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 quesadilla and cook until cheese melts and tortilla gets a few golden brown spots, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip them and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until tortilla has a few golden brown spots. Repeat for remaining quesadillas. Slice into quarters and serve.

Restaurant Buddakan, New York City

This restaurant ( Buddakan)
75 9th Ave New York, NY
has  amazing atmosphere, it sings to you "try this, try that" you just don't know what to order everything is so great. The main dining room is downstairs but it's wide open and visable from the top two stories up with huge chandeliers hanging overhead and wax-caked candlesticks on the tabletops. The side area in which we ate has pictures of Buddha heads randomly lit on the walls, and a dark environment that gives a sense of privacy. Then ther are the candle lit steps leading down the staircase that descends into a main room with a 35-foot ceiling and a long communal table. I think it sounds fancier than it is. It's really cool.
Our server was very good and well informed about the food on the menu as all the servers are here. He made some excellent suggestions as to the daily special. The food is served family style, which was a great way to get tastes of several different dishes. That's the way Chinese people eat anyway. .You just can't go wrong here with that legendary chef Jean Georges, this guy has never make a bad dish in his life.
We started with a few appetizers, including the General Tso’s Dumpling, which was stuffed with chicken, ginger and garlic, which were served right from the steamer basket. I found the Crispy Calamari Salad with green apples, cashews, and a miso vinaigrette also to be very good. I was the only one that ordered the frog legs, everyone else wimped out. The steamed sea bass roll with cabbage, ginger, sizzling scallion oil was good, tender and buttery.
We tried three main courses, and my favorite was the rich and flavorful Sizzling Short Rib with mushroom chowfun (noodles), and Asian pear. The meat was tender and not at all fatty, the pear was refreshing, and the mushrooms and noodles were a great compliment. Next the list was the Glazed Alaskan black cod with chili eggplant, black bean relish. The fish was light and flaky and the black bean relish was a nice flavor to go with it. The last dish served was a seared pork tenderloin with wild mushrooms, lotus scented rice, Chinese bacon. The rice was wonderful, and full of all kinds of goodies. We also ordered a side of charred asparagus that was amazing and had a great flavor with a "black bean foam." Capping off the meal was a great cup of cappuccino and a Tempura Apple Fritter ,essentially fried apple rings with Saigon cinnamon anglaise (a white, creamy sauce) and salt and pepper caramel. And we didn't forget the Lychee Martini's.. Trust me.

Another great time and a great meal at Buddakan