Thursday, July 27, 2017

Lake Carlyle and channel cats with Tom

Monday July 24. Tom drove me out to Lake Carlyle to fish for channel catfish. It was a blast. I love fishing. Beautiful day too.

We caught 7. They are fighters.

Tom's wife Martha and 9 year old son Alex were there.

Looks like poop, vaguely resembles miso paste. Made with ground fish and sugar, fermented no doubt. This is common bait around these parts. (pretty damn shitty if you ask me. Lol) I have literally never seen this before. You wipe it onto a silicone lure that has grooves to hold the poo....


Wedge the rods in the rocks. We had 6 out at once. Just sit back in the shade on your chair, and listen for the bell. Then it's just a matter of setting the hook and reeling it in. The cats were 1 to 2+ pounds each.


Tom cleaned the fish at the lake.

I filleted them in his kitchen.

Mix up 1 egg to 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, dip the fish in that. Crush pork rinds to bread crumbs size. Add salt, black pepper, and a bit of ground cayenne. Roll the dipped fish in that.

Deep fry in shimmering hot slightly smoking pork lard. (Beef tallow works as well). Fry until meat is no longer translucent. (You'll need to set it on paper toweling and check the center.)
You can normally tell it's done no matter the thickness because the fish becomes firm and the breading begins to brown.

I also breaded and deep fried some dill pickle chips for Tom. His favorite. And made homemade tartar sauce for him. He was a happy man.
His four boys inhaled the fish in seconds. Seriously
I looked up and it was GONE.
Donnie, Charlie, Brandon and Alex. Aged 21 to 9. (Approximately. Lol.) Alex turns 10 next week.
Such wonderful boys. They all complimented my cooking.


Tom Seest's Nirvana in Edwardsville Illinois

I arrive at my friend Tom Seest's home, Edwardsville Illinois on Sunday night July 23. It was late. I literally had nothing left. After a 95 degree 107 heat index day and hundreds of miles all over southern Missouri with Mike, I was worn out. Swinging my leg off the bike over those panniers took effort. Tom had ribeyes thawed out and waiting for me, and had waited to eat himself so he could join me. It was after 9 pm.

He's an angel.

I broiled mine rare, along with 3 more in the package. His family didn't hesitate to eat them up. Tom simmered brats in lots of butter. Yum.
After a shower I retired to the guest house, Tom's RV in the driveway. Hooked up to electricity and water with air conditioning and a working toilet, it was like my own private cabin for the next 3 nights. 2 pints of grassfed single ingredient cream in the fridge. The best. Special for me.
I felt like royalty. Again.

Ozark area secret places

Cold spring fed creeks and rivers, fantastic chili rellanos and fajitas in a tiny town, bikes in the field, my good friend Mike.
 He's the best of Missouri men.





Dusty boots, dirty bikes, Eminence campground





Eminence Missouri, Jack's Fork river campground. This morning Richard's family fed me and his brother Mike sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, and strawberries. Awesomeness. I don't normally eat breakfast, but these bike trips are making me hungry at uncommon times. I'm rolling with it. Embrace and enjoy the good food!


Kindness of strangers

The guys at an Ace Hardware had me park on their front sidewalk while we searched for a tiny Allen wrench. Everyone is always so super accommodating and helpful! Everywhere I go I have been treated special, and I'm eating it up. I love people. 99.9% of them are good.

Ketones, collarbones and cream

Rocking the ketones on these bike trips, my collarbone makes its first prominent appearance in many many years, all of this accomplished with high fat foods such as heavy cream. This is a Starbucks cold press, no water no classic syrup, with a half cup added heavy cream.

My body is lovin' it.