VittlesVamp

Things Are Brewing For U.S. Troops' Super Bowl Celebration In Iraq

It won't necessarily help broker peace in the Middle East, but it looks like the troops in Iraq are going to be granted permission to imbibe a couple of beers while watching Super Bowl XLIII. Ordinarily, drinking brewskies in a military zone could be cause for a GI's reduction in rank and pay -- and even the possibility of court-martial. Instead, The Washington Post reports on a happy turnaround of this strict and sobering ruling:

Of all the missives the top U.S. military commander in Iraq has signed, probably none generated more cheer than the one issued this week authorizing all U.S. troops to drink beer.

Two catches: only two per person and only on Super Bowl night.

The waiver, issued Wednesday by Gen. Ray Odierno, marks the first time all American service members in Iraq will be allowed to break the ban on liquor in combat zones without risking being court-martialed.

"Feels good to be trusted!" rejoiced Spec. Justin Roark, 23, of Little Rock, who is stationed in Baghdad. "Keeping in touch with an American tradition."...

...Odierno asked commanders to "exercise discretion and good judgment in enforcing these guidelines and restrictions."

First Lt. James McGuire, 29, of Queens, who has been stationed in Mosul, in northern Iraq, for more than 11 months, said he has watched nearly every Super Bowl with his dad, throwing back beers.

"I'm Irish, sir," he said in a phone interview. "It'll be nice to have a beer and -- even if it's just for three hours -- feel like I'm back home."

Non-fans were just as delighted.

"I don't care about the Super Bowl," said 1st Lt. Scott Trout, 25, of Greenville, S.C. "I just want to kick back and relax and have a few beers."

Another Day, Another Samonella Scare

First it was tomatoes. Then it was jalapeno peppers. Today it's peanut butter.

Is it me, or is all of this food scare stuff getting a bit nutty?

Blago Burger Is Full Of Bologna

The embattled governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, can now add another political notch on his belt. Alongside an FBI investigation, probable impeachment and the front page stories that come with, NBC's Chicago affiliate reveals that Gov. Blagojevich can now proudly lay claim to spawning a namesake burger:

The gubernatorial-inspired monstrosity is made with a 10-ounce hamburger patty, thick sliced bologna and yellow mustard between two grilled cheese sandwiches (made with American cheese and wonder bread).

When the burger comes out, one of the sandwiches has a large dollar sign written in mustard.

The cost of this beast: $10, but the price is reportedly "negotiable."

The Chicago Tribune's article on the Blago Burger is also worth a look, if only for their impressive use of expletive symbols throughout.

Punch - Hold The Judy

After writing about it, I couldn't resist. I needed a gargantuan bowl of punch. I needed it now.

A group field trip to Death & Company was had. Luckily Phil was at the helm. A bowl of punch was ordered among friends. And then another. And then another.

And then no more, lest we end up on the floor.

I think that's why they call it "punch-drunk."

A Religious Experience In The East Village

I have found God. God lives in a sandwich. That sandwich is made at Porchetta on East 7th Street in the East Village.

I broke the news back in July that acclaimed Chef Sara Jenkins was gonna open an ode to Roman swine sandwiches. But since the shop opened its doors, I've been sorely remiss in paying call. It took a belated birthday dinner outing with Sir and Lady M to finally lead me to the tiny, white-tiled storefront.

Once there, all I could think about pork. Glorious pork. Pork loins smothered in a vibrant paste of wild fennel pollen, rosemary, garlic, thyme and sage, then jelly-rolled in fatty pork belly, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and slow-baked for five hours to create the most aromatic, tender, mouth-watering slices of moist meat known to man -- encased in a robe of caramel brown cracklings, crisp and addictive as sugar candy.

Piled high on a freshly baked roll, I chomped on one of the truest signs that there must be a higher power watching over me and mine.

Sir and Lady M most certainly agreed, as we greedily downed a garlicky plate of Sauteed Swiss Chard and crunchy, golden Roast Potatoes tossed with an assertive helping of brittle-like Porchetta burnt-ends.

The capper? Learning that Jenkins and company are already looking at spaces for a second location.

If God is good, it will be in my 'hood.

Punch It Up

The Los Angeles Times takes a look at a growing cocktailian trend -- massive bowls of traditional mixed drink punches, designed for sharing. It's all part of the classic mixology movement that has taken hold here in New York at spots like Clover Club, Death & Company and even my local hang Jack the Horse Tavern:

It seems natural that the revival of classic cocktails that has returned pre-Prohibition drinks and a drinking culture to stardom would shore up punch, which predates the cocktail but fell out of favor in the 19th century. "For nearly 200 years, from the 1670s to the 1850s, the Kingdom of Mixed Drinks was ruled by the Bowl of Punch," writes cocktail historian David Wondrich in his book "Imbibe!" The title of his next book says it all, or a lot, anyway: "Punches, or the Delights and Dangers of the Flowing Bowl" (to be published in 2010).

Its delights are apparent, and maybe its dangers are too -- punch can be potent stuff. "The famous punch parties of the 18th century were knock-down, drag-out affairs," Wondrich says, when men with "extraordinarily bad habits" made fantastic punches.

No surprise, The Vamp already hosted a FEW parties that featured a mammoth bowl of powerful punch -- and it looks like my bartender bud Max will be whipping up another wickedly potent punch for an upcoming fête as well.

Gosh, aren't I a fabulously retro-trendy lush?!?

New Year's Prosperity - Now With Blueberries!

Considering all of the news as of late, seemed like 2009 could use all the help it could get from the get-go.

So, I went through my recipe file and decided to riff on a classic Southern treat that is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity through the New Year -- Cornbread. I chose to omit the other traditional New Year's fare of Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens, and instead add some juicy, sweet blueberries into the mix.

Don't know if blueberries can bring me fortune in the year to come, but apparently they do promote anti-aging benefits. And heaven knows that blueberries are a much tastier addition to cornbread than Oil of Olay.

New Year's Day Blueberry Cornbread

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted margarine or corn oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and dust with corn meal -- not necessary, if using a non-stick or silicone pan. Mix all the dry ingredients - flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt -- in large bowl. Mix eggs, melted margarine/oil and milk in small bowl. Add egg mixture and corn to dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Pour 1/3 batter into pan. Add half of the blueberries, pushing into batter. Pour 1/3 batter and add rest of blueberries as before, topping with the rest of the batter accordingly. Bake for 1 hour.