August 10, 2019

WEEKLY MENU 08.11.19

Just because it’s the dog days of summer doesn’t mean we don’t have to eat!

Weekly menu 08.11.19 falls smack at the end of the “Dog Days of Summer”. That phrase always evokes heavily breathing dogs, laying in the shade trying to cool down, but it actually has an astronomical basis:

The dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius, which Greek and Roman astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Wikipedia

Weirdly, the period is much earlier than when we typically experience the hottest weather in Erieland:

The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days: the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius.
Old Farmer’s Almanac

As a complete aside, why would you brand an internet radio station as “Sirius”? It’s not really connected to anything, um… good. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and it figures very prominently in Greek and Egyptian history.

Weekly Menu 08.11.19 falls at the very end of the “Dog Days of Summer” and we’ve planned accordingly. We’re either grilling or keeping the kitchen cool by copious use of the crock pot (affiliate links follow) the entire week.

Bert gets to make dinner more than me!

Thank god for Bert and his awesome prowess on the grill. Growing up we were more likely to cringe than smile when we heard we were going to be grilling. Of course, DOLD used a little (so little) hibachi grill and was more likely to serve up burgers that looked like little briquettes.

Taco Tuesday is going shredded pork on the Weekly Menu 08.11.19. We’ll pop a big pork shoulder into the crock pot, add a little lemon lime soda and some chipotle in adobo and let it cook all day. After shredding, I’ll sprinkle on a little cumin and broil it for a few minutes to crisp up some of end pieces. Everyone will make their own tacos with the pork, shredded colby-jack, lettuce, red onions and a little chipotle crema. Yum.

On Friday, we’ll use the other half of the pork shoulder (I love how economical this piece of meat is!) to make shredded pork “Cowboy” sandwiches. We’ll top with BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese and onion rings. The only “cooking” we’ll do is to heat up the frozen onion rings and microwave the pork. Again: yum.