JB again . . . because I screwed up

Ok so last week I posted about JB.

But I added the wrong video (but still a good one). It was supposed to be one
on Cajun Misconceptions, but I put in his sauce and rub video.

So here is the Cajun Cooking Misconception instead. I'm fixing the other entry as we speak.

I wasn't paying attention. Boy.










Cajun Foods - highlights from the video

• "A lot of people have a misconception that Cajun foods are so spicy and fiery hot, that it might kill a lot of people. That ain't the case."
• "Cajun food is . . . spicy seasoning wise, not heat wise."
• "Spicy, that's spices, well that's seasonings, that that make the dish, you know plus salt. And we put a little heat in, but not a whole lot. But its got so much flavour.
• "Cajun laxative" - free crawfish/shrimp/crab boils ("go getchyou some of dat, they done tighten that up") and made too salty and too hot which "to where it make a genuine Cajun forehead sweat, and it'llile kill a damn Yankee." They will make their money in drinks. This is not how it normally served.
• If you go into a Cajun restaurant not in Louisiana, ask if someone in the kitchen is from Louisiana, and if no, then leave. "It ain't gonna be authentic."
• Lots of recipes and companies advertise Cajun food/recipe. "It's the furtherest god damn thing from real Cajun food I ever seen in my damn life, I'll be laughin. And and it's really sad, because they they they foolin people into 'oh authentic Cajun jambalaya from Illinois, NO BOY, that ain't Cajun."

DANIEL O'CONNELL's IRISH PUB ~ Ottawa

Boy was it hot out! After days of rain and cloud, it was nice to have some blue skies. But I hate the heat. Hate it. Give me an icy cold day any day. On foot and pounding the pavement to run some errands, I was sweltering, and at lunch I decided to stop in somewhere for a cold drink and hopefully some air conditioning.

I was walking along Wellington in Westboro where I passed a local pub that I've gone by many times but never stopped in. So I went in. While there was a big patio, there wasn't much shade, and it was pretty busy. Plus I wanted to sit in and hopefully enjoy some air conditioning. I took a seat in the front window, and then it hit me: nothing was hitting me. There was no A/C. Dang.








The 'dinning' room is really small: maybe six tables and the bar. There is a big patio, and Daniel O'Connell's is connected to Fil's Diner next door (which is also owned by the next door bowling alley). The 3 share a kitchen. There apparently was an actual Daniel O'Connell, his picture was behind my seat, with a label saying the young man died a few years ago. The pub is well known for its live music performing frequently in the evenings.

The atmosphere was pretty chill. Classic rock and roll on the radio, people on the patio, and regulars coming in to the bar. My waitress, April, friendly and busy being the only waitress on duty, knew what beer one guy ordered before he even said anything. She and the manager were laughing at a patron's T-shirt, "I Love Lamp", trying to remember what movie it was quoting. They thought it was Superbad, but I admitted to her I was eavesdropping and that it was from Anchorman.



While of course I was getting wings, I also ordered a side of garlic bread. I went sans cheese, and when it came out with my meal I was kind of glad I went au natural.

They were the domed tops of buns, and while this might sound ghetto, it really was good. The bun was toasted perfectly, and the garlic and butter on it soaked in just right.

I had debated about getting onion rings or garlic bread, but the latter won out for the fact I could dip it or use it to soak up my wing sauces. But, this plan was not so successful.

There are only four sauces to choose from, so it wasn't hard for me to pick. Hot. And I went with a one pound order. They came out plated in a circle (what a nice touch) around the sour cream. Yes, sour cream again. Only in Ottawa would people eat a flavour filled dish with the most blah condiment ever.

I digress. The wings were deep fried naked, then tossed in the sauce. They were not super crispy, in fact any less deep fried and they would have no crisp at all. A close call for sure.

The wings are about a medium sized piece. They were relatively meaty for their size. This was my second disappointment with the wings. But they did taste fresh.

My other disappointment was with the heat in hot. There was none. No bite, nothing. Maybe I got the wrong order, but I doubt it. It tasted like Frank's hot sauce, but there wasn't enough sauce to my liking. Next time I would definitely order extra sauce on the side or really saucy wings.

I also enquired to April about their wing nights on Tuesday. $0.45 a wing she said, but you order in a starting increment of 10. She said it was also Mondays as well. I asked if it was just like after 5 or something and she said, and I'm paraphrasing here 'no it's all day. Originally it was after 5pm, but were relaxed like that. Same with breakfast, we're only supposed to serve it on weekends, but whatever. You come in you'll get your wings". Sweet. More proof of the chill atmosphere. [EDIT - I have been informed that their wing night is now only Tuesdays, after 4pm, with an alcohol purchase. So much for chill atmosphere].

FINAL SCORE: Well, the wings were not amazing. But they weren't bad. Not a great endorsement but my socks weren't knocked off. I suggest bigger, crispier and hotter wings. The food is decent, and April was a great waitress. Would I come back? I would, but probably only for a Monday or Tuesday. 4.5/10

Daniel O'Connell's Irish Pub

1209 Wellington Street West, Ottawa On

filsdiner.ca/danieloconnell

"HEY BOY!" - It's JB on Youtube

Over at the BBQ blog Diva Q, she posted a Youtube video from a guy calling himself "JB". And I couldn't stop watching this guy:







Here's the quick 411:

• JB is from Baton Rouge Louisiana (love that Cajun accent).
• JB loves to BBQ, and he's a purist. No nonsense.
• JB refers to drinking his soda pop. He means beer.
• JB gets angry - watch out!

And really that's all you need to know. Some might label him 'white trash', some might say he's stuck in his ways. I see him as a man who loves his food; A man who has persevered in food to come to his conclusions. JB gets down to business. And JB has his catch phrase: "HEY BOY!"

I've selected 2 videos to highlight. One on his BBQ Rules, and one on Cajun Food Misconceptions, and much more.

The Tao of JB BBQ
BBQ Rules Summarized:

1. Never boil any meat you can BBQ, Grill or Smoke - "you wouldn't boil bacon, would'you?"


2. Never use the "O" word, Oven, in the same sentence as smokin' food. The oven is mainly for "cookies, brownies, cakes, baking bread, stuff like that". Basically, don't cook meat in oven and call it BBQ.


3. A Broiler and an Oven is about the same thing as a gas grill. It's not flame broiled . . . don't add no flavour: "Don't use no hickory smoke, liquid smoke. That's another big no no, never ever, man, don't even buy that garbage. I don't even know why they sell that fo' "


4. Another No-No is match-light/instant light/charcoal lighter fluid or other similar "crap", that's "for starting a pile of leaves on fire or burning trash in your yard . . . you don't want the fumes in your food."


5. The way to light your charcoal is a charcoal chimney.


6. When using a remote thermometer, don't put it in a fat pocket or near the bone


7. Thermometer at the top of the dome is 'bogus', it's 'false, wrong, fail'. Keep at the grate level.


8. Put a nice dry rub on your meat, except a steak or a burger (he's a purist, he 'graduated from that school').


9. Never mash down on a burger or a steak - your mashing all the juices out. Let them rest.


10. Never sauce your meat until the last 20-30 minutes of smoking. Otherwise sugar will burn. Dry mustard lets it stick, not add flavour.


11. Cook smoked foods (butt, briskets etc) to about 195/200 degrees internal.


12. Don't keep putting in wood so that it smokes like a 'choo choo train'


13. Never use green wood (wet). It doesn't want to burn and needs to be aged a year.


14. Theoretically, meat only accepts smoke flavour until the meat is at 140 degrees externally, creating a smoke ring. Take it right out of the 'ice box', don't let it sit on the counter.


15. JB's been doing this "A loooooooong damn time"


16. Use your gas grill to clean your smoker grills. Put it up as high as it can go, the wire brush them down after 30 mins.


17. "Don't be opening yo smoker to peek inside of it, every time you do you lose heat, you lose smoke, and ya add about 30 mins to your cookin' time." Use a thermometer. "No peeky-seeky BOY."

Oh wise BBQ & Cajun sage. You never know what he's going to come out with next. But he's genuine, and when it comes down to it, he's right. BOY!

JB on Youtube

Guy in Chicken Suit Flaps it Up

Oh yes, there is a Dancing Chicken Guy.

Read Article: ‘In this job, If you goof off, they like it'

WK ED: I just want to eat at Randy's Chicken Coop.

Toss It Up ~ Ottawa ON

Back in March, Linda Price (owner @ PJ Quigley's) invited me to come over and test their newest endeavour, a healthy take-away in the heart of downtown Ottawa, Toss It Up. Well, its June and I finally got a chance to sneak in for lunch.



The concept of this restaurant leaves behind the wings and fries of the pub, and looks to provide wraps and salads made fresh and quick to the immediate area. Order in advance by phone or Internet, or just drop in and soon your having a homemade lunch for about the price of fast food.






Located on Sparks street, a totally pedestrian outdoor 'mall', Toss It Up features take out, indoor seating, and a patio now that the weather is getting better. The place was busy, but the queue moved very quickly - clearly a popular spot.





Here is the concept: you enter the front door and grab a mini clip-board and a pencil and fill out your order in 1 to 4 Easy steps:

1. Choose either a Salad, a Wrap, or a combo. If you choose a Signature Wrap or Salad your done here (unless you want to add or make substitutions). If you are custom building, proceed to Step 2.
   
2. Choose your toppings your premium toppings (meats, fruits, cheeses etc).
   
3. Choose 4 extras (veggies, seeds etc).
   
4. Choose a homemade dressing.
   
   
   

Toss Take Out Menu

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Taking some time to look over the process and the Signature items, Andy (who did work @ PJ's but is now Manager here at Toss It Up) came over and was quick to help explain. This wasn't just because he knew me, he was the friendly face greeting everyone coming in. The process isn't complicated at all, but a quick intro to beginners is helpful and coming a second time would be smooth and simple.

It was a relatively nice day, so instead of sitting inside, we took to the patio. While it was a bit windy, it was so nice to eat outside. I think this was my first patio of the summer!




My dining companion went with the 'East Coast Herb' Signature salad: "Herb roasted Atlantic salmon, Roma tomatoes, red onions, sweet peppers, red bliss potatoes, cucumbers and baby greens". What a salad! Andy suggested the Wasabi cucumber dressing and while that might sound hot (due to the wasabi) its actually very refreshing, tasty dressing.

For my choice, I debated with making a custom wrap, but decided to go with a Signature Wraps. The 'Triple C' a "roasted chicken breast tossed with romaine lettuce, bacon, shredded Parmesan cheese, lemon and Caesar dressing with roasted garlic." I was going to go with the BBQCBC, but Caesar was speaking to me.

The wraps are served on a whole wheat tortilla, which is grilled on a press before serving. The romaine was crisp, the chicken was moist and tasty, and best of all, great bacon. The Caesar dressing was also creamy.

The wrap also came with a salad, which I didn't know until after I got my wrap. I'm not exactly sure what the dressing was, but my guess was the Toss signature, but what I do know was that it was refreshing.

Over all, this was a great little lunch joint. They also do breakfast, but not supper. Andy was also telling me that they now serve beer, and soon they will be juicing, as well as blending smoothies. If you work down town, this is a great alternative for lunch to the deep fried and less healthy alternatives from the carts. They also deliver.

It may not be chicken wings, but you'll live longer off of this grub :p

Toss It Up!

208 Sparks Street, Ottawa

tossitup.ca

Wendy's Changes Thing Up

I received a news update the other day about Wendy's.

Wendy's is continuing its' struggle against Ronald and The King. Apparently nobody liked the Red Hair guy campaign (I did, but I'm weird like that). Then they switched over to "It's waaaaay better than fast food" campaign (did I miss something, isn't Wendy's fast food?). Well more changes are on the way.

Earlier this year they had dipped chicken sandwiches. I had one dipped in hot sauce, but I ate it hours after I bought it, and never had it again to review. But no worries, if you read the article, there's a small section on new burgers, but more importantly, test markets (in Orange County California) for a "Boneless Chicken Wing." I'm sure its won't be amazing, but any wing news is excited to me.

American Ex-Pat in Australia Misses Wings

This is a news article from Syracuse NY's Channel 9 simply entitled "Pizza & Wings." The author (I can't find his name) talks about growing up eating good wings, and the problem of relocating to a new country (in this case, Australia) and the problems with mislabeling and misinterpreting wings.



I've been lucky to travel around the world and nowhere can you get wings like we have in North America. Although it was great to try wings in Hong Kong or Poland, they just weren't the same. Sometime I feel like that here in Ottawa.

BUSTERS BAR & GRILL ~ Ottawa, On

~ THIS LOCATION HAS CLOSED: They are moving to 420 Hazeldean Road in Kanata ~

When I first arrived in Ottawa I did what I always do: searched the Internet for chicken wings. One of the places that came up in the search was a place called Buffalo Charlies which was located at the Lincoln Heights mall. But after going to said mall to Wal-Mart, there was only a vacant restaurant where Charlie's used to be. A few months ago at the mall again, I noticed signs of renovations. A new restaurant/pub was coming, which meant the possibility of wings. I was excited and was hoping to go the opening week.

But then I didn't. Life got busy and the opportunity never showed up. That is until last week. Busters sits at the front of the mall. Sort of. You see the Lincoln Heights mall is really strange as its built into a hill, making it two levels. The lower level is only Wal-Mart, a recently converted Metro grocery, and a Dr's office. The upper level is a mish mash of independent stores and as far as I can tell, not a chain amongst them. It looks like a dying mall that just won't give up, and good for them. Busters is on the upper level and has both a mall entrance and an outside area with a patio.

I went in through the mall and was surprised to find the doors closed. The place was open, just closed doors. I have never seen a restaurant in a mall that a) wasn't open to the mall or b) at least had its doors open to encourage people to enter. I guess they keep it closed because of the noise of the pub. As soon as I walked in there was a sign saying to go to the front door for the hostess to seat you.

Busters is a sports pub with hopes of being a chain one day (before even becoming successful, there are links on their website for franchise opportunity). As I walked from the mall entrance to the outdoor one, I noticed everyone in the 'dining' section was actually standing around, watching flat screen tv's and some game (hockey I think). It was weird. The crowd was old guys, business guys, and more guys. Throughout the pub are hanging hockey jerseys of various teams. The decor is wood panneling and mellow paint options.

When I got to the front, I waited as instructed, feeling a little foolish having just gone on a self tour. A manager(?) was passing by quickly, did a double take, and grabbed me a menu and said I could choose whatever table in my section I wanted. So I did. My server (name forgotten) came around and was friendly and competent. I looked through the menu, but I already knew what I was getting. It was wing night after all.

Wing night at Busters is 1/2 price, so I couldn't resist sampling two flavours. Not that there was much on the menu in the way of sauces.

About 10 wings come in an order. They are deep fried naked, then sauced. Classic. No dusting or breading, just natural hot wings.

The wings were about a medium in size. Nothing special. The chicken was a medium meatiness.

Crispy skin was right on - any longer in the deep fryer and they would have been rock hard.

HOTAs soon as these hit my table I was sent back in time. They smelled just like my Jaco wings when I was a kid (the first memories I have of having wings was on family trips to the American side of Niagara Falls, getting albeit tiny wings but a TON of wings in a bucket, either eating them at Jaco's, or in hotel room. Spicy smelling, vinegar, and crispy chicken. Busters managed to capture that memory almost perfectly.

However, hot is nothing special as a sauce, except for strange people like me with wing fetishes. It wasn't spicy, and the taste is relatively generic. It was special more for the memories than for being a good wing.

BBQ
BBQ wasn't on their wing sauce menu but I thought why not. It was under their dipping sauces and they describe it as "Buster’s BBQ sauce" so I thought it might be homemade and interesting.

It wasn't a thick style BBQ sauce. Thin, slightly sweet but more in a glaze way than in a tomato based sauce. It made me think of an oven rib sauce, if there is such a thing. While it wasn't bad on wings, I wouldn't order it on my wings again.

FINAL SCORE: Would I come back to Busters? Yes. I would definitely come back for wing night. But I'm not crazy about the sports, or the crowd. And the wings aren't anything special, but they take me back to my first times eating wings. Service was good too. But that's just me and maybe I was just sentimental. 6/10

Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre,

2525 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON

bustersbarandgrill.ca

David Carradine - 1936-2009

David Carradine was found dead ( I have read 3 different accounts today: natural causes, suicide, accident) in Bangkok Thailand. He was there filming a movie and was found in his hotel wardroom with a roped tied around him.

(photo from HERE)

This isn't a gossip site, so why am I reporting this? Well I associate David Carradine with chicken wings. I know it sounds weird, but here it goes.

When I was in Middle School and early High School, every so often I was lucky on a Friday night that my parents would be going out. In the time before I could drive, I would ride my bike into town (I lived in my small town's suburbia, on the other side of a valley that separates the two) to the video store, rent a few movies and come home. There was only one genre I would rent on these nights: Kung Fu movies.


Mostly Bruce Lee, but at the time I was also in awe of Kung Fu. I absolutely loved the contemporary TV show Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, but only vagely aware of the original show or movie. So renting old episodes of Kung Fu, or even Kung Fu: The Movie was a special treat to get my martial arts fix and learn some back story.


But to go along with the movies I always ordered a pizza and wings combo from Little Caesars. A pizza just for me, and hot wings that while tiny, were tasty. The whole event of wings, pizza and Kung Fu is totally a part of my youth and I will never forget the smells, the tastes, and the fights.

So thanks you Mr Carradine for the years of entertainment. RIP.

The Simpsons - "All's Fair in Oven War" ~ CWOS review

Another exciting edition of the Chicken Wings on Screen!

The 5:00pm CBC showing of the Simpsons has been a tradition of mine for, well over 10 years. And just 1/2 an hour ago was no different. What was different was a focus on chicken wings in today's episode.

The Episode "All's Fair in Oven War" has Marge doing some baking:

"Homer buys Marge a new kitchen, and Marge likes cooking in the new kitchen so much she attends the Ovenfresh Bakeoff"*

Basically, the first thing that Marge makes in her new kitchen for a church pot luck is her own Buffalo Wasabi Wings (NOTE: I could only find this clip on a Russian Youtube type site. The English can be heard under the Russian translation, sort of. Sorry. Go between about the 5:32 mark until the 6:45 mark ):

I like how Flanders thought he was Springfield's "Wing Ding King". Mmmm, green Buffalo Wasabi wings. Not hot enough though cuz no one's crying. But maybe I might toy with a recipe like this. Hmmmmmmm . . .

Click HERE for more Chicken Wings on Screen Reviews.

YRe's BBQ Chicken ~ Ottawa

(Yre's has finally CLOSED - but rumored to be opening in a new location)

ED. NOTE: as you man know, back in April my camera broke. While it prevented me from taking new photos, another problem erupted: I couldn't access the photos I had taken. My old camera didn't recognize any photos on the memory card, nor did a digital picture frame. Last week (or was it the week before) I finally reunited my fixed camera with its memory card and Huzzah! the pictures were still there. The following is a review that I had done over 1 month ago early on that day.


I was off on what I call one of my adventure days. Say a Friday or a Saturday when I'm on my own, going Urban Exploring, taking in a movie, and of course, food. Having botched much of the morning, I decided my day would start with lunch (and by start the day, I mean after 1pm). And my choice was going to be a chicken shack called YRes BBQ out in the East end of the downtown part of the city.

I had heard great things about the wood charcoal cooked chicken, but also read some warnings. It's a dive, the food takes a LONG time to get once ordered, and very possibly closed down due to condo or some other development. Those sources were from 2006, and several years after these articles came out in this past year, I had tried to go to Yre's, but it was always closed. I feared I had missed out. Then one day in March of 2009 I was driving by and noticed an "OPEN" sign in the window. Flash forward to my April Adventure Day, I was hopping on a bus and headed for Yre's.



I got off the bus across the street from Yre's and it was what I had been told: a hole in the wall. The flashier sign I had seen in the above articles was gone, and if I didn't know about this place I would normally have walked on by. But the sign in the window said "open" and I was ready to get down to business.

Inside was, well, shabby. It hasn't been painted in years, or even given a real scrub. Straight ahead was a small counter/window with no identifiable menu. In what used to be Pino's Barber Shop on the left are a few old tables and chairs from mixed sets acting as a dining room. To the right was a counter with stools, and an older man - Yre's himself would be my guess - going over some book work. There was an awkward moment because I didn't know what was going on. He didn't speak much English, and I didn't speak much French. "I've heard you have good chicken" I say, not very sure how to proceed. He walked over to the counter and gave me their menu to look over.




The above is actually their business card, but that is the whole menu. Simple and straight to the point: chicken, plantain, couscous, rice. I was hungry, but not in the mood for anything but chicken, so I went with a 1/2 chicken. For myself. He asked me if I wanted it spicy or not and I said very spicy, naturally. He then informed me that they weren't technically open until 2pm (it was like 5 mins to 2) and that the food wouldn't be ready until 3pm. Wowzers. I had heard that it took a long time, but I figured that if they were just opening I could get one of the first finished chickens, but they don't start cooking until 2pm. That's when I noticed that the book work he was doing was all the orders that had already been taken.



I had an hour to kill, but bus service in this area a) does not have a posted schedual b) unreliable to go somewhere and come back. I decided to head to Strathcona Park to take in some faux ruins and the river. Being one of the first beautiful days of the year, I sat and read a book at a picnic table (I know, what an Adventure Day) and then walked back at 3pm. Two blocks away my nose was incensed by the wafting smell of charcoal bbq. Lunch must almost be ready!




Going inside, the place was packed with families and couples all waiting for their chicken. Yre was joined by two other staff at this point. Even though it was an hour later my chicken still wasn't ready, but I didn't have long to wait. Although there was a space or two to sit, I knew I was going to do a review of the chicken and in such close quarters it was going to be awkward snapping a few shots all by myself. I paid for my food and headed by to another nearby park, MacDonald Park, where I scored a picnic table.

The park was busy with families kicking around a soccer ball, joggers and dog walkers. While this park isn't overly exciting to look at, I love it for two reasons. 1) It's called MacDonald Park after Sir John A MacDonald, Canada's first Prime Minister, because he used to live in a home at one end of the park. 2) because this used to be the Sandy Hill Cemetery, and in the 1800's the city wanting more green space, buried the cemetery. Families could pay to have their deceased loved ones removed, but most couldn't. So while Jr is running for that soccer ball today, he's really playing over the dead. The gazebo in the picture above (actually above above) is said to be haunted.

My chicken came in a grocery store chicken paper/tinfoil bag. I quickly unwrapped it and took in the smell of spices and roasted chicken. I was in heaven. But looking inside, I was a little surprised at how small the chicken actually was.

I ripped open the bag to make a makeshift plate. I was glad I had a small package of tissues because I didn't get any napkins while I was at the restaurant, and this was going to be messy.

The chicken was basically fall off the bone. The wing in the above shot easily tore away from the bird. And you can see the spices were everywhere on the chicken. It was rubbed with love for sure.

A comparison photos of the crispy, salty but flavourful skin, versus the moist and tasty chicken meat. Even the white meat seemed to have flavour.

Another reason I was going to need napkins, I had no cutlery. No matter, this isn't the kind of chicken you cut with a knife. No, this is eat with your hands, mess on the face and fingers, feel like a caveman chicken.

This was a really tasty bird. The spices mixed with the wood charcoal make for an excellent chicken experience. My biggest complaint was the spice. I had asked for very spicy (which Yre's seem to enjoy) but my bird was not hot (as in spice). No bite, no pain. So either I didn't get the spicy one, they toned it down for me, or what they think is hot is not. Despite the lack of heat, there was a lot of spices, and thus, a lot of flavour. The bird wasn't big so I could have eaten a whole one I think, but the 1/2 was really all I needed.

Yre's isn't much for presentation, flash or atmosphere. But with a large waiting crowd, a long line of orders and great word of mouth, its clear he knows his chicken. This was a perfect picnic food for eating out in the nearby park, because eating in wasn't really desirable and taking it home it would just get cold (for where we live anyway). Just make sure you order well in advance and you are prepared to wait. It's worth it.

YRe's BBQ Chicken

169 Charlotte Street, Ottawa, ON

Fuzzification ~ People in my Bloggerhood

Hello neighbour. Did you have a good day? Hang on, I have to change my jacket and shoes. There, that's better. Now where were we? Oh that's right, strolling through the Bloggerhood I see my good friend Ricky Patel @ FUZZIFICATION.COM.

Ricky and I go way back. He's my oldest friend that I still keep in touch with on a regular basis. We were in a 'gang' together, fought together in the First World War, and had many a good times. We have also eaten a lot of chicken wings over the years, and it was his brainchild and organizer of The Great Wing Tour of 2006.

I've been following Ricky on the Internet for quite some time. Ricky has been taking snapshots for many years, and Fuzzification.com has been a great showcase for his work. I like his photography because he has an eye for capturing simple moments and objects, the macabre and the beautiful. Here's some examples of photos I love (from centre than clockwise): "Plant in Window" shot in India; "Baby Back" Boss Hogg rib grilling @ the London Ribfest 2008; "Fireworks"; "Arabian Sea" a wonderful sunset shot; and my fave, "One Handed Bride."

Ricky and I sat down* and chatted about blogging with ME in GREEN, and RICKY in RED:

*NOTE: sitting down is in reference to our respective homes in our own seats over the Internet via e-mail correspondence.

Who are you & where do you live?
I currently live in London Ontario. I'm a hard, mean, technical kind of guy, who likes to indulge (what he thinks) his softer artistic side mainly through photography but also sketching, music and other endevours.

What is Your Blog?
My current blog is http://www.fuzzification.com/. It was born out of a desire to publish and share my photographs and other visual art like sketches without the complication of excessive words (like my previous blogs).

How Long Have you been Blogging?Why did you start blogging?
I have been blogging in various internet incarnations since about 1999 (probably around the same time the word "blog" was invented). I originally started because I found myself in the big bad city and needed a venue to share my experiences. I used a section of my personal website, then later, an actual blog, as an outlet for the frustrations of daily life and a place for me to share some of my creative writing and visual art. Those blogs ran their course, and I eventually started my photo blog http://www.fuzzification.com/, which has been online since March 2007.

Also on my blog shelf is a blog I kept while I was working on a project in Zambia with Engineers Without Borders Canada, during the summer of 2006.


What do you want out of your blog?
I can't really say I want anything out of my blog (other than maybe launch a career in photography rather than engineering). I just want to share my pictures. I enjoy photography as it gets me outside exploring the city in I live, meeting people and enjoying the outdoors. Having a blog which I post the pictures too helps to motivate me to get out and shoot.

What is your favourite blog (you know, other than LOTW :p)?

I don't tend to read a lot of blogs. I do however visit Daily Dose of Imagery often to see the pictures.

Do you feel there’s real interaction between you and your readers?
Readers? More like viewers, and by viewers I mean the maybe 4 people who I think actually visit my blog on a regular basis. Interaction is basically nil. So if anyone goes to check it out, let me know what you think.


Any crazy blog-related stories?

I've had a friend become a non-friend because of something I wrote on my blog way back in the day. Not really crazy, somewhat tragic, but illustrates the danger of posting your thoughts without thinking of the consequences or how fickle friends can be.

What is your favorite chicken wing?
My favorite chicken wing is a FREE chicken wing, preferably taken off the plate of The Wing King! But to really answer the question: Way back when I was in High school, when I'd be home alone, I'd order pizza and wings from Gino's. The wings had a bbq/hot sauce blend, that tasted so good because they came with that small taste of freedom which is an empty house with no parents or siblings around. But soon after I started to grow up, I moved out and took on responsibilities and those wings never tasted the same again. I also miss wing nights at Mad Trappers in T-Burg.

Do you have a favorite cooking show?
I don't have cable, so my cooking show array is quite limited, so I don't currently watch any cooking shows with any regularity. When I was younger I used to watch Pasquale's Kitchen Express and The Urban Peasant all the time. They really have influenced my style of cooking. I also enjoyed the suave antics of Carlo Rota on The Great Canadian Food Show on CBC, and I have been told that I am a cross between the Cake guy and Chef at home...whatever that means, for better or worse.


Do you cook? What is your specialty?

Yes, I cook. Mainly I cook for myself and experiment with my dishes a bit. I can't think of any specialties though.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
This is difficult, because a lot of the things that I thought were disgusting at one time, I've eaten and enjoyed at other times. What kind of stands out are some really disgusting mussels at a Mandarin once. They were cold, and rubbery, made me gag.

If there was one thing you would want the Wing Nation to know about you and your blog, what would it be?
There isn't much else to say. I'm not a professional photographer, and people might think my photos suck, but I like each and everyone one of them. They represent the places I've been, and the things I've seen. If you like them too, let me know. Everyone likes a bit of positive affirmation once in awhile.

Thanks Mr Patel. Hope we can have wings again sometime soon. In the meantime, everyone head on over to Rick's site and enjoy the photography!