The Other Side of Spicy

"…hot chicken is a unique brand of fried chicken that's highly seasoned, some would say to incendiary proportions."

I was intrigued by the special "Hot Chicken" section in our Nashville guide book. When our friend saw it and also expressed interest, we had our dinner plans. 

The guide book recommended a hot chicken place near us, Bolton's (the only spot that also does hot fish, according to the fifth edition of Insiders' Guide Nashville). We ordered through the window -- medium spicy wings to share, and various levels of spice from medium to "as hot as you can make it" on our individual orders of quarters and legs. The guy in line behind us overheard our friend order his chicken "hot" and said, "Oh… you don't want hot." 

Now. I love spicy food. I grew up in Texas, and Picante commercials taught me that my home state knew salsa (and to me, salsa means heat, or don't bother). My dad ate Tabasco on everything, and my mom made him (and later me) homegrown Scotch Bonnet-Habañero relish. I like it hot and am stupid about it. So yes, I do want it hot. 

I volunteered my Texan origins to this wise gentleman, which convinced him that I'd be "good." I'm glad others will so easily join in my delusion. 

Bolton's waiting-and-dining area has four tables and hardly enough room for the crowd that gathered, so everyone overheard our order. They were eager to witness our first hot chicken experience (I think they just wanted to see if we'd cry), but we got our chicken to go. On the patio of our weekend home, we spread out our boxes, napkins and beers. The chicken comes with slices of white bread and two sides. These, I suppose, are to ease the burn. 

I started with the medium-hot wings and knew I was in trouble, Texas roots and all. Next to me, our friend drank his beer and announced he was burning. I was officially concerned about my hot chicken leg and knew I would not try my husband's "hot as you can make it" chicken. We soldiered on, tongues and stomachs burning, gulping beer and sides -- mac and cheese, greens, baked beans, slaw -- fists clenched, "experiencing THINGS."

And then it happened. My husband knows this feeling, and though I believed him, I had a hard time imagining it. But it happened. We passed to the other side of spicy. I could still feel the heat in my stomach, but slowly, the pain was gone. And I felt… good? I really did experience things and was able to eat the rest of my meal without feeling like a cartoon of a guy eating a hot pepper. 

If you're headed to Nashville and want to experience your own spicy feelings, in addition to Bolton's, 400 Degrees, Prince's (here's a great video about them), and Hattie B's were recommended to us. There's also a Hot Chicken Festival in July. I will be looking for something comparable in Louisville, and I welcome tips -- not just for chicken, but any really spicy food. Have you ever traveled to the other side of hot? 

Islands of Spring

We're still stuck in winter here, but the last three Saturdays have been islands of spring. This last Saturday marked the return of the Douglass Loop farmers market, one I've never visited. I did a quick tour -- just long enough to hear this band play the Magnetic Fields' "The Book of Love," wave at my food truck friends, and buy some cheese. 

​I'm looking forward to farmers markets with more than meat, eggs, and cheese.

Is Spring Here?

It's coming. It's March, and it may still be 32 degrees out, but I can see tiny red leaf-buds on a tree through my living room window. So you know this blog is about to turn into a bunch of this:  

I can't wait. ​

Come to Louisville (a letter to a friend)

Hi friend,

Lonely Planet says Louisville is the top U.S. destination in 2013. I wish you'd visit, so I'm writing to let you know why it's always a good time to come to Louisville. I know I already did this on the podcast, but in case you missed it, there is exciting stuff going on every month. 

OK, so January and February are tough and almost over. We did have the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in January, and it was the first time they took place in the United States. I'm sorry you missed it. Regardless of when you come, though, I can always offer:

-A food extravaganza - Gabe and I both cook, but we probably won't while you're here. We want to take you to all our favorite places. You want to eat that crazy Louisville sandwich, the Hot Brown? We'll do it. Do you prefer vegetarian? Hillbilly Tea, Dakshin, Vietnam Kitchen, or Queen of Sheba have some good veggie and vegan options. We'll go to Hammerheads and over-order appetizers, Mayan Cafe and snack on salbutes and the best lima beans you've ever had. There will be at least one brunch. 

-A drink extravaganza - We may not cook for you, but we will make you some drinks. If you're up for it, we'll take you to the many fine establishments serving signature cocktails and craft beers around town. We'll while away an afternoon with beer at Holy Grale, a former chapel. We can spend the whole day at Garage Bar, playing ping-pong while going broke on Basil Gimlets, pickled vegetables, and turkey wings. We can tackle part of the Urban Bourbon Trail. Last call is at 4 a.m., so there's plenty of time to visit a few places, endurance allowing. I'll be done by 2, but we have an extra key. 

-The Bourbon Trail - This is less Louisville and more Kentucky, but we can always visit any distillery you like. Most are within an hour's drive. Learning about bourbon never gets old. Neither do samples. 

-The Colonel's Grave - Oh, you're going to come to Kentucky and not pay homage to the man behind the state's most famous export? We live about five minutes from the cemetery where Colonel Sanders is buried, and we can stop by on the way to brunch. The cemetery, Cave Hill, is also an arboretum, so we could also walk around longer. 

Depending on your interests, we can also hit up the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Muhammad Ali Center, the Thomas Edison House (see, we have non-sports-related museums!), the Frazier History Museum, Waterfront Park, or my new favorite, the Big Four Bridge. Maybe when you visit, the Indiana approach will be finished. Then we can walk across the Ohio River and actually descend into Indiana, where new adventures await. 

Now a few events you might want to plan your trip around:

Humana Festival of New American Plays (Feb. 27 - April 7) - If you love theater, you should visit during this month-long festival. Then I will finally partake of this event in my own town. 

Kentucky Derby Festival - The number of events for this festival increases every year. Here are my favorites:

Thunder Over Louisville (April 20) - This gigantic fireworks show launches Derby Festival (there are Derby Festival events before this, but really. This is not Mardi Gras. I cannot celebrate a horse race for a full month). We can join the masses on the banks of the Ohio River, or watch it on TV at a bar, where it is guaranteed to be dry and warm. 

The Great Balloon Glow (April 26) - This is now part of the Great Balloon Festival, making it a festival within a festival. There are also two hot air balloon races, but I love seeing them all gathered and fired up at night on Bowman Field (an airport). 

The Great Steamboat Race (May 1) - Another event I have never been to, but it's still a favorite, because it is a race between two steamboats. The winner is actually determined by points earned from challenges that include a calliope contest. 

Cherokee Triangle Art Fair (April 27-28) - This is not actually part of Derby Festival, but it  happens the weekend before Derby, right outside my apartment. It's smaller and less insane than St. James in October. 

Derby (May 4) - I have not been to the Derby yet. We can go together! Just know we'll have to mill around by the paddock or in the infield. I have no connection for fancy seats. We could also go to Oaks, the fillies' race on Friday. This may be less crowded, but not less expensive. In any case, we'll find a good party to attend. The bars stay open all night Friday. 

Forecastle Festival (July 12-14) - The line-up has yet to be announced for this three-day music festival on the river. Wilco and My Morning Jacket headlined last year. Let's see who they have coming first. 

Lebowski Fest / Pee Wee Over Louisville (July 20-21/Sept. 7)- Again. I've never been to Lebowski Fest, but if you come for it, you bet I'll go. More interesting to me is the first Pee Wee Over Louisville, organized by the founder of Lebowski Fest, Will Russell. Imagine -- if Pee Wee Over Louisville goes the way of Lebowski Fest, you'll be able to brag that you were at the first one. Update -  due to a cease & desist letter from the Paul Reubens people, Pee Wee Over Louisville has been canceled.  

Kentucky State Fair (Aug 15-25) - If you've never been to a state fair, you should go to your home state's. Or come here in August while ours is on. Oversized produce. Quilts. Antique Bibles. A duckling slide. Freddy Farm Bureau. Deep-fried Girl Scout cookies. Trust me. You'll love it. 

So… when are you visiting? 

Happy birthday

Happy birthday to my mom, who made me look at a lot of flowers and plants as I grew up, until I eventually learned to appreciate their beauty. Thank you. 

Just Exploring Cahokia Mounds

I lived within 30 minutes of an UNESCO World Heritage site for about four years and never visited it.

Cahokia Mounds was the largest pre-historic community north of central Mexico.
From 900 to 1200 A.D., it was the center of Mississippian Indian culture. Twenty thousand people lived within roughly six square miles, in which they built about 120 mounds. Today, the site is half that size and is dominated by Monks Mound, the largest man-made earthen structure in North America. Man-made as in people carried ten stories worth of dirt in woven baskets to build it. 

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Monks Mound in the distance

We finally visited over the holidays (my in-laws live in Southern Illinois). When we pulled into the parking lot, the first mounds I saw resembled golf course hills. But Monks Mound loomed above the parking lot, and getting up the stairs winded me.

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Looking down the staircase up Monks Mound.

Despite the interpretive center's recreations of Native American life at Cahokia Mounds, I had difficulty envisioning it. Perhaps it was the main road running through the middle of the site, separating the museum from the largest mound. Maybe it was seeing the highway, a landfill, and St. Louis from the top of Monks Mound. The exhibits at the museum are text-heavy, and the main thing I remember from all that reading is the inhabitants of Cahokia played a game called chunkey. This involved rolling a disc and throwing spears where they thought the disc would stop. 

I'm glad we finally visited -- this is why I now keep a list of places to visit near my own home. I live near another UNESCO site now, Mammoth Cave, and I have yet to see it. But it's on the list. 

#FriFotos - Views

I spent too long going through photos today looking for the perfect photo of sweeping views for today's #FriFotos theme. I finally settled on something less grand. 

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View out the window of a bathroom at Mammy's hostel in Lome, Togo

This is the view out of a window in the bathroom of the hostel where the Peace Corps lodged us for our first few days of training. My first morning in Togo, I woke up under a mosquito net to unfamiliar sounds -- a rooster, a street vendor's cries. My shower was cold (but cold running water, better than bucket baths in my future). I stopped back in the bathroom to take this photo before heading to my first Togolese breakfast, excited about all my "firsts" after days of "lasts" in the States (last hot shower in the States, last margarita, last sleep). 

Favorite Photos of 2012

Happy New Year!

I posted the last of my Photo a Day Project from 2012 on Flickr today. I did better this time, missing only six days of photos, compared to eight on my first attempt. But I saw a post on Karen Walrond's blog where she shared her favorite photos from the year. I really like that idea, so here are mine. 

January - March

April-June

July-September

October-December

If you got all the way down here, thank you for your perseverance.