Switching things up a bit…

Since the beginning of this blog, we’ve seen a lot of posts featuring new music, sports discussion, humor, and even the occasional politically themed post.  One thing that has yet to be included in this blog happens to be a sort of passion of mine, and I’d like to take this time to yet again expand the versatility of this blog.  I’m talking of course about the exploration of the culinary horizon.  This is something I feel any number of you can become involved with in your posting, whether it’s in the form of restaurant reviews, product reviews, nutritional information, culinary anthropology, you name it.  If anyone has any qualms with this, feel free to let me know, but I feel like this could be a nice addition.

I’d like to start things out with a story.  It takes place at a party on 4th street near kerrytown around the end of april 09.  Slemrod and I were talking in the kitchen and we both had a bad case of the drunchies.  I opened up the refrigerator and something immediately stood out: a jar of pickles with a brand I have never seen before.  I immediately asked one of the residents of the house if I could try one of these pickles since, well I don’t know about y’all but pickles just seem to satisfy my drunchies unlike anything else.  This girl explained to me that they weren’t her pickles and I would have to find annie and ask her.  After scanning the house a couple times with no sign of Ms. Pickle, I decided to just tell this girl that Annie said it was okay and wet my loins with pickle juice.  I slowly drew a single spear out of the jar, raised it to my mouth, and *crunch*, bit off a chunk.  My first thoughts were something like, ‘dear lord.’  I offered one to slemrod, and he delightfully accepted.  We both finished our pickles and continued conversation.  Ten minutes later I looked Jonny in the eye.  “Jonny,” I sternly exclaimed, “I gotta come clean, …I just can’t stop thinking about that fucking pickle.”  “I know,” he replied, “that was the best pickle I’ve ever had.”

Fast forward a few months.  I’m doing some grocery shopping at whole foods and I’m in the canned foods isle.  Something catches my eye.  “Wait a second,” I thought, “Could it be…?”  Yes.  We had indeed crossed paths once more.  My life will never be the same.  I had found a steady and reliable source of the majestic culinary masterpiece known as: McClure’s Pickles.

McClure’s pickles is based out of Detroit, MI and Brooklyn, NY.  There are two varieties: Dill, and Spicy Dill.  The pickles I fell in love with during that amazing spring night were the spicy dills, and I have never actually tried the regular dill variety.  Although I’m sure they’re fantastic if you’re not a fan of spicy pickles.  McClure’s pickles are incredibly simple and do not include any unnatural ingredients, preservatives, or food dye’s.  The spicy pickles consist of cucumbers, garlic, dill, habenero peppers, and vinegar.  The non-spicy alternatives are the same without the peppers.  You can find them at whole foods for quite the hefty price of 8.99, and at Plum Market for 9.99 (Plum Market is basically a more expensive version of whole foods, as if whole foods is too inexpensive or something).  Believe me though, it’s well worth it.  If you like pickles, you will never go back to Vlasik.  Ever.  This is what they look like:

I know those aren't Habeneros in there, but the one's I bought had them.

Also, after doing a little research I found this oddly suggestive advertisement which I found amusing.