Playlist for March 11th, 2011

Anti-Irish propaganda from the 19th Century

Our second bastardized holiday this month is St. Patrick's Day.

The day is supposed to be in honor of St. Patrick, commonly seen as the patron saint of Ireland, but has evolved into an alcohol soaked bacchanalia.

Bars and restaurants around the US see a marked increase in activity during the celebration.

Cities around the US pull out all the stops for the holiday, including dyeing the Chicago River green.

Here on the prairie, there will be an early parade followed by inebriation.

Happy Drunkfest!!!!

Our playlist this week includes many older tunes along with selections from many great Irish (or Irish related) bands.

Enjoy!!!

Food - Shrimp Boil and Raw Oysters

In celebration of Mardi Gras, the Lady of the Manor and I wanted to go to the Sazerac, one of the Prairie Capital's fine restaurants, but we were dismayed to find it closed.

This made us sad.

Word on the street is that they are temporarily closed in preparation for a move to a better location.  I hope that is right, 'cause, let me tell you, the food there is wonderful.

Instead, we decided to make our own feast and went to Robert's Seafood.

While there, we got a pound of shrimp and two large oysters, along with seasoning and riesling wine.

First up, the oysters.

We had them raw and I quickly learned that they are an "acquired" taste.

Next, the shrimp.

Begin boiling enough water to cover the shrimp.

Pour in a generous helping of seasoning.  We used Soileau's (Facebook page link here), a local seasoning company's mix, which is very tasty.

Once the water begins boiling, dump the shrimp in and let boil for about five minutes.  The guy at Robert's suggested that we watch for them to curl up a little and then take them off the heat.

Allow them to sit for about 20 minutes in the water/seasoning mix and eat.

Little hint, peel and de-vein before cooking.  It'll make things much easier.

Great Find - 5 Record Set of Louisiana Cajun Music

Here in the Prairie Capital, if you are looking for good obscure vinyl, you go to Recycled Records.

When you first walk in the door, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the artifacts and ephemera contained in the store.

But, if you go to the back and look up, you will see a sign that states....

"Stairway to Heaven"

Don't be scared of the rickety staircase and go on up to find one of the biggest vinyl collections on the prairie.

It was there that, recently, I came across this five record set of historic cajun tunes.

5 record set of "Louisiana Cajun Music"
from Old-Timey Records
purchased at Recycled Records in Springfield, Illinois

With great tunes from legends such as Joe Falcon, Cleoma Breaux, Harry Choates and the Hackberry Ramblers, this definitely qualifies as a great find.