An Ode to Old Bay

There are only three things I know about the city of Baltimore, Maryland - the Ravens and Orioles play there; "The Wire" was set there, and that Old Bay seasoning mix is made there. Named after the Old Bay steamship line, Old Bay was created in 1939 by Gustav Brunn, a German immigrant who fled Germany in 1937 at the outset of World War 2 with only a small spice grinder in his possession, according to legend. After founding the Baltimore Spice Company, Brunn created a blend of black pepper, celery salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika (among other things) that he originally called "Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning". While mainly used to season seafood, Old Bay soon found its way into recipes that use poultry, red meat, corn, potatoes, or grilled vegetables, and being sprinkled on eggs, popcorn, salads, and pizza. This ubiquitous spice blend was made by the Baltimore Spice Company until McCormick & Company acquired the legal rights to the seasoning brand in 1990; the rights to the Baltimore Spice Company itself were purchased by the Fuchs Group, a German spice company. Because it has so many uses, I consider Old Bay a must-have for any spice rack. If you need more convincing, try this recipe for the food that was there from the beginning.

Ingredients: Crab Cakes

454 g lump crabmeat (don't use the fake stuff)
30 g mayonnaise
10 g Old Bay seasoning
10 g parsley flakes
5 g yellow mustard
2 slices white bread, crusts removed and crumbled
1 egg, beaten

1. Mix the bread, mayonnaise, Old Bay, parsley, mustard and egg in a large bowl until its well blended. Gently stir in crabmeat. Shape the mixture into four patties.
2. You can either broil the patties in the oven for ten minutes without turning, or you can fry them in a pan on the stove until they turn golden brown on both sides, it's up to you. The crab cakes are good on their own or served with a green salad. Feel free to sprinkle on Old Bay if you like, no one will judge.

Working My Way Through The Works: Smokey Mountain

A popular gimmick for food blogs is to eat and review every item on a restaurant's menu. This blog is no exception. These are the observations I've had while eating my way through the burger menu of The Works, a Canadian burger restaurant with locations across Ottawa and Ontario.

The WORKS (900 Watters Road)
Burger Description: "Smokey BBQ sauce, jack cheese & bacon"
($15.91)

January 28, 2020
It's been a while since I've done one of these - it's good to get back on the burger beat again. Today's hamburger choice was inspired by a podcast I like to listen to. "Jim Cornette's Drive-Thru" is a show where former professional wrestling personality Jim Cornette answers questions about professional wrestling and the pro wrestling industry. He brings a lot of knowledge to these questions as he has worked as a wrestling manager, agent, booker, color commentator, promoter, trainer, and in-the-ring performer for over 30 years. As I was driving home listening to his podcast, he was talking about one of his favourite subjects (other than how much he hates modern wrestling), the promotion he started back in the early 90s called Smoky Mountain Wrestling. SMW followed Cornette's vision that pro wrestling was about good guys battling bad guys through legit athletic competition, and not about outlandish cartoon characters or edgy sex-based storylines or putting people wrapped in barbed wire through tables. Alas, the company folded after four years and has played a factor in making Cornette the controversial curmudgeon that he is today. After fast-forwarding through his latest rant, I decided to order the Smokey Mountain to eat while watching some Smoky Mountain Wrestling, just to see if the fuss he makes about how old-school 'rassling is better than today's product has merit. Heading over to YouTube, I found the very first episode of SMW's television show from February of 1992. There were some familiar faces in action, such as Robert Gibson of the Rock N Roll Express, "Prime Time" Brian Lee, and Barry Horowitz; the main event featured Bobby Fulton of the Fantastics against the Russian Bear Ivan Koloff. And of course, there was Cornette, doing what he does best, talking people into the building, and riling them up with his words. There were no elaborate entrances, no pyrotechnics, and no Jumbrotrons like you see on today's wrestling shows. The matches themselves were nothing special with the star getting the pin over the less popular wrestler with the usual exaggerated punches, kicks, and holds. It was a lot like my hamburger - even though the patty was cooked well done, and the bacon was salty and crunchy, and the cheese melted nicely, and BBQ sauce was spicy, it was still just a bacon cheeseburger with a sauce that reminded me of something I can get from the grocery store. And if that's what you're in the mood for, you will be happy with what you get ordering the Smokey Mountain.  As for Jim Cornette and Smoky Mountain Wrestling, I get that wrestling is still real to a lot of people, and that they long for the days of kayfabe, but at some point, it stops being noble to want to put the toothpaste back into the tube - sometimes you have to accept that the past is the past for a reason.

Smokey Mountain
2.5 out of 5 stars - OK, but there are more interesting items on the menu

Smoky Mountain Wrestling
2.5 out of 5 stars - OK, but I enjoyed watching local promotion C4 Wrestling more