Daily Archives: 06/30/2008

(Community Matters) So my new friends from San Francisco to whom I shipped 15#s of Snow’s brisket and I have been following up on the best way to reheat the meat. They’ve been in phone conversation with Kerry, owner of the Texas Monthly #1 BBQ restaurant in Lexington, TX.

Their 15#s came in 4 briskets, sealed tight in plastic and cooked almost completely, but not quite. [I shipped these overnight FedEx in a styrofoam cooler and three frozen ice packs – $240 shipping.] They’ve tried boiling meat in the bag, oven warming the brisket wrapped in foil, and last night they tried placing the brisket unwrapped in a 13qt le creuset on top of a 1″ wire grate with 1/2″ water at 200 for 2.5 hours. The latter the best results so far. We’re going to try to replicate results so as to confirm best practices. I used the 2nd approach with okay but not best results. Drew Valcourt swears Snow’s ribs (I sent him a healthy package of left overs) are the very best in the “whole world.”

(Community Matters) Steven and I hosted our connections group from St. James Episcopal for dinner yesterday. Enjoyed the visit of two dear friends and new friends.

Legendary foodie Ann Clark and I planned to cook every July weekend, serving friends lavish French picnics, champagnes/wines and desserts on Sundays in the courtyard, by the pool. After yesterday, realizing I can’t do this after all.

Finding myself moving into a protective mode. M might get mad at me for this because he isn’t asking, nevertheless, I’m needing to ratchet back focus to helping Michael, being here for the rest of our families, job/team members and the Obama campaign, as well as producing M’s and ST’s plays this winter, next Spring, respectively. I’ll still meet my other community commitments but likely no time beyond this. I need to ask others to understand why I’m unable to do more in the interim.

(Community Matters) Nice column in today’s NYTimes, would Obama be a historical change agent like Reagan or a centrist like Clinton? here

(Community Matters) Lt. Gen. Ann Dunwoody to be first female 4-star general. This is a very cool thing. here

Father, grandfather and great-grandfather graduated from West Point. Father and great-grandfather both 1-star generals. Sister third female helicopter pilot. Niece a fighter pilot.

In the Army (women 14% of active duty personnel): 15 one-star generals, 3 two-stars, 2 three-stars (including Lt. General Dunwoody). Lauren & Paulina, maybe generals?