Fr. Z’s Kitchen: Pudding and Glock edition

I have had a few inquiries recently about Fr. Z’s Kitchen.

Frankly, I haven’t been doing much cooking. The most extravagant thing I have made for myself recently is a grilled cheese (cheddar) on rye. Yum… but not exactly thrilling.

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On the other hand, over the weekend a couple priests and I got together for supper (at a restaurant) to celebrate an accomplishment. We returned to the Steam Pipe Distribution Venue for dessert (call it a “movable feast”): one of my Christmas Puddings.  I made more than one pudding back when.

I started the pudding a’steaming after noon and whipped up some brandy sauce. All this time I kept alive some holly which one of you readers sent me (from the sad state of New York).   Here is the pudding, aflame.

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With the pudding I provided the same barleywine which I used in the recipe. The flavors were, as expected, rich and, in some ways, foreign to our modern palates.  I can only eat a small amount of this pudding at a time, but I don’t have much of a sweet-tooth: più salato che dolce.

Speaking of which, a friend sent some great Italian sausages, including a hot soppressata, finocchiona, and one called “winter”. I scrounged up some olives and little balls of mozzarella and absorbed it over a few days with a bottle of Carménère.

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Shifting gears, I concocted something else a couple days ago.  For the first time I did a complete strip down and thorough cleaning of my Glock 19. I also “pimped it out” with some stainless steel parts, including an extended mag release and an extended slide release.  The original trigger connector has now been replaced with a 3.5 lbs connector.

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I am not convinced I like the look of this, but I do like the extended slide release.  The jury is out on the mag release.  I may file the corners down a bit to smooth it out. If I get enough done today, perhaps I’ll betake myself to the range and see about this new trigger pull.

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In the meantime I continue to have problems with my Springfield XDS .45ACP.  It was a good idea at the time, I suppose.

In other news, I am working the next book in the Kydd series  Caribbee: A Kydd Sea Adventure. As I have noted before, they are not as good as the Aubrey/Maturin series (what is?), but they are amusing.

And I need also to get at What We Can’t Not Know: A Guide by J. Budziszewski.  The author sent it and it is in the stack.

Also, I was recently sent a copy of Fr.  Dwight Longenecker’s new book.  I have yet to look at it, but in a spirit of solidarity (his involvement with the Patheos crowd notwithstanding) I want to point you to it.  He is, as you may know, a convert and married former Protestant minster.  Thus, he is one of our rare married priests.  With him and his family in mind, I hope you will give his books some consideration.  (Less subtly: Buy his books!)

His latest is The Romance of Religion: Fighting for Goodness, Truth, and Beauty.

Please use my links and search box when ordering from amazon.  It really helps.

UPDATE:

Someone sent this.  Fun.

I am not sure about that “sunny side” editorial bit, but… hey, I’m flexible.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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36 Comments

  1. dotKomo says:

    Can’t say that I’m not suprised about your problems with the Springfield XDS. While I don’t have first hand knowledge of them I see a lot of them for sale on the after-market.

    I do like the looks of the Glock enhancements.

  2. Magpie says:

    We all know NOT to mess with Fr Z!

  3. dotKomo says: problems with the Springfield XDS

    Yah… I am starting to regret buying this thing.

    I’m going to give it another shot, however. If I am unhappy after its next trip to the range, I may unload it.

  4. acricketchirps says:

    180 degrees wrong on 3. wusses eating Sunny eggs. You dump em in a pan; they’re sunny or broken. If you’re not a wuss you don’t care which. You take em out and eat em.

    Wuss eggs: Poached, Omelet (double wuss because it’s French), Coddled.

    Other non-wuss eggs: hardboiled, till blue sometimes.

    1,2 and 4 would seem to be correct. Especially 4.

    [No, I think I will disagree. I can’t see anything wussy in eating eggs … prepared in any sort of way. Think about it. As a matter of fact, properly made “eggs up” are just a little runny on the top side. Furthermore, cooking eggs in the way that requires the least skill or lack of attention doesn’t seem non-wussy to me. That, in fact, strikes me as über-wussy.]

  5. acardnal says:

    Maybe I should change my G19’s mag release, too. If one has small hands, like I do, the original one is just not convenient if a quick mag change is necessary.

    [Here is a shot from a different angle. It is longer by a millimeter or so. No problem so far with rubbing on the edges of holsters and unintentionally dropping the mag.]

    20140127-131324.jpg

  6. acardnal says:

    Thanks!

  7. Suburbanbanshee says:

    Omelets are inherently non-wussy, because you have to have a Really Hot Pan.

    Also, I learned to cook omelets from a nice poison mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, who was no wuss.

    [Be a little careful with that heat when doing eggs. Take it from an ol’ short-order guy! Too hot and you will turn those whites into a Michelin product. One old trick is to heat the pan to the point where a drop of water boils off.]

  8. OrthodoxChick says:

    acricketchirps,

    I beg to differ on poaching being wussie. Poaching the classical way with a simmer and a dash of vinegar ain’t as easy as it looks. [That’s for sure. I helps to have the freshest eggs.] Neither is the classical Hollandaise that goes with it. Definitely NOT for the wussified reconstructed un-ossified non-manualist types!

  9. Mike says:

    The spread aboard that toast looks suspiciously margarine-like. That said, I’m not sure whether butter would be more or less wussy.

  10. LarryW2LJ says:

    Coffee’s not black?!? [That was pretty alarming. BRRRRR]

  11. Uxixu says:

    Father, you should really really replace that XD [XDS] with a G21. It would also let you experiment with God’s Own Caliber: 10mm relatively cheaply with just a barrel and magazine. Expensive but the ballistics are incredible. You can then consider adding a G20.

    The grilled cheese looks delicious, too.

    [I assure you: it was delicious. I have not yet shot any 10mm. I hear it’s pretty hot. As far as a carry gun is concerned, … I dunno. That G21 is pretty big. It seems to be bigger than the 17. I wonder what kind of kick that G29 has, the 10mm subcompact. I also don’t see a lot of 10mm around. What I want now… and I mean right now… is a 30S. Anyone out there?]

  12. The Cobbler says:

    For what it’s worth, a grilled cheese with muenster and overly buttered bread is so good it doesn’t deserve to be classified with the rest of the plain food we call grilled cheese sandwiches. [Sounds great! Try Jarlsberg on pump sometime.]

  13. Dr. Edward Peters says:

    Mmmmm. Baaaaacon.

  14. Uxixu says:

    Ah yeah XDS, mea maxima culpa.

    G20/21 are large, even the Gen 4. I live in LA County and am not a donor to the corrupt soon-to-be-retired Sheriff (who only issued CCW to celebrities, friends, and campaign donors) and unfortunately have no recognized right to bear arms, but if I did I would be carrying a G30. [I dread visiting California in July. Grrrrr.]

    10mm is a great round but probably too expensive unless one has the time or inclination for reloading. It’s easily and relatively cheaply obtainable for anyone who already owns a G20 or 30.

  15. AnAmericanMother says:

    Minority view: 1911A1 is the vehicle of choice. .45ACP is the caliber of choice.
    I carried a 1911 Lightweight Officers’ Model for many years in the winter, and a Walther PPK/S in .380 auto in the summer.
    Wouldn’t recommend a Springfield – suggest you ditch that and either go with one of the original Colts or with a Kimber. My dear husband bought me the Kimber Ultra Carry with the built-in laser sight and that is now my standard carry. It is a little on the heavy side, but the flat-sided 1911 design conceals well. It is also extremely accurate, and I can’t stress enough how quick the laser sight is. [I very much want one of these new Veridian sights in green.]

  16. AnAmericanMother says:

    I think it was Phil Sharpe who noted that shooting and reloading aficionados are just about the most opinionated people on the planet. And George MacDonald Fraser who observed that people believe in the weapons they have trained with. . . whatever those are, hence the Polish Lancers charging Panzer tanks . . . .

  17. Kathleen10 says:

    I’m pretty sure my recent research on best carry guns kept mentioning the Springfield XDS. It got great reviews at first but the more I looked the sketchier it got. It can leave you buying nothing when you keep reading reviews. I held a little gun a few months ago I liked the feel of very much and I want to say it was called the “Guardian”. I have a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver and it’s good for home but I wouldn’t lug that thing around unless I was challenged by Jesse James at high noon. I like revolvers for the reliability. You don’t need things refusing to move along or springs falling out or what ever else. It would be my luck to hear boing when I needed it all to work. I now find the hammerless feature appealing. It’s so hard trying to find all the things you want in one weapon. Ladies have the option of carrying in a purse but that seems dangerous to me. You can lose a purse but you can’t lose your ankle. Actually you can but then you probably wouldn’t care about the gun.

    [XDS? BEWARE! I have just had a gunsmith look at mine today! This is after the factory recall and return to me. The little Glock in .45… I wish I had bought it instead.]

  18. acricketchirps says:

    Oh boy, I sure was put in my place! Looks like twenty years on,real men not only eat but cook quiche.

  19. Supertradmum says:

    American Mother, so glad to see you post this stuff. I feel so much better about the part of your world with you down there. Thanks for the info for us little old not-so-smart-about weapons commentators.

  20. AnAmericanMother says:

    My pleasure, Supertradmum.
    This part of the world is not bad. Good old boys really ARE good – of any race or religion – and they will help any lady in distress. And they still predominate in the South, once you get outside the Big Bad City.
    I’m fortunate that my dear dad, may he rest in peace, taught us girls to ride, to shoot, and to change a tire. All have come in handy at one time or another.
    I rejoice that I have never had to shoot anyone, a friend of mine had to and it’s a life-changing experience even if you are completely in the right. Folks who think otherwise are trouble. As dad also said (quoting Bill Mauldin), “He’s not a combat soldier – he’s lookin’ for a fight.”

  21. AnAmericanMother says:

    Kathleen, I concur that a revolver is a good choice for those who are not into competition shooting, reloading, or otherwise getting regular practice. Revolvers are not 100 percent reliable (a backed out primer or thick rim will jam your cylinder, and then you ARE in a mess!) but fewer moving parts = less chance of things going wrong.
    The old hammerless bodyguard type revolver is mostly available in .38/.357, but there are a lot of revolvers with what is called a “shrouded” hammer – the knurled spur is just barely exposed, and it’s unlikely to catch on anything. The old Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 special is an excellent and relatively slim-line revolver, and I believe it’s been re-issued. A superior court judge here in Georgia was known as “Judge Two-Gun Charlie Worrill” because he presided with two of those revolvers on the bench, and used one for a gavel. He was quite a character, my dad used to go fishing and bird hunting with him.

  22. FXR2 says:

    Father,
    I am not allowed to eat bacon any more, only 1 egg a week, and my coffee has to be decaff. [This is a sad story you tell us.] On the other hand stay away from the 10 mm junk. The .40 S & W was designed to be the same caliber with a reduced charge allowing the round to expend its energy in the body. The .40 S&W already kicks harder than the .45 ACP. The 10 mm just overpenetrates. The extended magazine release makes sence if you had difficulty reaching it. Under stress you will never find the slide release, extended or not, practice pulling on the slide and releasing it. It is not a bad look, however it will probably take some getting used to, like a Roman Chasabule, for those of us born in the mid sixties.
    fxr2

    [The Roman chasuble allows for a much easier draw.]

  23. MAJ Tony says:

    I needs must inform Uxixu that God’s own caliber is not a pistol caliber, let alone even a small arms caliber, but that of a medium caliber howitzer, the 155mm. So much so, that Fr. Z’s beloved Marines, the same service that claims to guard the streets of heaven, refer to the recently replaced Howitzer, 155mm, M198 as “God’s gun.”

    As for non-wussified breakfast foods, well, give me a soft-cooked egg any day of the week. As for the coffee, I’m pretty sure our German cousins would take issue with calling “milchkaffee” a wussified drink. I wouldn’t be surprised if the words “Voegelhirn” (birdbrain) don’t spill from Hermann or Helga’s mouth. Someone might end up having a bad day after making that mistake.

    MAJ Tony, Dogface Soldier – trained by, among others, a few good Marine officers, Ft. Sill, OK, back in the days before OBL.

  24. jameeka says:

    That is really ( veraciter) a cool- looking flambé pudding. Just looking at it would be enough.

  25. OrthodoxChick says:

    Kathleen & AMA,

    Can I join the revolver club too? My S&W .357 was as reliable as old faithful: smooth trigger action, hammer never jammed. I need to get another one. When my children were born, two of them were autistic and one of those two was a houdini. He could get into and out of anything. I ended up donating my .357 to my (then) local police department because I realized that I had it so safety-proofed from my son that I would never be able to get to it fast enough anyway in an emergency. But..the kids are older now and while the Good Lord has not 100% completely healed them, He has healed them to a large extent (Deo Gratias!) – to the point where I could get another gun and trust them not to get into it.

    Oh, and my preferred solution to ammo reloads for a revolver: speed loaders!

    https://www.pistoleer.com/5star/speedloaders/357/

  26. This is informative… and fun.

  27. OrthodoxChick says:

    Fr. Z.,

    If your gunsmith feels your XDS is still a lost cause, I’d send it back to Springfield again. Send it by certified mail so someone at the company has to sign for it and you’ll receive proof that they did. And I’d enclose a letter stating that the gun still doesn’t function properly, even after they serviced it per the recall. Finally, I’d insist that your particular gun appears to a lemon and you expect a credit voucher toward another Springfield weapon and/or a full refund. Might not hurt to let them know that you are the purveyor of a blog with 21k+ followers on twitter and you would like to be able to report a successful resolution to your followers regarding this matter.

  28. OrthodoxChick says: send it back to Springfield again

    I am going to give it one more try. I’ll go to the range soon and put a box through it. Then I’ll make up my mind.

    In any event, I am not without a useful .45. Mr. Sig Sauer P220 is here.

  29. Uxixu says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLk1v5bSFPw

    Anyone who owns a .45ACP should investigate the Smith & Wesson Model 625JM with moon clips. Another reason I love using common calibers (and love .45ACP almost as much as 10mm, though economics dictate I shoot the .45 much more). Used to scorn 9mm but it is more affordable to plink with and there is… something to be said for NATO commonality.

    On another note. I was motivated to make myself grilled cheese for lunch. I used regular white though (with cheddar) and was in a bit of a rush so it wasn’t as evenly toasted but still quite delicious.

  30. The Cobbler says:

    Mmmm, jarlsberg + pumpernickel?… Dropping that into the backwaters of my brain with a long rope, in hopes it will be drawn to resurface next time I happen to be at a grocery that carries such things…

  31. Uxixu says:

    Ah Maj Tony, though I was speaking facetiously of small arms (and always loved how the Franks in the Third Crusade at the Siege of Acre named their catapults “God’s Own Sling” and the “Evil Neighbor”), I must still disagree even for crew served weaponry. As an OIF vintage USMC Tank Commander, gunner, and crewman, I’m biased to direct fire, particularly from a depleted uranium armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot launched from the 120mm M256 Smoothbore. It would take a mighty lucky shot to get an Abrams on the move and any crew worth their salt will button up and haul tail when indirect fire is observed. When that tiger puts the meatball reticle on the target and lases, just about nothing can stop a meeting with the target’s Maker.

  32. Did anyone else see the article about S&W’s newest?

    .460 caliber, 3-inch barrel, high-visibility sights, shock-absorber in the grip

    The BackPack Cannon.

  33. OrthodoxChick says:

    Whoa!!!

    Here’s another link too (only b/c I had trouble bringing up your original link, Father).

    Tell ya what though, the recoil on this thing must be unbelievable!

    http://www.coloradonewsday.com/national/38656-the-backpack-cannon-smith-wesson-s-new-monster-revolver-a-great-gun-for-a-back-up-or-hunting.html

  34. Dutch says:

    Father, just fyi, Glock does not use a “slide release”, rather it is a slide stop lever. It is not intended to release the slide to load a round. An overhand grip with the non-shooting hand should be used to pull the slide to the rear and release it. If you find that your Glock slide occasionally locks back with rounds still in the mag, or does not lock back with an empty mag, it could be the extended slide stop lever. I’ve had shooters have this problem when their shooting hand thumb inadvertently rests on the slide stop. Hope this helps.

  35. Dutch says: slide stop lever

    Thanks! That’s helpful. I’ll keep this mind when I hit the range, maybe later today.

  36. Uxixu says:

    I have released my G21 slide to rack a round many many times, particularly on magazine swap drills and never yet had an FTF, Deo gratias.

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