How to Clean Chitterlings (Chitlins)

Let us  be real with what chitlins are - they are hog intestines or guts. Some people turn up their noses at the mention of chitlins; others leave the house gasping while they are cooking, driven away by their odor. However, tons  of chitlins are sold in the United States especially during the holiday season.(Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years) Chitterlings are their formal name but most folks call them Chitlins. They are usually part of a larger meal that includes ham, potato salad, collard greens, dressing and other traditional Southern foods. Chitlins are not for the faint of smell or palate, which is why back in the day they were cooked outside at backyard hog killings in winter. They are a food you either love or hate.


Chitlins take a lot of time and effort to clean. They are partially cleaned when they are sold, but require additional hand cleaning before they are ready to eat. However, nowadays you can purchase already cleaned ready to cook chitterlings but I would still go over them once again to remove the excess fat.  The secret to good and safe chitlins is in the cleaning, not in the cooking. they are available in supermarkets in African-American neighborhoods, especially during the holiday season. they can also be ordered from a butcher, but be prepared to buy 10 pounds of chitlins to get 5 pounds to cook. Here is video that can help you out

 Chitlin Recipe

10-pound bucket fresh or frozen chitterlings
Cold water to cover
1 cup cider vinegar
5 bay leaves
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Hot pepper sauce

If chitterlings are froze, thaw.

Using a small soft brush, clean chitterlings thoroughly; rinse in several changes of cold water. Cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces.

Place the cleaned chitterlings into a large pot; cover with water and vinegar. Add bay leaves, onions, potatoes, green or red pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; turn heat to low and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until chitterlings are tender. remove from heat; drain well.

Serve with your favorite hot  sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

                                                 

The "Lake Effect"

If you are typical street smart Chicagoan or have ever rode the Green Line through Chicago's west side then, you have to be familiar with the infamous Lake Street. Most of Lake Street is covered by CTA's Green Line and is heavily peppered with liquor stores, drunks, cracklings, cellphone joints, a couple of Dunkin Donuts  and an occasional bad restaurant. Did you know that, Lake Street is also the unofficial divider between North and South Austin. Parts of Lake Street appear desolate and sparsely populated in certain places which make it an excellent stomping ground for ladies of the evening.

Lake St. and Laramie Ave

Laramie Ave

Central Ave and Lake Street

Prestige Liquors on Central near Lake St.

Another Liquor Store

 Although, Lake Street is riddled with poverty, drug addiction, and a lack of businesses that invest in the communities they serve, there are  positive things happening on this historic arterial road. Like, the PCC Austin Family Health Center, which is a  is a not-for-profit community health center network with nine family health centers dedicated to serving the people of Chicago and surrounding areas. There is also Mars Hill Baptist Church and Fraternite Notre Dame (Catholic Church) which offer job training programs, soup kitchens and food pantries. Lake Street also have seen a few new housing developments .

Lake Street is an important artery for the city of Chicago and it  needs a lot of help. For citizens wondering what could they do to make Lake Street a safer and more enjoyable place to live  instead of an occasional backdrop for films. Contact your alderman and other elected officials. Below are some links that could put you in the right direction.

• 29th Ward Alderman: Deborah Graham 
• 28th Ward Alderman: Vacant 
• 37th Ward Alderman: Emma Mitts 
• City of Chicago.Org

Ex Cons Need Jobs Too but Crooks Should be Put on Blast

Just the other day when I was riding the train (Green Line ) on my way to class my somewhat pleasant journey was interrupted by a passenger who came off as a typical CTA panhandler like Clarence Ervin  that's the guy who was arrested over 158 times and usually did his thing on the GreenLine but something about this guy seemed different. Buddy just interrupted everybody's flow when he opened his mouth and declared that he was an ex convict with a large family and needs a job to support his family. He then whipped out a laminated Illinois Department of Corrections Inmate   photo and proceeded to express how seriously he needed a job, he mentioned that he passed out a stack of resumes and had some to pass out. He also mentioned that he didn't want to  resort to robbing and stealing and all the criminal behavior he did in the past in to make ends meet. I felt sorry for the guy  even though deep in my heart I thought his ass was a crook, I was hoping that I was wrong. So I handed him a buck and took a copy of his resume. For the rest of the ride I pondered what could I do to help this man and many others in this situation so I decided to post his resume in hope that someone could help him out.

Open publication - Free publishing - 

 I know how  hard it is to find a job with a clean record and a college degree so I could only imagine how hard  it is for ex convicts. Later on that evening I saw the exact same guy on Youtube with the exact same pitch and the footage was taken over a year ago!

A Great Place to Eat in the Austin area

One day I was walking down Madison Ave. in Oak Park and saw this man dressed in a ridiculous hot dog costume, freezing his hind parts off and passing out flyers, for a nearby restaurant. I stopped and reluctantly accepted the invitation and saw that the invite was for the grand opening of Oak Park Dogs, a restaurant with a menu packed with the best of both worlds, Chicago favorites' made of turkey and beef as well as the usual fanfare. So of course, I had to check the place out! Immediately, I was impressed with the friendly service, the clean atmosphere, the reasonable prices, and it was great to know that is a black owned business. I ordered an Italian turkey with cheese (mozzarella) lightly dipped in turkey au jus along with fries (hand cut) and a drink to go. That sandwich was OFF THE CHAIN!!!! I enjoyed it more than an Italian beef from a typical corner joint in Austin or any place in the city! The turkey was a little thicker than the beef that is used for making Italian beef,  but it was moist and tasty and tasted if it was made with care. I would definitely recommend checking this place out.
Check out their menu

Open publication - Free publishing - More oakparkdogs

108  Madison
Oak Park, IL
708-848-3647

I Found Your Wig

So, I'm walking down Austin Blvd. and as I'm nearing  Washington Street and  I see something that resembles a half frozen opossum. Curiosity  consumed me and I just had to take a closer look at the peaked looking creature before me, and low and behold it was a wig! I took a double take and I thought twice, and I could only think to myself why would someone leave their wig on the street, was it that windy outside or did someone slip and fall and the wig fell off and the person was just too embarrassed to pick that wig up and keep it moving like nothing happened. Whatever the case may be, I thought I would be a good Samaritan and do the right thing and unite this wig with its proper owner.  This wig looks like it come from a great person and I'm going to make sure its placed with its owner, or I will adopt it myself.