The Texana Review - Podcasts

Yikes! More Snakes!

There's been a movement afoot for more than several years now amongst those who spend a lot of time in the Texas outdoors.

That movement is to nurture the endangered Texas Indigo snake.

"Why?" you may ask.

Because those of us who tromp around the countryside for whatever reason - work or play - understand how a rattlesnake bite can ruin our day.

As it turns out (and is absolutely fine with me!), the Texas Indigo considers rattlesnake a delicacy, as you'll see in this short slideshow.

If you're squeamish, I suggest you NOT watch this!

If not, watch...

 

 

Technorati Tags: Texana Review,Ed Blackburn,Texas,Nature,Outdoors,ratlesnakes

Yikes! Snakes!

If you don't think the warm weather has made our Texas rattlesnakes happy, have a look at this!

Watch...

Technorati Tags: Texana Review,Ed Blackburn,Texas,outdoors,rattlesnakes

Nature greets me to San Angelo

(Click once to activate, again to play. Double click on screen to enlarge)

I arrived safely at the ranch in Coke County north of San Angelo last week, exhausted from all the packing, loading the truck and drive from Houston.  But soon as I stepped out of the truck's cab, I breathed in a large breath of west Texas air that extinguished my fatigue.

Although I still have stacks of boxes all around and my studio is a disaster, the boxes and organization will have to wait so I can ramp up The Texana Review again.

Yesterday, after working through several of my files, I stepped into the kitchen for a beverage.  I glanced out the window and, lo and behold, there were a couple of whitetail bucks sizing each other up. I know the rutting season is just about to begin, so I watched as these two circled one another, then started sparring.

I leapt to the box where I thought my video camera was and sure enough found it.  Here's what I watched through my kitchen window from about 40 yards.

Technorati Tags: Texana Review, Ed Blackburn, Texas, whitetail deer

Wild Duck & Goose Casserole from "Purloined Recipes"

(Podcast)
Here's another recipe from my father's collection of "Purloined Recipes," gathered from many years of outdoors activity, mostly hunting and fishing, and ranging from Mexico to Alaska.

"Since some [recipes], but not all, were originally from camping trips, they have been selected for their ease of preparation on the campfire.  The portable folding Coleman oven is a great adjunct to the iron skillet and Dutch oven." - Dr. Edward A. Blackburn, Jr.

This one's called Wild Duck & Goose Casserole.

Listen...

3:39 minutes

Music by Dave Howard
under Creative Commons License
Podshow Podsafe Music Network

 

WILD DUCK AND GOOSE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

4	geese, OR
8	ducks, OR a combination of the two
6-8	slices of bacon
1 can	orange juice concentrate
1 "can"	water
1/2 cup	Madeira wine
4-5	carrots, chopped
4-5	celery, stalks - chopped
1-3 cloves	garlic, chopped
-	Cayenne pepper
-	salt

 

Instructions:

Cut skinned breasts of geese and/or duck into serving size. Using heavy iron skillet, cook bacon until almost done.  Remove and set aside. "Dust" cut breasts with Cayenne pepper and sauté in bacon grease until lightly brown. Remove from skillet and place in deep casserole. Cover with orange juice, water, wine and chopped celery, garlic and carrots. Cook at 250-ish degrees for two to two-and-a-half hours. Remove vegetables.  Salt and pepper for taste. Remove meat from bones and serve over white or brown rice.   Broiled tomatoes and red wine make fine compliments.

 

Technorati Tags: Texana Review, Ed Blackburn, recipes, outdoors, cooking, campfire cooking

Another recipe from "Purloined Recipes"

"Purloined Recipes" is a carefully compiled compendium of recipes gathered by my father, Dr. Edward A. Blackburn, Jr., from over many years of outdoors activity, mostly hunting and fishing, and ranging from Mexico to Alaska to Africa.

To use his words: "Since some [recipes], but not all, were originally from camping trips, they have been selected for their ease of preparation on the campfire.  The portable folding Coleman oven is a great adjunct to the iron skillet and Dutch oven."

The word "ease" is always an attention-grabber for a bachelor like me, and this recipe sounds delicious whether cooked indoors or over a campfire.

Listen...

3:39 minutes

Music by Dave Howard
under Creative Commons License
Podshow Podsafe Music Network

BEFF DIJON WITH MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

1 lb.	boneless sirloin, one inch thick or more
2 tbs.	vegetable oil
2 cups	sliced mushrooms
1	onion, sliced
1	10-3/4 oz. can mushroom soup
1/2 cup	water
2 tbs.	Dijon mustard
4 cups	cooked rice

Instructions:

Slice beef into thin strips. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add beef strips and cook until brown, stirring to avoid burning.  When brown, remove from skillet and set aside. Add mushrooms and sliced onion to hot skillet and saute till done.  Add soup, water and mustard and heat to a boil.  Return beef to skillet and continue heating. Serve over rice.  Garnish with chives.

Music by Dave Howard under Creative Commons License

Technorati Tags: Texana Review, Ed Blackburn, recipes, outdoors, cooking, campfire cooking

A Texas Mountain Climber

(Podcast)
Edwin Allday is a Texan; a Texan by several generations.  He's also a mountain climber.  The two  - Texan and mountain climber - are, to me, somewhat dichotomous. 

I was intrigued, though, that Ed Allday had had the time to become a mountain climber amidst the many other important things he does.  Nonetheless, I convinced him to sit and chat with me about how he got involved in mountain climbing.

(click once to activate, then Play to start)

Play and/or download HERE

15:52 minutes

Photo by Al Monner, circa 1947

Music by Jeff Bossett - "Thoughts" from the album Swept Away, 2005