Workin’ it.
Ron is my guy. He lives on island year-round. He is the magic and the glue that makes all the wintertime open hours happen. It used to be GAS HOURS. That was it. People came in the dark & the cold and got gasoline for their car and moved on with their night. Then we thought, If we’re open for these set hours each week, why not make the best out of it? Let’s do more! More ended up being drinks, soup, and light food offerings—things one person could manage. So! “Gas Hours” became “Gas & More” then became “Gas & More with Ron” which naturally lead to “Ron & More.”
A 2021 limited edition “Ron & More” tee shirt
But of course, Ron has a life, a family, and a full-time career, as well as a book under contract with a publisher, civic duties, and more. So sometimes I must cover for Ron. And today was one of those days. I wore my Ron & More shirt on shift (see above).
When you see Ron, ask him about chickens.
Good: 80 degree days well into October! My commute was warm, beautiful & felt a bit indulgent. Days that allowed for pizza parties on the beach, a little swimming, and filled the Bakehouse with islanders & day trippers for our off-season hours! More!
Bad: 80 degree days well into October. We all know that we’ll pay for this at some point. As avid skiers, we are praying to the snow gods that the October heat tax isn’t due in February. Meet you at the beach for après? Sugarloaf.com | Sugarloaf Introduction to Modern Climate Change: Dessler, Andrew E.: 9781108793872: Amazon.com: Books
Unexpected: That NONE of the & Sons want to go to Homecoming Weekend at Sugarloaf this weekend! Homecoming Weekend | Sugarloaf Glad they have friends and fun on their own, but it’s still a bittersweet passage of time.
& sons. Five years younger. Fall mainland re-entry. These guys would have all wanted to be at the ‘loaf!
What I’m reading: Federal government website literature & tips on how to successfully apply to be a H2B visa employer. Maine JobLink - Maine JobLink H-2B Temporary Non-agricultural Program | U.S. Department of Labor. As the & Sons age and someday move on, that will mean that my employees age and move on. We have had years of outstanding college kids through the J-1 Visa (student-work) program: Mexican, Russian, Malaysian, Bulgarian, Egyptian, and Jamaican! Our local branch of the foreign student exchange machine is CIEE. These amazing members of the Bakehouse staff would like to come back for future seasons! Such a compliment as an employer! But they graduated, so no more J-1 visa eligibility. No problem! That’s what the H2B program is for! But saying the application process is a little tedious is like saying the ocean is a little salty.
What the & Sons are asking for: Chicken fajitas. A very underappreciated meal. So basic, so simple. Starch, protein, vegetable in a one-hand meal. Here’s my recipe:
Butter in a larger sauté pan. 1–2 T? more? How’s your cholesterol level? And whatever size pan you want for however many people you have—you just need to be toss it nicely.
Peppers & onions to your desired ratio. I start with a whole red pepper & half a white onion. Julienned. Jokes. I don’t care about your knife skills. I just wanted you to know that I’m not just some charlatan Culinary Arts Institute – The W . Cut your veggies in one bite strips. I’ll say no more
Minced garlic. 1 or 2 cloves. I always go heavy on garlic.
Chicken. Any variety- thighs, breasts, rotisserie, raw, leftover (caveat: sans bones!) The beauty of this meal is that all you need is a little bit of meat and you can feed the masses. **If it’s raw, add the chicken to the pan first. If it’s leftover, add the chicken last.**
Sautee it all up nice and hot!
In another pan, or flattop, or griddle, get the rest ready::
Flour tortillas. (Go ahead, use corn. I’m sure you have a reason. But that’s not going to give you my fajita flavor. Just try the flour ones once. For me.)
Add your chicken & veggie mixture and top of those hot tortillas as well as the real star of the show:
American cheese. An underappreciated workhorse. I know it’s not cheese.
Fold each tortilla into thirds (like an 8 ½ x 11”sheet of paper into an #10 envelope) serve, consume.
This dinner is my rendition of McDonald’s Fajitas. Whatever Happened To McDonald's Chicken Fajitas?
I don’t do McDonalds now, but I was raised on fast food in the 90s. I used to not do American cheese, but not now it’s a household staple. Analogous? McDonalds is to restaurants as to American cheese is to cheese? Take it or leave it.
This week’s paper cup contains: Beef & Bean Chili with layers of spice. Slow Cooker Chili Recipe. Islander favorite! Who doesn’t like for everyone to be happy & sated? This chili will do it. Not spicy hot, spicy as in a lot of spices. Cocoa, cinnamon, chipotle, cloves, paprika . . . many more. Sweet & savory & full of depth.
Only change to the recipe is that I used canned chipotle peppers instead of powder. Also, I do not have a slow cooker for forty servings, so I made it on the stovetop, then transferred it into the convection oven in a covered hotel pan.
