Morning Wolves Reading
by wyn on Aug 12, 2008 2:00 AM CDT
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- Bleacher Report says Randy Foye's more important than anyone in turning the Wolves' record around. I've never heard anyone use the term "PGE" (Post-Garnett Era). Not sure whether I like it or not. They also call Witt "arguably, the NBA's worst head coach." Ouch. I've been plenty doubtful about Wittman, but worst? Regardles, I have to agree that if this team is to take a major step forward this year, Randy will have to play very well. There should be less pressure for him to score with Al and Mike Miller likely being options 1 and 2, but there will likewise be ample opportunities for him off the ball with Miller, Love and sometimes Telfair on the floor with him.
- Timberwolves.com has a profile on Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal. Cardinal's most often been referred to as "the worst contract on the team" but he's never been a complainer and while he's nothing special on the court, he doesn't make many mistakes. Collins, on the other hand, is someone who I think will help out tremendously. If Love and Al are getting burned on defense down low, Collins can be brought in to anchor things. He is a terrific post defender, something we've lacked (outside of KG) for quite some time (and some might even argue that Garnett's interior D was always best as a helper). As a mere gripe, moving Buckner and Walker did not "give Minnesota considerably more financial flexibility." It is rather notable that Timberwolves.com published a story that doesn't come across as a marketing pitch. Nothing against Mike Trudell, who does a very good job covering the team, but Zach Eisendrath's piece reads much more like a fan perspective than an official team source.
- The Wolves will be at the State Fair again this year, as they are every year. They'll be in the Grandstand, upper level. I must say, as a former State Fair employee, I've always been disappointed with how the pro sports teams treat their presence. They do plenty of promotion and some interaction with the media, but the booths really don't have a whole lot going on. Corey Brewer and Chris Richard made appearances last year, but they could rally some serious press by having more appearances by players and a more interesting exhibit (am I the only one who would find a Minneapolis Lakers history display or a Minnesota basketball history exhibit interesting?). My experience has always been a couple of ticket reps and some free schedules. But maybe the market research doesn't support my opinion... in fact, it rarely does.
- In case you're interested:
The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking for talented, energetic and motivated women to represent the team as part of the 2008-09 Timberwolves Dancers. Open auditions for this year's team will be held on Monday, Aug. 25, with finalists being called back on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Auditions will be held at Life Time Fitness-Target Center.
- Lastly (via Green Bandwagon) is a bit of Little Penny for your enjoyment (or at least mine):
"I know my spots fool."
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Thanks for keeping us posted in this uneventfull month (well, I’m watching olympics 24/7 but no medals yet :’( ).
August is always the worst month for die hards.
And I don’t really like watching football and baseball. How else am I supposed to stave off house work?
yeah thanks Wyn, it’s true, August sucks :) Oh also I agree, I think Collins could get substantial minutes and have a really nice year. I think I mentioned that I saw a lot of the Toronto-NJ series a couple of years ago, Collins was simply fantastic on D against Bosh – pushed him out way further than he wanted to be, kept him off the boards, just basically beat him up. Even played him well out in that 16-18 foot zone Bosh likes so much. Doesn’t really do much on offense, but for this team and in the role he’ll be playing that shouldn’t matter much.
Wim I thought Boonen might pick one off for you guys in the road race, but then I saw he wasn’t even there, was he still suspended for the coke thing? We (Can.) have no medals yet either, it’s damn depressing.
What part of Canada?
My wife and I have looked into moving to Toronto. Not for any political reasons. We just like cosmopolitan big cities and we don’t like New York and San Fran is too damn expensive.
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Grew up in Winnipeg but lived in Toronto for about 10 years, great town, a bit pricey but what big city isn’t. Then again way less expensive than NY or SF! I’ll probably be leaving Mpls in a year or 2 and will move back there in a second if I can find a job there. That’s one good thing about Canada, the cities (Toronto and Montreal, also Vancouver though I’m much less familiar with it) are great.
by plinytheelder on Aug 14, 2008 5:12 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm trying to find a US State Dept job there...
…i’ve started the process and my wife is a nurse who has looked into some nursing exchange programs. It’s a fantastic city and probably the best thing going in the middle of the continent.
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Don’t know about State Dept. options but I hear nursing jobs can be had anywhere? Plus this way you can maybe get paid in CDN$ ;)
If you’re interested, here’s an article from a chap I like to read, I think he makes some interesting points, plus it’s nice to read about Canada in a British newspaper since the Canadian papers are terrible. Seems like the Canadians didn’t like it much based on the comments (we’re a touchy bunch after all)…though fittingly (since we’re also a boring bunch) there are only 11 comments, virtually all from Canadians, hence to be taken with a grain of salt, hehe.
by plinytheelder on Aug 14, 2008 11:20 PM CDT up reply actions
I love...
…how they all went after his misspelling of poutine. There are a few places in Minneapolis you can find some good poutine. There’s a place over on Eat Street that had some.
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PS:
I’m a big fan of BBQ poutine. I ate at a place just outside of Little Rock Arkansas that had it on the menu as “Canadian Fries” but it was fresh cheese curds with BBQ sauce, some shredded pork, and onions over some fries. It was nice.
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yeah there’s no better 3am drunk food…and damn that shredded pork sounds good!
by plinytheelder on Aug 15, 2008 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
It was very good.
Arkansas is a very underrated BBQ destination. One of the great things about Arkansas cuisine is that embraces the french fry. 2 of the best meals I had in the state were fry plates. I had the rib and fry plate at a place called McClard’s in Hot Springs and a too-good-to-put-into-words steak and fry plat at a place called Doe’s Eat Place. If I’m having a death row meal, that’s it: the steak and fry plate from Doe’s. It’s amazing.
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yeah that meal sounds fantastic. Not sure I should make this recommendation, but I’m going to anyways…if you’re ever in Mpls and feel like a good steak and fries, Barbette is very good. The reason I’m hesitant to make the suggestion is that it costs something like 26 bucks, so not exactly in the vein of Doe’s, it seems… Still, it’s a pretty authentic French-style steak-frites (and a lot cheaper than it would be in Paris ;), the fries are really good, pretty nice if you feel like indulging yourself.
by plinytheelder on Aug 15, 2008 6:57 PM CDT up reply actions
I've been there and it's fantastic.
In the times that I have been in Minnesota, I’ve mostly lived in south Mpls and Bloomington. Good steak is going to cost you and even the stuff at Doe’s (which is sold by the pound) can get pricey. My favorite steak in Minnesota used to be Lindey’s up in Arden Hills. After BBQ, I’m something of a steak snob and they have the best cut of meat. Mancini’s is the best steak house followed by Manny’s. Notice the distinction between steak and steak house. Mancini’s and Manny’s have the best old-men’s-club feel. I had one of the best steaks in my life up at Lindey’s but the next time we went it was terrible. Minnesota lacks what a lot of other great states have: a magnificent dive bar steak. I can give you 10 different places in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Texas that are (a’la Doe’s) head and shoulders above a swank place like Manny’s, Murray’s, or Morton’s.
If you really want a good steak, I’d suggest going to Forster’s Meat Market in Plymouth. They have some amazing dry aged steaks that you can grill up on your own and are every bit as good as any steak house in town.
Down here in southern MN, I go to Schmidt’s Meat Market in Nicollet. We have an ice box in the basement and I buy a quarter beef and a hog every year from them. I usually buy a hind or split-side quarter and it gives us all the steaks we can possibly eat throughout the year. We split with some neighbors. Anywho, you can get dry aged steaks for cheap at a local butcher for between $10-20 per pound. If you buy a quarter, it’s even cheaper. And (this is the great secret of great steaks), after a few tries, you can cook a steak every bit as good as what you can find at top flight steak houses. Just make sure to write down EVERYTHING on your first few attempts. Temp, time, everything. It’s actually one of the easiest gourmet meals to make. A high-quality dry aged steak practically cooks itself and you need zero seasoning.
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Thanks for the tip!
I read an article about dry aged steaks in City Pages a few years ago, but have yet to try them. Maybe I’ll have to do so before the summer ends.
by plinytheelder on Aug 15, 2008 11:15 PM CDT up reply actions
The best way to cook it...
…in my opinion is to pan fry it for 3-4 minutes on each side and then put into a 425 degree oven. You can then use the juices in the pan to make a nice sauce by adding various ingredients; wine, butter, shallots, shrooms, whatever…while the steak cooks for 3-4 more minutes. Some people put the steak in the oven in the pan with the additional ingredients, but I prefer to have a completely season-free cut of meat where people can add sauce, salt, pepper, and whatever on their own. I typically put the steak on it’s serving plate in the oven. A good cut of meat will have more than enough of its own taste to make it a one-of-a-kind meal….especially if it comes from a good herd.
Always cook your dry aged steak at room temperature. Never, ever, ever, ever salt your steak. Let your steak sit for at least 5 minutes after pulling it out of the oven before you serve it. Remember to write things down. The first time you try it, you should check the internal temp of the steak when it comes out of the oven. Know the temps for rare and medium rare. If you get a good, fresh dry aged cut, you can damn near eat the thing raw so don’t worry about it being too undercooked if you like it rare. I shoot for 125 right when I pull it out of the oven and then it will cook right up to the perfect medium rare look when you cut it for serving.
As far as cuts go, if you’re serving for size, Porterhouse and T-Bone are the way to go. Porterhouse steaks are bigger and a bit tougher. I’m a big fan of KC strip steaks. These are sometimes called New York strips…it’s the same cut of meat. Also, if you can, get a steak 1 1/2 inches or more in thickness.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com
Yea I think it’s still that coke thing. It’s also the first time since 1948 we’re not going to have any medals in Judo. We used to be pretty good at that. Though you gotta have some “luck” as well.
Collins seems like a guy that could fit .. short term. Problem is his age, at 30, he’s probably going to be over his prime by the time Jefferson is starting his + off course the contract that he has, he’s probably not going to want to stay anyway.
But short term? No doubt, maybe this is the year we get to see what we wanted to see last year before they let Ratliff go.
Sounds like the Belgian soccer team should get a medal just for surviving the China game with all their parts intact!
by plinytheelder on Aug 14, 2008 6:28 PM CDT up reply actions
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