Baltimore - We got up at 5:00 am after about 2 1/2 hours sleep so we could make the long trek to Asheville. We had to leave plenty of time for navigating through the Washington DC Beltway traffic, looking to try to arrive early for our show. Breakfast consisted of half a loaf of na’an and some instant coffee (Trader Joe’s individual coffee envelopes, complete with cream and sugar. Thanks, Barbi!) We made it out the door in really good time.
During the long drive, we of course made some stops and I partook in some road food: Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts and a single Monterey Jack Chicken taquito from 7/11. Then at another stop I ate once more, a footlong Subway chicken chipotle sub with everything except cukes and jalepenos, topped with honey mustard sauce and a little bit of their chipotle sauce. It’s their featured sub this month, so it only had a $5 price tag. No chips, but bought a bottle of Orange Crush from the gas station.
After 8 1/2 hours on the road, we arrived at Asheville, NC. My dear friend Aimee is hosting us at her house in Asheville, NC. She was at work when we arrived in town, but had left a key for us to get in to her house, and also informed us that she had homemade pork and black bean soup in the fridge for us, along with sour cream, cheese and hot sauce for augmentation. I have to stop here for a moment and mention that Aimee is a saint. She has welcomed us into her home on every visit we’ve made to Asheville, and she has fed us like kings. Aimee is one of the best cooks I have ever known - she definitely makes the best grits I have ever tasted, and I will be swiping the recipe from her . This pork and black bean soup is amazing. It has big chunks of what I’m guessing is boiled pork shoulder or butt, plus of course, black beans, plus corn, tomatoes and other assorted veggies and spices. It is maybe more truly a gumbo than a soup, with a thick, rich texture. I have augmented mine with some Louisiana hot sauce and two dollops of sour cream. Ok, enough writing, I’m going to eat this before it gets cold! Then, it’s naptime!
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| Aimee's Pork Soup, hearty broth, dollops of sour cream |
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| Close up of the meaty pork chunks |
Post nap I found out that our show for the night got cancelled. It was double booked, which is a shame. But we lucked out because we found out there was a punk rock show going on in the back of a record store in downtown Asheville. Since we didn’t have a show to play, it was totally cool for us to go out and hit this donate at the door DIY event, and to grab some wine and beer on the way. I drank a magnum of White Zin (which is actually pink, my favorite color). Some amazing bands, some smoking, some drinking, then back to Aimee’s, where after even more drinking, Swagger and I had the munchies so we busted out our Indian MREs. I decided on a coconut based veggie soup which was way spicier than I anticipated. I love the spicy, so this was a very pleasant surprise. I complimented the meal with onion na’an and some generic saltines. Perfect. So perfect I didn’t even bother with a drink. These MREs are extraordinarily passable. The texture of this is perfect, it’s like a thick soup. The spices are spot on, and the heat level is better than expected.
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Chestnut Growler plays drums for The Swaggerin' Growlers, a punk/folk band based in Boston, MA. He tours full time. This blog is about the food experienced on the road: the good, the bad, the homemade and the gas station sammiches. You can find the band here: The Swaggerin' Growlers
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