Tyrone the Rock Star

Ever since we have arrived on the Ship everyone on board as greeted Tyrone with such excitment. They are tired of meat the tastes like rubber. He is making ribs and mac n' cheese today for dinner, hopefully he won't disappoint them.

AFM menu - Introduction

Welcome to the AFM menu. If you would like to view the menu right away click 'menu' on top underneath the anchor.

This blog is maintained by the Chief Cook/Executive Chef. The Africa Mercy is in West Africa. Our organization is Mercy Ships and we need volunteers of all work experiences, but this blog will directly be related to Food Service. Hopefully it will be filled with the current menu for the AFM and other relative food and personal experience posts while working in the Galley (Kitchen).

tyronebcookin...cook, chef, culinary sponge, traveler, volunteer, missionary.

The Taj Mahal

So we made it to the Ship with all of our luggage, Praise the Lord. Tyrone is still not feeling well (He has had a cold for about 4 days) and now his ears are giving him trouble due to the multiple take offs and landings. When we landed in Tenerife the feeling of relief swept over my body. We are finally here. We will have the same cabin (Lord willing) for one year. I finally feel like I can settle in. We have been planning on coming to the ship since February, so we have been in transition period since then. When I walked into our new cabin I got goose bumps. partially due to the freezing air conditioning, but mostly due to the beauty of our new home. We both lived on the Caribbean Mercy and were used to living in a junky, old, shoe box, but this is clean, new, spacious and organized. We both have our own night stands and closets!!!!!!! Praise the Lord. And in the closet there are 4 shelves. All my stuff neatly fits on to the appropriate shelf. Plus we have a desk with plenty of shelves and our bed has massive storage underneath. I am so thankful for the beautimus living space. Please pray for us and the ability for us to adjust to the time change and our new environment, plus I would really like some girl friends.

You smell the way I want you to smell.

During our time in  Huntsville, we have been able to hang out with my niece (Katie,9) Nephews (Noah, 7, and VJ,18 months). They all are so individual and delightful... most of the time. Katie is so smart and inquisitive, and Noah would say BOSSY. We play games together, currently, the favorite is Trouble in the bubble. The other day we painted her nails and it only took 1 hour, due to the multiple retouches. Noah is FUNNY. He says things like "You're my favorite Auntie because you smell the way I want you to smell."  (He has a thing for perfume, I think). He loves movies and he loves to re-in-act them even more. As soon as the movie is over he runs into his room and replays the whole movie while admiring his shadow. VJ has newly discovered the world of walking and mischief. He got a rocking horse for Christmas and he loves to give it "loves" and make nay sounds.

Christmas Meal & Stollen

As most of you know I (tyrone) have a disdain for the 'normal' holiday meals (Ham, Turkey) so I was pretty pleased at this years Christmas meal that was a collaboration between my mother, my brother-in-laws mother, and me.

My mom brought scalloped potatoes (tasty as to be expected) and a chocolate cake (because we do a 'Happy Birthday Jesus Cake!' from time to time as part of Christmas Dinner), Ursula (bro-in-law's mom) brought cranberry & apples (sauce/relish) dish and my personal favorite for coffee or tea, Stollen (at my request of course). I cooked the protein/meat which was a pecan-crusted chicken with a creamy honey mustard sauce, the vegetable was baby carrots with cream of cilantro sauce, and wheat rolls with butter/Gorgonzola/olive tapenade center (baked inside).

ALL the food was delicious and excellent but I want to talk about the Stollen for a minute...for all the tea, chai, coffee drinkers out there that eat biscotti, scones, or any baked bread item in between you should really try Stollen. Click the underlined link above for the Wikipedia definition, history, and recipes.



I guess I could have asked Ursula for the recipe but what's the fun in that? If I could make it for myself, would I? I don't know. Some things are more prized or special when other people make them their way for you, and you come to expect it that way...sometimes it's disappointing to try other recipes and not taste like when they make them.

At this point, If I ate someone else's Stollen I'm not sure I would like it, or if it would 'measure up' to Ursula's...because she is (by the way) German so I would suspect the Stollen would be as original and genuine as you can get (with of course any historic family influence it has had along the way).

In Transit to Alabama for the Holidays!

Leaving Texas traveling to Alabama with some small stops along the way to visit friends and 'debrief' from our time at the Mercy Ships IOC (International Operations Center) in East Texas.

We will be spending the holidays with my family as we enjoy a few days of rest, reflection, and some last minute fund raising before traveling to the Africa Mercy in a little over 2 weeks!

Charitable Giving Choices? Consider Us!

Consider financially supporting us this year as we go to West Africa to work as volunteers with Mercy Ships, you can donate online (securely) tax deductible by clicking this link: Tyrone & Stephanie OR make your check payable to Mercy Ships but be sure to use the 'FOR' or 'MEMO' part of your check to insert our code: #MSQ1606 and mail to: mySHIPMATES - PO BOX 2020 - Garden Valley, TX 75771

Bittersweet

Bittersweet refers to a combination of the standard tastes of sweetness and bitterness, and is often used as a metaphor for experiences which have elements of both happiness and sadness.

As we prepare to leave Texas that is the emotion I have today while boxing things and throwing away trash...Stephanie is at work, her last day in the Mother Francis ER.

We will miss many people here as we have made many friends. But speaking for myself I think I will miss the Hoag family and Sunday School class the most. (Grace CommunityNewlyweds or was it young married couples? Anyway, I qualify for both! )

Of course Stephanie will miss friends she has made at work and around Tyler and Mercy Ships, but with Mercy Ships you tend to bump into them again somewhere on this small planet.

It hasn't been without its struggles preparing for our next adventure but mostly small and insignificant. The most recent being a 'hiccup' in Mercy Ships HR with their need for additional information, which I am sure will straighten itself out...but keep praying for us as we travel to Alabama for the Holidays, then to meet the ship. Also for our financial support as well.

Sad to go, Happy to be continuing on with these great oppurtunities...yeah, Bittersweet.

Range Rover Eulogy

Clifford was a great companion. He was feet above the rest. A site to behold from California to Alabama.

He would take long journeys in silence just to spend time with you. He could help you with bumpy trials in your life. Clifford brought my wife to me over mountains and dessert. He was her protector, confidant, pal, and companion.

He was greatly envied by Surfers, Hunters, wanna-be rappers (...ridin' on 33's) for his commanding presence and sheer elegance among the newer and more popular crowd...

But as 'they' say, 'nothing lasts forever' and Clifford has moved on from our lives, we shall greatly miss him and maybe even feel guilty for 'selling him out'...but he has a better home now, someone who will take care of him...someone who will make him feel useful during this long time we will be away with no promise of returning.

Clifford, we will miss you dear friend!

Feasting on Asphalt - quickbite

Korea House - Huntsville Alabama

From FOA - Quick Bite

I have been going to this little house's Korean lunch buffet for years...When my friend Will (half Korean) moved to Huntsville it became more of a weekly tradition when I was living there.

Awesome Korean food, if you have someone like Will with you he knows how to ask for 'specialty' things other people would never know to ask for! And you can order off the menu, I think...Because I have never really ordered off the menu but I have seen others eating shabu shabu (hot pot) style and also Be Bim Bop and other well known favorites.

The Restaurant is indeed a repainted old house and it is not fancy or modern, the buffet is a tight little 'L' format not far from the front door...but the food is excellent and prices are low. This restaurant used to be on my route when I first started working for Budweiser, the kitchen was always clean and always run by Korean women, no men.

Another good tip-off that this was at least good at minimum was every time I have been there the customers were 50-70% Korean.

If you are looking for a new, modern, fancy high cost restaurant to impress your friends or your self, THIS IS NOT IT.  If you are looking for great Korean food and a weekly to bi-weekly lunch tradition...this is the place to meet and eat! 

* TIP - they say that Tuesday is 'spicy and juicy ribs' on the buffet...can't verify that one because I last ate there on a Friday right after Thanksgiving (last month).  But I have ate the ribs(riblets), and they are delicious, so they have been on the lunch buffet before.

From FOA - Quick Bite

Click for MAP, or further REVIEWS.

Free Album - Christian Rap...it CAN be good!

(Tyrone posting) Believe it or not, I grew up with rap...but now that I don't care for the nasty, bling, selfish role of most of the music today I tend to look towards the Christian music scene for better music, but sometimes it falls so short in the Rap category, or the sound feels like it's still stuck in the past, BUT THIS ONE? I liked almost every song AND it's free!

The debut album by Conviction, entitled "Soul Food", is now out! --> DOWNLOAD HERE The goal is for people to download the project, burn multiple copies, and pass them out to as many people as they come across who don't know Jesus. This will be a great resource for believers who have a heart for the street but have little cash to purchase CDs from their favorite HHH artists in bulk to pass out. The project has 15 songs on it, and the topics covered are as diverse as Conviction's flows! The album features collaborations with Jacob Izrael, Excelsius, His Heir, and others. Make sure you stop by and download this free project by Conviction TODAY! For more information on Conviction, visit http://www.myspace.com/convictionmusic or e-mail him at stillchadic03@yahoo.com

Feasting on Asphalt - Thanksgiving Edition (wrap-up)

Although our road trip did not end till further down the line, I want to wrap it up in Little Rock Arkansas. I don't want to bore you by drawing this out to long...

Continuing on down Interstate 30 looking to meet up with 40 (in Little Rock) we took the President Bill Clinton exit to downtown where there are shops, markets, and restaurants galore...and for some reason everything is 'flying'. Like the flying hot dog, the flying buffalo wing, things of that nature...whats with the flying?

Well anyway...we ate at the (yes you guessed it) Flying Fish Restaurant!

Stephanie and I had a fabulous grilled grouper po'boy sandwich with fried calamari and pickled green tomatoes. NO, the pickled green tomatoes were not good, they start out being OK for a new taste, but it leans more towards being a watery sugared green tomato, than a pickle tasting pickled green tomato. The calamari was excellent, but some of you would be surprised that it was breaded with seasoned cornmeal not flour. The dipping sauce for the calamari was good & different, but if you don't like heinz 57 sauce then I would not suggest using it, thats what the 'base' flavor tasted like to me.

Very good food, no frills, order food, wait, pick it up, seat yourself...you get the picture. But the restaurant is fun and entertaining. Lots of things to read and see hanging up on the walls.

I took a few pictures but since my posts are more about experiences and letting YOU know about them I would suggest the following website for more pictures and detail: http://www.galenfrysinger.com/little_rock_flying_fish.htm

Although you may look at my album which has more pictures of the different places we were at during this time. Oh, almost forgot...make sure you check out the Billy Bass Adoption Center at the above link, fascinating...

From Feasting on A...

Emeril Lagasse gets kicked down a notch...

Food Network to Cease Production of Emeril Lagasse's 'Emeril Live'

NEW YORK — Food Network is kicking Emeril Lagasse down a notch.

The celebrity chef's "Emeril Live," which has been on the air for 10 years, will cease production Dec. 11, Food Network publicist Carrie Welch told The Associated Press.

"However, Emeril is under contract with Food Network," Welch said Tuesday. "We love him, we support him and look forward to a long partnership with him."

Welch wouldn't comment on Lagasse's contract.

Asked why the show was canceled, she told the AP: "The only reason would be that it hit a ton of television milestones and, you know, all good things come to an end."

The Food Network will continue producing Lagasse's "The Essence of Emeril," and he will take part in "specials and other development opportunities in the future," Welch said.

The network will also air reruns of "Emeril Live."