Oct 12 , 2012 Breakfast For "Cabbie!" -Crispy Corned Beef Hash, Sunny Side Up Eggs with Ham, Green Onion & Cheese Biscuits… A Tribute To Mr. William Raspberry.

William Raspberry

I do not pretend to know Mr. William Raspberry as in life, I never actually met him but I did read his opinion column in the Washington Post regularly as I grew up in the Washington DC Area. "Cabbie" was a fictional character that Mr. Raspberry inserted to be the voice for the "common man" as it pertained to everyday life, some simple in their complexity while others were complex in their simplicity. I included one of my favorites in the link below, do yourself a favor and go to it to see his brilliance as a writer and his humility as a person. In the article Mr. Raspberry speaks to "Cabbie" about  the then recent appointment of  Margaret Heckler. The conversation that ensues between the two is both enlightening and quite surprising. I think what I found and continue to find as genius is the "Cabbie" dropping knowledge all around town. No matter what the subject, Cabbie was always well versed and prepared. When I think about it I owe Mr. Raspberry a great deal, as it was examples like this that gave me a healthy appreciation for people in all walks of life. His approach made me realize the importance of allowing every person a chance to speak and more importantly myself a chance to sit back listen and learn from what was said or not said.

Cabbie Had The Heckler Story All Wrong

On July 17th 2012, the Pulitzer Prize winning Columnist passed away and today Oct. 12th 2012 is his birthday. As a fan of his column and a friend to one of his children, Ms. Patricia Raspberry PHD,  I thought it might be a chance for me to pay tribute to a person that has meant so much to so many. The following menu as shared by Patricia, was his favorite breakfast. Here's to Mr. William Raspberry and the hope that I can do his breakfast justice. Happy Birthday Mr. Raspberry!!!

On The Menu Today : Breakfast For "Cabbie"! -  Corn Beef Hash with Ham, Cheese & Green Onion Biscuits & Chocolate Goddess....

Corned Beef Hash 

Ham, Green Onion & Cheddar Biscuits 

When I asked Patricia if I could do a tribute post for her father she shared a few of his favorite dishes, with corned beef hash being the one we settled on. Ms. Raspberry also shared a story with me that I wanted to share with you by paraphrasing. 

It seems that while Mr. Raspberry was known to the world as a great columnist and writer, his wife Sondra, and his children also knew that he was somewhat of a magician. When the family would go on rides around to different neighborhoods in DC he would actually, upon request, change the color of the moon. As the story goes, at sunset as the family was riding he would ask the children what color did they want the moon to be. After much deliberation a color would be decided upon by the Patricia,  and her siblings (Angela, Mark & Reggie) , just as soon as they had all but forgotten about the request, their father, Mr. Raspberry would shout out, "Hey kids! Look at the moon!" As the Raspberry clan looked out of the car window in amazement, the moon would be exactly the color requested. To this day Patricia has no idea how he did it but clearly remembers that the moons' color was changed. When she first shared this story with me I wondered how or if I could use it without knowing and sharing how he pulled this feat off and then it hit me. What's special is their belief in what happened on those car rides, not in revealing how he actually changed the color of the moon! In a way isn't that what life is all about? Aren't beliefs held more preciously when there is a belief and faith in the place of actually knowing? I know that I hold many beliefs based on faith and I think that it helps the dreaming child in me to control that dream killing rational adult. Don't get me wrong, of course I appreciate the adult but it's the child that gets me up on and on to the next challenge. So on the October 29th, the next full moon, don't be surprised if the moon is purple, green or even magenta. I'm sure my inner dreamer will make it so for me, how about you?

Mr. & Mrs. Raspberry 

The Family

On The Menu Today : Breakfast For "Cabbie"! -  Corn Beef Hash With Black Forrest Ham, Cheese & Green Onion Biscuits....

Blackened Corned Beef Hash, Eggs & Green Onion, Cheese & Ham Biscuits

For the Corned Beef Hash we will need the following:

• Yukon Gold Potatoes (7-8 ea)
• Onion (1 ea)
• Green Onions (1 cup)
• Corned Beef (3/4 lbs)
• Garlic (2 cloves)
• Thyme (4 stalks)
• Salt & Pepper (T T)
• Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
• Butter (1 tsp)

You can find corned beef in the deli section of any grocery store, just ask them to cut one thick slab
of it so that you can take it home and cut it into 1-2 inch thick cubes. Now dice the onions, potatoes, green onions, garlic. Heat a cast iron skillet or sauté pan and add 1/2 Tbs of olive oil and then the onions, cooking until slightly browned. Add the green onions and then the garlic then remove and set aside. Next, add the corned beef to the heated skillet along with 1/2 Tbs of Olive oil, heating until browned, remove and set aside with the onion mixture. Now add the potatoes to the heated skillet adding 1 Tbs of oil and the butter and cook until crisp (see below) and golden brown normally takes about 15 minutes. Finally add the all of the ingredients back to the skillet and stir until incorporated fully.

Blackened Corned Beef Hash 

For the "Sunny Side Up" Eggs we will need the following:

• Eggs (2 pp)
• Olive Oil (1 Tbs)
• Salt & Pepper (T T)

Start by adding the oil to a heated skillet, then cracking the egg and adding it to the pan, cooking until the whites are firm, the yolk should be runny. (see below) Season with salt & pepper liberally. 

Sunny Side Up

Black Forrest Ham, Cheese & Green Onion Biscuits 

For the Black Forrest Ham, Cheese & Green Onion Biscuits we will need the following:

• Jiffy Baking Mix (2 cups)
• Milk (2/3 cup)
• Black Forrest Ham (1/2 lbs)
• Cheddar Cheese (1 cup)
• Green Onions (1/2 cup)
• Butter (1 tsp)

You can find the ham in the deli section at your grocer, ask to have it cut into a 1/2 pound slab. Dice the ham and place it in a skillet along with the butter, allowing the pieces to brown. Take out and set aside. Dice the green onions, cheddar and set aside for later use. Mix the baking mix with the milk to form a lumpy dough. Finally, mix in the ham, onions and cheddar to incorporate. Use an ice cream scoop to place the dough on a floured cookie sheet and place in an oven preheated to 450 and bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve them while they are warm and cheesy.......

Hot Cocoa With Grand Marnier

For the Orange Chocolate Goddess we will need the following:

• Milk or Heavy Cream (2 cups)
• Bittersweet Chocolate Powder (3 Tbs)
• Sugar (2 Tbs)
• Grand Marnier (3 Tbs)

Patricia, Thank you for allowing me to share a bit of your father on my blog and to you and your family, sorry for your loss and know that his memory is cherished by many........