H is for How Are You?

Hopefully everybody's doing well. I'm back so hopefully you'll let me back in your life.

Isn't it fitting that an H fitted was delivered as I moved into the new crib? Not really. Just more shit to add to the heap. But all H's are always welcome, so never be afraid to knock on my door. Word on the street is that there might be a navy joint crossing the Pacific as we speak. Don't quote me on that. You would think that I'd be more fiscally responsible in this economic pigpen. Need to drown your sorrows somehow. Better fitteds than drugs.

H is also for Happy New Year, L'a Shana Tovah. It is Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish new year, so prosperity, health , and good fortune to all, even the non Chosen heathens out there. New apartment, new neighborhood, new everything. Saying goodbye to old habits, clutter, shit I don't need, ex wifeys that fuck with your emotions, high fructose corn syrup (don't believe those propaganda commercials), and all the other shit that keeps me immobile. But before I bid farewell to these negative elements, it is important you see how some of it has followed me. The records must have slipped in through the cracks or copied a key while I was sleeping.



That's the kitchen. We got Hip hop for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with some R&B blue plate specials, and the occasional funk or sole (get it??) fresh catch. Each stack is more than 4 feet tall- the longer they remain the worse the grooves get. I should spark up the oven and throw them all in. We should be good to go in several weeks, and then the uptown jumpoff.

On a positive note, the food game is so much better, and within walking distance. Have been to Nuevo Ambiente several times for the Pollo Salteado and Pollo Guisado and these alone are worth the relocation.

RECORDS, RECORDS, AND MORE RECORDS

With the move I have lots of stuff to unload. Some for free, some for cheap - all needs to be out by next week. If you're interested in picking any up e-mail me at howfresh24@gmail.com.

HowFreshEats is not Dead... Just Moving.

You heard it. He finally gained the courage to move his shit. I have no clue what it's like to travel light. I've been lugging this anchor around for years. I went to Charleston with tons of stuff, and came back with more. Moved to Woodlawn, and leaving with more- at least at the moment. And now I'm off to Inwood and just put a bullet in my head. But I'm too invested to back out now.

Whenever the idea of relocating would pop up in the noggin, little birds would tweet and flap their wings, and then BAM, a crate of records would smash their little delicate frames. I'm not trying to fill your heads with gory, macabre images, but that's how it went. I was a prisoner of my own doing. Today I am happy to proclaim that those chains of oppression have been shattered and I'm a free man. Hide the women, lock up the babies and keep the livestock in their pens.

I wish my move would be as easy and free spirited as what is pictured above. Give me a frame and I'll hang myself with it. Ugh. Instead I'm working with what's below. I am sending out an open invitation to anybody that would love to partake in the move of 2008. Meet at 9am at the corner of 235th and Katonah and the party will start. Whatever you want from Sean's Irish Deli- I got you. Blood pudding, white pudding, Irish bacon, lucozade, chicken curry, scones- charge it to the game. Then I'll hit you with the tostones or mofongo in the new hood.





With all that said, until I'm back online, postings will be limited- as if they haven't been lately. Technically I've been involved with the move since the 1st, so I have a reason for lackluster productivity. So don't forget about me. Just peruse some other sites for your weekly/daily fix and I'll be back very shortly with some mind blowing, out of this world content.

Only problem I have now is which borough to rep at a party- do I lock and load the nickel plated twin milly when they shout "Is Uptown in the house?" or stay loyal to my roots and squeeze the blamma when they ask "Is the Bronx in this Motherfucker?" Time will tell.

Nas Is Like...Free Shows at Webster Hall

I would like to start this by saying Illmatic is the greatest hip hop album ever created. Yes, it is my favorite, but also the best. I'm not going out on a limb by saying it's the finest assemblage of 10 tracks making for the perfect listen. Even the worst track ("One Time For Your Mind") is dope. From the train tracks on "Genesis" to "It Ain't Hard to Tell", the ride comes full circle. Nas was blessed and cursed with this album as it immediately placed him among hip hop's elite, and created a standard that Nasty and his flashy and fly doppleganger Esco could never duplicate. Maybe these are just thoughts from a jaded hip hop fan, but it seems to have proven accurate over the 15 years that Nas has been making music. If we were looking at a line chart you would see the highest returns in 1994 and a steady decline there after. A couple of spikes heading north with Godson and Hip Hop is Dead (I haven't listened to his latest release in depth to give a fair assessment), but in total a disappointment after the initial jump from the gate. It was only after the sub par releases that "It Was Written" began to grow on people. This might cause some grumblings in the crowd, but I pay them no mind.

So Nas performed last Wednesday, August 27th. A free show in which I was lucky to get some last minute access. All wasn't sweet though. Upon entering the majestic Webster Hall, what do I see on the stage? Instruments. Fucking instruments. I hate live bands at hip hop shows. UNLESS YOU ARE THE ROOTS. And I've seen them numerous times so that doesn't do it for me. Hip hop albums are studio recordings off of tracks that used samples. Rarely were live instruments used in the recordings. I know that recently this has become more prominent, but when discussing pre 2000 albums and tracks, this was more or less non-existent. I like to hear the music live the same way I hear it on speakers in my house, car, bbq, club, etc. I had about an hour to stew over this before Nas hit the stage.



Aside from my thoughts on "Illmatic", I'm not the biggest Nas fan. Or am I? Story to follow shortly. If it hadn't been for the show I saw at Hammerstein on December 26 of last year I probably wouldn't have given this show much thought. As a bday gift I got a ticket to that show, and that shit gave me power, it made me buckwild. I shouldn't have dismissed half man half amazin' that easily. He ran through his entire set in 75 minutes and killeded it. Plus the kid was open off the contact and loving life. I needed that fix again. And it came.

This was a Samsung Summer Krush show where people had to email to get free tickets, thus catering to more non fans than fans. It was a very young crowd versed more on Hip Hop is Dead and Untitled than his earlier works. I was at the bar when he hit the stage and have no clue what he opened to. Hip Hop is Dead followed that and the crowd went nuts. The band did add to the energy on that track, though I've never been a huge. He played another joint or 2 and then asked the crowd if he could reminisce a bit. My pleasure fam. And those filthy N.Y. State of Mind drums hit and we were ready. It should be noted that my PNC was the Howfresheats commenter extraordinaire Buckemdown, who at one point would punch you in your eye if you dissed Nas- pre "I Am" that is. Like 2 little kids, we went in on some I don't know how to start this shit. If you were near us you either loved us or hated us. Armpits were in your grill or we stepped on your toes. Fuck it. That's how we dooos Larry. Following NYSM he ran through the entire "Illmatic" sans Genesis, One Time For Your Mind, and MUCH to my chagrin Memory Lane. Might be my favorite joint he ever did. I guess the crowd wasn't ready. He did it at the December show though. Don't underestimate these kids.

He then proceeded to run off his more popular/fan favorite joints including The Message, Street Dreams, Get Down, Nas Is Like, If I Ruled the World, Hate Me Now, One Mic, Got Yourself a Gun and some other tracks that must not have moved me. And you would never believe who had the sole cameo for the entire evening. We were lucky to witness history. QB legendary status here. Mythic proportions. Fuck it I'll tell you. Horse on his Oochie Wally-ness. The crowd must have thought it was Biggie the way they erupted. And then he went on to tell us he liked head. Thanks Horse, but who doesn't?

And then the show ended and the greatest moment of the evening occurred. These 2 girls that were next to me and endured the wrath of How for most of the show asked to take a picture with me. Kind of wrecked I think I was a dick to them. When asked why they responded with "You are the biggest Nas fan at the show." Wow. Was I being honored or fessed? To be clear I had to ask whether they meant dick rider or aficionado of fine tunes. They responded with the latter but by that time they hated my guts and bounced. Sorry ladies. Next time.

Photos were liberally borrowed from A Day In the Life Of. Good looks. The following videos were taken by Buckshot. Sound quality isn't the greatest but we were going too nuts to worry about that.

Made You Look

Ain't Hard To Tell

Saturday AM Memo to the Sun...

...Where the fuck are you? Look, he's even smirking at me.

I woke up at 7:30 to hit the sand dunes and salt water waves. Summer's almost over. Don't deprive me of precious rays. Instead I'm welcomed by rain and clouds. What part of the game is that? Not cool sun, not cool. If you want to go out and get wrecked on a Tuesday or Wednesday, do you big yellow. But we need to you to be well rested on Friday and Saturday nights. And Sunday night this week for Labor Day. Please don't disappoint us, me.

Fear not readers, I'm still in high spirits, and after you see what I'm about to share with you, you will be whistling dixie too. I've had it for a week, so I apologize for hording this collection of treats, but I had to let it marinate and carry weight. What is it you ask?



Dip Set "Paid In Full" mixtape. Featuring 4 new Cam tacks (Aura and Let The Beat Build have been making the rounds). Oh shit. Whips on my fist, houses on my wrist, your budget on my neck, your spouse on my dick... Dick in her mouth I tell her I'm getting money... Finally we can have more of this back in our lives. Swagger alert is on famo. Jimmy and Juelz round out the rest of the CD.



Also bringing you DJ Hitz- "This is Hip Hop." One of the better mix CDs I've heard in a while. Features the complete Joe Budden Who parts 1 through 3 where he's spitting his shit along with some new Ghostface, Jay, Saigon, Big Boi, Joell Ortiz, Raekwon, Jada and others. The tracks are untitled but I'm sure you are all capable of following along by peeping the tracklistings. Enjoy.

DL HERE:

Dipset- Paid In Full mixtape

DJ Hitz- This is Hip Hop

HowFresh + BBQ Festivals = Fat Pig... Hudson Valley Rib Fest and the Hudson River Blues Festival

I am Carnivore. Hear me ROAR!! Straight gluttony. I ate a lot of meat. Pause. Now I understand Jeru's issues with Trichnology, the Gate Keeper of Trichinosis. One evil motherfucker just waiting to infest your intests.

The past 2 weekends have been filled with pork, tunes, lines, smokers, and Henry Hudson. August 16th was the Hudson Valley Rib Fest and a week later on August 24th was the Hudson River Blues Festival. Luckily the upcoming weekend will be protein deficient. Hopefully. Just a lot of sports. On my T-Rex or Donny Baseball, I'm so fucking macho.

New Paltz's Ulster County Fairground hosted the 4th Annual Hudson Valley Ribfest & BBQ Tournament from August 15-17, 2008. Unlike the NYC Big Apple BBQ Block Party, there was plenty of space to enjoy oneself without feeling confined to a tiny area. One huge field had vendors selling 'cue, dry goods, a stage, 2 large covered dining areas, kiddie rides, and behind the cue for sale was the area cordoned off for the participants in the bbq contests. Smokers from Texas to Connecticut showed up to partake in the New England BBQ Society Grilling Competition and the Kansas City BBQ Society BBQ Competition.

I didn't have a game plan for who and what to hit. There weren't many vendors offering grub so I figured I'd be able to sample all, plus I wasn't too aware of the vendors slinging 'cue. The Big Apple BBQ had nationally renowned pitmasters while this event had more local and regional grillers. And honestly I didn't care. I was just excited about taking Metro North all the way up to Poughkeepsie. Scenic, tranquil Hudson River views for close to 2 hours on an early Saturday morning. Nothing could beat that. I never took that ride before and this was the perfect opportunity. See that ladies. The kid has a sensitive side and appreciates life's finer things. Sunset walks on the coast and petting baby buffalo in Big Sky Country. You get the drift. Shit, I almost plagiarized D's co-best man speech at Buck's wedding. He murdered me on that one.



First off we hit Butch's Smack Your Lips BBQ from Mt. Laurel, NJ. For the Food Network enthusiasts, Butch challenged Bobby Flay on a showdown. He was the short stout guy with a big white bushy beard. I believe he won. That gave me the impression that his product would be pretty good. Ordered a half rack with beans and slaw and was quite impressed with the non-typical flavors.




The ribs weren't that meaty, yet were easy to bite off the bone and had a nice bark. There was a subtle smoky and spicy flavor. I really enjoyed them. The type of rib that you could eat an entire rack and not be overwhelmed by the sauce or spices.




Also tried the pulled pork sandwich. Moist and smoky swine was plagued by a weak excuse of a bun. D, one of my BBQ cohorts, was very disappointed with this and felt a better bun would have produced a better finished product. You hear that Butch??



Next up was Smoke' N Dudes BBQ Co. from Bensalem, PA. Ordered the combo of 3 ribs, chopped brisket, pulled pork, slaw and beans. We also ordered the pulled chicken sandwich and a brisket sandwich.



The ribs were much meatier than Butch's but taste wise they came up short. Aside from the sauce on the outside of the rib, the porkiness was overwhelming. They lacked smoke and other flavors, prevalent in the meat of Butch's ribs. The pulled pork was decent (Full disclosure- I'm not a huge fan of pulled pork, or I just haven't had that transcendent mouthful- pause) and the brisket was good but too sweet. I prefer brisket to be sliced as opposed to chopped or pulled. Let the meat rest on it's own laurels without any sauce.



D and wifey got down with the brisket sandwich and he approved of the bun this time. You can just tell from the shine.



The pulled chicken got a huge BOOOOOOOO mainly because it was cold. I don't understand how vendors unknowingly serve cold food. There were plenty of people behind the counter to prevent this. Some dude needs to get smoked. Real talk.



The final vendor we hit was Hickory BBQ from Kingston, NY. Their signage was nothing compared to the other vendors and that was probably the reason their line was the shortest. But you should never get wrapped up in all the bells and whistles, as Hickory put out some good food.




They were the only spot with sliced brisket so you know I went in, and D ordered the chicken thighs. They must have put a pound plus of meat on that plate and there was no way I could finish it. It smelled and looked great, but unfortunately the meat was a bit tough. There was a nice smoky taste, but too much chewing. Either the meat wasn't of the best quality or it needed to stay in the smoker a little while longer. Even the pieces with the extra fat were too chewy. I need that glistening buttery fat, not the dense opaque off-white flab. It happens.



Turns out the chicken won this battle. And I never eat thighs. Strictly breasts or legs- you know how I do. The golden brown skin on the moist and tender meat was some serious business. The chicken was so moist and smoky with a slight pink smoke ring. Good stuff.






As if that wasn't enough grub we also went in on some fried pickles and garlic. Sliced half sours in a light batter. Who doesn't like fried anything? The garlic was chewy and sweet, similar to platano maduros. Home made fudge followed that and some fried dough ended the party. Throw in some beers and fresh lemonade and there you have it folks.

I'd be remiss to omit the hot sauce- pause- episode. One of the vendors was selling his own hot sauce and giving out samples. I tried the regular and habanero versions without incident and then asked to try the headless horsemen version (that was the image on the label). This tiny dot on a toothpick almost took me over the edge. It was the HOTTEST shit I ever had. It caused hiccups and odd bodily movements. I thought vomiting was inevitable. Buckemdown didn't believe me so he gave it a shot. He's a believer now.



A week later and I'm at the Hudson River Blues Festival on Pier 54 at 14th Street. There were only 4 local vendors there this year, Dinosaur BBQ, Mara's Homemade, Dallas Jones BBQ, and Brother Jimmy's. The lines were crazy. What's new? I wasn't fazed.



For some reason I was set on going to Dallas Jones. I think the line was so long last year and I didn't have time to wait, that it filled my head with the idea that they made that bomb shit. Boy was I wrong. First off, the food was cold. As mentioned earlier, just unacceptable. Was that fake fire under the grill? I just don't get it. I ordered a half rack of ribs and my sort of blues and BBQ afficionado friend Mark ordered the chicken.



The ribs had nice flavor but no bark and no pink smoke ring. You know I love that pink. The question is- is it really BBQ without the pink? If it isn't smoked is it BBQ or just grilled meat? Everybody has their own opinion on this. I'm not sure what the correct answer is, but I'm growing partial to slow cooked meat in a smoker.



The room temperature chicken tasted decent but the temperature issues disqualified both plates off the jump. The only item that came heated up was the beans- and they were very good. Cooked in a tomato base with chunks of tomato and some nice spice. The problem is I didn't come here for the beans.



Dinosaur BBQ renewed any doubts I was having about BBQ on the Hudson River that day. They provided me with visions of plump little pigs bathing in fine mud puddles as the sun set yonder the grassy knolls. I would like to take this time to personally apologize to John Stage and the entire Dinosaur BBQ staff for listening to all the lies and slander about the how quality of their product was waning.





The first bite I took of my half rack immediately crushed any doubts I had. I hadn't been to Dino for about 2 years after being a semi regular for a little while and just lost touch. Never again.



They make close to a perfect rib. A burnt red bark covers a beautiful mix of that thin layer of fat and supple swine flesh with a very prominent smoke ring. Each bite is a reason to thank the heavens for pig and smokers. It should be noted that Dino was the only vendor with a visible smoker. Further reinforcing my earlier gripe, a smoker really takes it to the next level.





I'd be lying if I told you who was performing. But I do know I was around blues royalty. And I was protected. Rich made sure nobody bothered HowFresh and Marky B while we grubbed it out.

The blues served as a nice backdrop to some 'cue slinging. Several beers and a lot of sun, and life is good. Since it was getting late and I was pretty full, 2 plates were enough. I had no interest trying Brother Jimmy's and whoever reads this site knows I'm a huge fan of Mara's but just wasn't in the mood to test my intestinal fortitude.

H is for Hold the Fuck Up.

I know that the fitted content on the site has simmered down. It's summertime and I'm trying to get some color on the crown. Plus the factories boycotted making "H" fitteds. At least that's what I think.

So I'm surfing Fitted Hawaii, told you I get down with the waves, and I had to sit down after these ankle busters completely caught me off guard. These dudes are back on the H-ustle. Wow. And I'm late for most of them. In that case H can be for Hallelujah since I can't cop and drop 50 nuggets, but damn h-omie. Not digging all of them, but the black on black and the army green with orange are staples for the rotation. And then the Triple H came out of nowhere from Hall of Fame. Don't love the mesh, but love the H cubed.