The Spiedies Story or How CSA Got Punked...

We recently went back to Binghamton, NY for a Mrsfabp family get together. One of her sisters was in a show, The Talking Hands “Moving On Up, Moving On Out—A Psychedelic Sixties Experience" and two other sisters along with her two brothers and the DW herself were going to attend. When ever we get a group like that together, two things are inevitable – beer and Spiedies. For the uninformed, Spiedies are, according to WIKIPEDIA, “a dish local to Greater Binghamton in the Southern Tier of New York State, and somewhat more broadly known and enjoyed throughout Central New York state. Spiedies consist of cubes of chicken or pork, but it may also be made from lamb, veal, venison or beef. The meat cubes are marinated overnight or longer (sometimes for as long as two weeks under a controlled environment) in a special marinade, then grilled carefully on spits (if steel skewers are used, they are called "Spiedie rods") over a charcoal pit.” I know, I know, you’re drooling just like me. We also decided to take this opportunity to do a live version of the Countless Screaming Argonauts, Podcast of record, in a local Motel 6. As you might imagine, 15 people crammed into a hotel room plus beer and Spiedies is a really good thing, especially for a live podcast.

Well after a couple of hours of chatting and planning and setting up the room and sound testing, we had finished recording about 75 minutes worth of show but still had plenty more to say. However, a break was needed and suddenly a voice arose from the crowd – we could have a second round of Spiedies (we had them for supper!). Quickly two audience members were drafted to make a spiedie run. (They won’t know it to until now but they will be officially entered onto the webpage as part of the production crew.) The problem was that the Spiedie shop closes at 10:30 and it was close to that now. Takeout order and cash in hand they bolted the room to complete their mission. About 10 minutes later, CollegeBoy got the worse possible text message. “We have a serious problem” he said, “The text says “will pizza do?’”

The room was immediately deflated, our soaring feelings grounded. We let them know that pizza was ok but the room was different now. We busied ourselves for the second part of the podcast but the depression was palpable as we awaited our pizza. PIZZA! Dammit! Soon there was a rustling at the door and our new production crew arrived with only one pizza box for the 15 of us! They told us that the Spiedie shop was closed and the pizza place was closing too. They wouldn’t let them order or make them any pizza but they had one left that no one had picked up. Then they added the killer – “Its burnt anchovy and we had to pay for it” We were devastated. No Spiedies, No good pizza, not enough pizza to go around and anchovy pizza at that. DEV-ES-TATED! At this point they threw open the box to reveal row after row of delicious “Spiedie and Rib Pit” spiedie subs. We had been punked and we knew it but a cheer went up anyway because we had spiedies!

So MissNicole and PO Jen, welcome to the CSA Podcast Production Crew. Truly you are part of 8 Beer Sampler productions. Truly you are one of us! Spiedies, YES!!!