Skip to content
2020 was the year of many firsts. The list is quite long, full of victory and sadness. But the two that were a combination of sweetness and bitterness for me were food and music. There was so much sourdough bread making, ya’ll! One of the many lows… watching music venues closing their doors along with a worldwide blanket of canceled shows. Then came the glorious world of ZOOM calls. We found ways to connect no matter what we were going through. If musicians couldn’t play shows, they sure as hell could write, record, and keep their spirits up as best they could. Several months ago, I sat with a few friends from the band Counterpunch over ZOOM to chat about music, good food, drinks, and childhood memories of family culinary traditions. Wanna know more about sweet music to your ears, Slumgullion, and a Gilded Kilt? Read on, my friends.
Tour Wife, Tour Life
No, tour life isn’t about drugs, drinking, sex, and rock-n-roll (except that one time in Boise; another tour, another blog post). It consists of no sleep, missed meals, long drives through fabulous cities with no time for sightseeing, melting faces night after night, playing rad music, and several sketchy places to rest your head in between. And let’s not forget blowing up Brandon’s phone, as he plays on stage, with angry messages from his “chick” asking why he hasn’t texted. I loved experiencing every bit of it through the eyes of “the wifey” when I got the chance. Imagine BEING that band, loving every aspect of tour life, and then your shit’s put on pause. Thanks, COVID-19.
Parking Lot Cigs
I first met Jared Rohde (bassist, vocals) and Eric Hausser (gituarist, vocals) during a tour run a few years back. Their band was on tour with the band that my hubs, Brandon, was in at the time. I took a break from my catering duties and drove to Colorado to catch a handful of shows; just the RX for fun I needed. Before the show in Colorado Springs at the Black Sheep, I stepped outside to enjoy a quick smoke. Jared had the same great idea.
Me: Hey
Him: Hey
Puff, puff, puff…
Him: So, Brandon tells me you love food and cooking.
Me: Oh yeah, I love it.
Puff, puff, puff…
Him: Sweet. Me too.
And, that’s it. As the last illuminating puff killed our ‘grits,’ ‘showtime o’clock’ rolled around and I had a new buddy. The catalyst? Food and music, of course!
The Birth of a Band
Jared and Eric met in high school when Eric began dating Jared’s sister. They each had their creative hands in two separate bands: “shitty rock/metal” and ska, respectively. However, they both shared the dream to be in a punk band, so they transitioned out of their current bands, found other punks, and decided to form that band after all. Jared’s parents’ house where they had basement shows regularly was the place to be.
Jared explains, “The time was right that Eric’s band split up, so he hit me up to start a punk rock/pop band. We formed a band called “Dear You” named after the album from Jawbreaker. We kicked out the drummer, got a guitar player (2002), changed the name to Counterpunch and started played local shows.”
And so, Counterpunch was born.
Process of Creation
Based out of Chicago, Illinois, Counterpunch melts faces with elements of pop/melodic hardcore/skate punk tunes. These dudes aren’t letting a thing called COVID slow them down. In fact, during this time of “The Great Pause”, they’ve evolved as musicians. They’ve had nothing BUT time to write and throw ideas back and forth at each other to see what sticks to the walls. Handbook for the Recently Debriefed, their latest 7” through Sbäm Records and Thousand Island Records released in January, has us raging right out of the gate.
Ah, I could go on and on about their fast-paced musical party for your ears, but I’m no music critic. I’m totally about to judge these two fantastic creeps by the recipes they share. Jared takes us on a sentimental journey with his grandpa’s slumgullion dish, and Eric, head bartender at Beatnik on the River, shares his Gilded Kilt cocktail. As rad as their music, these recipes won’t disappoint.
A Dish, a Drink, and a Song (Slumgullion and the Gilded Kilt)
When I sat down for the virtual chat with Jared and Eric, I felt a comfortable connection to the topic at hand because we all shared the same passions: good music, food, and drink. Those food memories from our youth, good and bad, can be extraordinarily reminiscent of not only the food itself but also of the people, place, and setting in which we experienced it. Their stories went a little like this…
Jared’s Slumgullion
slum·gul·lion
/ˌsləmˈɡəlyən/
Noun: cheap or insubstantial stew or hash made from leftovers
“My grandpa’s slumgullion is the dish that stuck with me over the years. When we visited our grandparents in Michigan, we’d wake to them enjoying coffee, coffee cake, and working the crossword in the morning newspaper. All of the grandkids made breakfast with Grandpa, gathering up all the scraps from the week’s eating. He’d tell stories about growing up during the Great Depression in the slums of Cleveland as he threw scraps into a pan to make what he called, slumgullion. Potato, butter, eggs… whatever needed cooking. Now, I make it on a weekly basis, usually a weekend thing. Tater tots, veggies, cheese, eggs, a tortilla or English muffin, and I’m good to go. It’s been a part of my life and I’ll pass it on to my daughter.”
Side note: Jared and his wife Amy were expecting their first baby at the time of this interview. On February 12th, Baby Maxine was born into this world. Here’s to many delicious slumgullions coming her way!
Eric’s Holiday Spread and the Gilded Kilt
“My wife Xenny says I’m the king of Chopped. I can create a feast with stuff laying around in the fridge. With just leftovers, I’ve made a huge breakfast spread, fresh fruit, bacon, omelettes, french toast, and a charcuterie board of breakfast stuff. So yeah, I love to cook.
My family is very holiday-oriented. We have the same meal every year. On Christmas Eve, we eat German Sauerbraten which is a seven-day process to prepare. We start the roast in advance by marinating and turning it a quarter every day. We make the gravy from the marinade, and the roux from pulverized gingersnaps. That was my job, chopping the gingersnaps on a marble pedestal until they became powder. Christmas Day’s meal is my great-grandma’s ravioli recipe. The day after Thanksgiving, everyone descends upon one of the aunt or uncles’ houses, and it turns into an assembly line to make the ravioli for Christmas. A combination of spinach, pork, and veal is the usual filling. I’ve taken the recipe and modified it with a butternut squash filling and a sage brown butter with crushed walnuts on top.”
My Slumgullion
Using Jared’s suggestions on creating a stellar slumgullion, I found a few forgotten Brussels sprouts and mini potatoes to throw into my skillet. Any vegetable in your fridge that’s a red-headed stepchild will do just fine. And, you know, I had to go the “veggie only” route. I just sautéed everything in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with chopped red bell pepper, salt, pepper, and olive oil. And yes, I listened to The Handbook for the Recently Debriefed as I angrily made my hash. To kick it up a notch, I plated my slumgullion in a bougie way with rose harissa for that added boost to your chest hair. It may be messy, but this past year has been, too, so … you’re welcome.
What sort of cocktail would Eric serve with Jared’s Slumgullion?
The first one that comes to mind is a mimosa. Those go great with breakfast, right?
“Although I love mimosas, I find them a bit boring. A great mimosa comes down to the juice blending. What I currently use at my bar is orange, pineapple, grapefruit, peach, and mango for a mimosa.
I love egg white cocktails, and this one is no exception. When I create, I try to use seasonal flavors and ingredients as much as possible. This drink has a healthy mix of fall/winter flavors, but can be enjoyed year-round as well. Scotland meets Venice to create this curious potion.”
So, in regards to a mimosa for the slumgullion, Eric shares a badass cocktail he calls the Gilded Kilt. It looks and sounds incredibly delicious. Get hip to it!
So there you have it: a serving of scrumptious slumgullion complimented by an effervescent Gilded Kilt finished off with some rad Counterpunch tunes to listen to while you enjoy these concoctions. Check them out on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you grab your music.
*Feature photo credit: Jodiphotography
