The Edwards Generation

The Edwards Generation were a funky family band featuring Chuck Edwards and his four sons.  They would set up a PA and play impromptu concerts for enthusiastic crowds on the streets of San Francisco.  The freewheeling instrumental number Smokin' Tidbits was recorded in their garage for the LP "The Street Thang" which they sold during their performances.  It has great energy, you might even find yourself humming it later in the day, maybe imagining the band playing and dancing and doing cartwheels on a sunny '70s afternoon along Market Street.  The song is available on the excellent recent release "California Funk: Rare 45s from the Golden State."

more mission alleyway art

attempting pupusas

not so good

I enjoyed a delicious plate of pupusas at Santaneca de la Mission so when I was walking down the grocery store aisle and noticed some masa flour I thought I would attempt to make some at home.  Attempt.  That's what it was.  The dough was really sticky, I couldn't get it thin enough and the beans and cheese started leaking out.  Way too heavy and not the right texture.  So I think I will just wait til I get back to the Mission to enjoy pupusas again.

yummy leftovers, even without
the cheese and avocado

But I was still craving some Mission-style food so when I was flipping through the March 2010 issue of Cook's Illustrated and saw a recipe for pork tinga on tostadas I decided to try it.  It was excellent.  Definitely a meal to make again, especially with the cold weather on the way.

Doug Sahm

The best way to describe Doug Sahm's music is simply that it is Doug Sahm music:  a mix of rock, blues, polka, country, swing, tex mex, a bit of jazz and psychedelia, lots of soul.  Sahm was from San Antonio, Texas but spent a few years in the late '60s around San Francisco.  Maybe you have heard his songs "Mendocino" or "Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day."  If you want to check out some of his music I would suggest "Best of Doug Sahm and the Sir Douglas Quintet 1968-1975", "Doug Sahm and Band" and "Groovers Paradise."

Below you can see a video clip of Sahm on Austin City Limits performing "She's About a Mover."