Written by Michael Killen

Pittsburghers are obliged to root for the Saints ... after all, they're family, says production company executive MICHAEL KILLEN
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Photo courtesy of Michael Killen.

Last Sunday my wife and I were in New Orleans visiting a friend who spends a lot of time in Pittsburgh shooting commercials with my advertising production company, Animal.

We were watching the Penguins-Redwings game at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street when two men in prom gowns strolled past us.

We didn't think much of it. This is Bourbon Street, you know. Then, three more gentlemen, showing plenty of leg, whooshed past on their way to the men's room.

A local explained that Bobby Hebert, a sportscaster and ex-quarterback for the Saints, planned a tribute to famed Saints personality Buddy D. (their version of Myron Cope) who once had said that if the Saints made it to the Super Bowl, he'd walk the streets in a dress. Buddy Dillberto died a few years back, so Bobby Hebert put together a tribute, asking men to join him and walk through the French Quarter. In a dress.

We thought, OK, cool, Bobby and a few dudes will be sauntering down the street in silk and taffeta.

Around noon, a woman whose breakfast clearly had involved nothing solid said, "Here they come!" A group of us rolled out to the street to witness them pass by.

I'll try my best to describe the next three hours.

News reports put the spontaneous crowd at 50,000. This was the most bizarre pre-game rally I'd ever seen. Imagine a St. Patrick's Day parade mixed with a Heinz Field AFC Championship game tailgate -- except most of the men were wearing dresses and Saints' black and gold. Instead of "Here we go Steelers, here we go," it was "Who dat, who dat say they gonna beat dem Saints?"

I was 10 when the Steelers went down to the Big Easy and won Super Bowl IX. I wasn't old enough to suffer the rotten rust-belt years the way my father had. I do remember the energy of our city on the brink of not being a punch line anymore.

The industrial make-up of our city was changing. It was hard economic times. If you've paid attention to the news, you understand that Hurricane Katrina, followed by the recession, has put New Orleans in a similar state. I've had many friends leave New Orleans for Texas and California, looking for work while their city recovers and rebuilds.

Now, the pot is boiling over in the bayou and somebody put a ton of spice in there.

Every time we told someone we were Steelers fans, we would get a slap on the shoulder or a "they're my second favorite team." Don't forget, the Steelers gave us Louisiana-boy-done-good Terry Bradshaw.

But there's also a warm spot for everyday Pittsburghers in New Orleans. Rumor has it that the Steelers fans of 1975 made a lasting impression on the city.

I know it's hard not to like the Colts' Peyton Manning. He's what's right about the NFL.

But the Saints fans ... they are us 35 years ago, full of possibility and hope, wondering what it would feel like to have the team that most symbolizes their city take a step above the rest.

So wear your black and gold for three hours today and support the people of New Orleans. It's not like befriending New England or New York fans. These delta lunatics are kin.

Michael Killen is a director for Animal, a Downtown production company that specializes in film and animation (www.animalspots.com).

 

This is my basic pizza crust. If you like it with more fiber, you can up the whole wheat to 2 cups. It will be more chewy, instead of crispy, but that is still quite tasty. I keep my flours in the refrigerator, so they stay fresh, so I try to take them out earlier, along with the yeast, and let them come to room temperature. Feel free to top this with what ever you like: organic pizza sauce, fresh veggies, Daiya cheese, or other vegan cheese of choice. I like to top it with fresh garlic infused olive oil, basil, carmelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, rehydrated sun dried tomatoes and artichokes (very similar to Amy's Organics style pizza). Pesto underneath any of the above toppings is excellent as well. Let you imagination run free with those toppings, and have fun!

1 T. active dry yeast

1/4 t. organic sugar

1 1/2 c. warm filtered water

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 t. salt

1 c. whole wheat flour

3 c. bread flour

1/4 c. flax seeds, brown or golden

Mix yeast & sugar with warm water in a small bowl. Set aside until yeast begins to foam, about 5-10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the salt, flours, and flax seeds.

Add remaining warm water to the yeast mixture, along with the olive oil.

Pour into stand mixer or by hand, add flour mixture by cupfuls until a sticky dough comes together. It will pull away into a ball from the sides of the bowl. Knead by machine, or put dough on slightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Put dough in a bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place (like the oven turned off, but with the light on) for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Punch dough down, and form into equal sized balls for 2 large or 4 small pizzas. Spray pizza pans or stones with nonstick cooking spray or rub with olive oil. Let dough rest for another 30 minutes, shape into pizza crusts and place in pans or on stones. Dot each crust with a fork so that bubbles do not form.

Place each crust, or single crust, in hot oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.

You can freeze them if you want to use in the future, or top them.

Once you top them with what ever you might want, bake them in a 450 degree oven until your toppings are cooked to where you want them to be. So you do have to keep an eye on them and not wander off!

 

1 package of Bob's Red Mill Black Turtle Beans, rinsed and sorted

Place the beans in a crock pot before you go to bed with enough filtered water to cover them by at least two inches. They will hugely expand overnight and absorb a lot of water. In the morning, go ahead and drain them.

1 organic sweet green pepper, chopped

1 organic jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 fist sized organic onion, chopped

5 clove of organic garlic, crushed or minced

soaked black beans

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground coriander

1/2 - 1 t. ground chipotle powder

4 dashes of liquid smoke

salt to taste

Place all of these ingredients in the crock pot, add water to cover. Not too much though, just enough to cover by about a 1/2 inch, because you don't want your beans to be too runny. By seeding the jalapenos, you take the heat out and are left with a nice chile taste. Turn the crock on high. Stir periodically throughout the day. They should cook 6-8 hours until desired tenderness. I like them still holding their shape and somewhat firm. If you want it a bit thicker, towards the end of the cooking time, mash some of the beans against the side of the crock and stir in. I add in the salt at the end so I don't toughen up the beans. One or two teaspoons would not be a lot in this big pot of soup.

Serve with all the fixings such as vegan sour cream (Tofutti brand non-hyrogenated), chopped tomato, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, chopped avocado and some hot sauce. Don't forget some cornbread!

This is great for parties. It is one of my most demanded recipes, and yet it is sooooo simple! One of the keys in winter is to get a very fragrant, tomato-ey smelling tomato. It makes all the difference in the taste.  Go ahead, sniff away, it is your money, you should get quality produce.

3-4 ripened avocados, halved and pitted

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1 small tomato, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic (depending on size), crushed or minced

1/4 c. vegan sour cream, such as Tofutti brand (non-hygrogenated kind)

juice from 1/2 lime

Scoop flesh out of halved avocado into bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and serve with corn chips. Serve immediately.

Variations: You could add a seeded minced jalapeno, or some tabasco for heat.

Help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti by buying this adorable t-shirt through Herbivore Clothing company. Often people accuse vegans of caring about the animals more than humans, here is an easy way to prove them wrong!

www.herbivoreclothing.com