The Traveler Bill-og

It is my sad duty to announce that after 11 years in its current location, Traveler Bill Industries, Ltd. will be leaving Traveler Bill Towers®, their headquarters on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan and relocating overseas.  Their new main office is in the center of a wild and exotic locale known the world wide…Brooklyn!

It is the extreme pleasure of both Travelers Bill and Nell to announce that Traveler Bill Industries, Ltd. will be opening their new offices at Number One Traveler Bill Plaza at the Yorkshire® in the middle of March this year.  The new location offers far more spacious office space necessary for the day to day operations of a large Multinational concern.

The Heart Walk 2009-2010 Wall Street Run & Start! Heart Walk is only a few months away.  I will again be participating to raise funds and awareness for this very worthy cause.

My results have been so good the past years that I have been asked to become a National Fundraiser by the New York office of the Heart Association.  That’s the good news.  The challenging news is that I have a very aggressive fundraising goal.  $25,000!!!  To put this into perspective, that is almost 250% higher than what I raised in ‘08 and ‘09…combined!

But my handler Sara is confident, and so am I.  Which means that for the next six months I am going to be reaching out to everyone I know and asking for every last drop of generosity.

More details will follow, but to opt out of future announcements, please click here and make a donation.

Team Traveler Bill - Team Photo

Dateline New York City, NY – December 23, 2009 (Embargoed until December 26, 2009)

On the 22nd  I posted the recipe I used to create brownies for gifts for my family.  In the post which I implied had been uploaded from my mobile phone, I stated that Traveler Nell and I had headed up to Albany for the holiday.  That wasn’t exactly true.

You see I was still in NYC at the time and my Nellie was on her way to Melbourne for a surprise trip home for Christmas.  A trip that had been in the works for at least nine months and which I played an integral role in the planning.  Which is why I have no problem giving an account of the planning stage here on the Traveler Bill-og.

Early on it was decided that Nellie would be going home to Melbourne sometime this year one way or another.  Either for Christmas or to see Collingwood in the Grand Final.  When the Pies faltered early on it was looking more and more like a Christmas time trip would occur.

The idea for a surprise trip came from a trip home I made while I was away at college in Oswego.  I made an unannounced trip home for Thanksgiving.  I took a cab from the train station and was greeted by an empty house and an hour wait in the cold for someone to turn up.

But Nellie is far too shrewd to be caught unawares like a 19 year old Traveler Bill.  As soon as it looked like Collingwood was out of it, during her trip to Las Vegas with her parents in May, she switched her tickets from September to December.  Little did she know Collingwood would go on an improbable winning streak and come a hairsbreadth from the Final.  At that point however, we were so invested in the surprise trip home that the Christmas trip would have happened regardless.

Not to say it wasn’t difficult to maintain the ruse.  In many of her calls home Nellie nearly let it slip, or felt like she couldn’t hide the truth anymore.  I was there to make sure she kept to the company line right until the end.  To the point that while Jenelle was in her Qantas 747-400 over the Pacific heading toward the International Date Line and the future I was logging in to her email to send a phony dispatch to her parents saying how cold it was in Albany.

I wish I could be there to see their reactions which, if Jenelle makes decent time from the airport, should be happening right about as I write this sentence.

————–

As promised, here is the previous post with photographs.

Christmas Time is here and that means that Traveler Nell and I are headed to Traveler Bill’s ancestral home to spend the holiday with my family.  Nellie being from Australia, Upstate New York is a slightly easier commute.

The siblings in my family have drawn names for a grab bag for more than 20 years and 2009 was no exception.  And while it has recently changed to include our oldest niece and nephew, it is pretty much how it was in the late 80’s.  Which means while I don’t go all out for everybody…everybody get something.

An early Traveler Bill T-shirt

In the past that has meant Smart Wool (1997) socks for everyone,  a genuine Traveler Bill t-shirt (see image) (2003) or even peanut brittle 2006).  This year it will mean brownies.

But not just any brownies.  This brownie recipe is my adaptation of The Barefoot Contessa’s Outrageous Brownies which were also an adaptation of the chocolate globs in the Soho Charcuterie Cookbook.

Ingredients

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 14 ounces plus 10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips – divided
• 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 6 jumbo eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup plus ¼ cup all purpose flour – divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ounces peppermint candy canes (about five) broken into pea sized pieces
• 3 cups walnuts chopped
• ¼ cup (4 or so) candy canes ground into a fine powder
• ¼ cup confectioners sugar

Preheat your oven to 350° F.   Butter and flour your largest metal baking pans.  The original recipe called for a 13 X 18 X 1½ sheet pan. (I used a 13 X 17 X 1 aluminum pan and put the rest into ceramic dish.  The brownies in the metat dish came out MUCH better.)

I first mixed the walnuts, the 10 ounces of chips and the pea sized peppermint chips with the ¼ cup all purpose flour, then placed this mix into the refridgerator.

In a large aluminum pan over simmering water melt the butter the 14 ounces of chips and the 8 ounces of bakers chocolate.  I did this over too high of heat and had to wait a while for the mix to cool down once melted.

While it is cooling mix with a beater on low setting the eggs, the coffee the vanilla and the sugar.  I mixed until the were well combined but not frothy.  I added a cup of the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture to temper them before combining the eggs into the chocolate again with the mixer.

In another bowl (Nellie was THRILLED with all the dishes involved) I mixed the 1 cup of flour, baking powder and salt; then folded into the chocolate mixture.  Once fully mixed and glossy I folded the chilled walnut/chocolate/peppermint mix into the batter and poured into the pand and baking dish.

I ended up baking the dish for 30 minutes and the pan for 45, but start checking at 30minutes.  Test by inserting a toothpick into the center of the brownie.  When it comes out clean, it is done.

Cool on racks until room temperature then refridgerate overnight in the pans.  After I cut the brownies into squares I dusted the top and bottom with a mix of the candy cane powder and confectioners sugar.

The subtle peppermint taste is very pleasant and not the punch in the nose that peppermint extract can be.  I brought some into my lawyers office today and everyone who tried them (especially those who tried them multiple times) found them delicious.

From my Mobile Phone:

Christmas Time is here and that means that Traveler Nell and I are headed to Traveler Bill’s ancestral home to spend the holiday with my family.  Nellie being from Australia, Upstate New York is a slightly easier commute.

The siblings in my family have drawn names for a grab bag for more than 20 years and 2009 was no exception.  And while it has recently changed to include our oldest niece and nephew, it is pretty much how it was in the late 80’s.  Which means while I don’t go all out for everybody…everybody get something.

In the past that has meant Smart Wool (1997) socks for everyone,  a genuine Traveler Bill t-shirt (see image) (2003) or even peanut brittle 2006).  This year it will mean brownies.

But not just any brownies.  This brownie recipe is my adaptation of The Barefoot Contessa’s Outrageous Brownies which were also an adaptation of the chocolate globs in the Soho Charcuterie Cookbook.

Ingredients

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 14 ounces plus 10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips – divided
• 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 6 jumbo eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup plus ¼ cup all purpose flour – divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ounces peppermint candy canes (about five) broken into pea sized pieces
• 3 cups walnuts chopped
• ¼ cup (4 or so) candy canes ground into a fine powder
• ¼ cup confectioners sugar

Preheat your oven to 350° F.   Butter and flour your largest metal baking pans.  The original recipe called for a 13 X 18 X 1½ sheet pan. (I used a 13 X 17 X 1 aluminum pan and put the rest into ceramic dish.  The brownies in the metat dish came out MUCH better.)

I first mixed the walnuts, the 10 ounces of chips and the pea sized peppermint chips with the ¼ cup all purpose flour, then placed this mix into the refridgerator.

In a large aluminum pan over simmering water melt the butter the 14 ounces of chips and the 8 ounces of bakers chocolate.  I did this over too high of heat and had to wait a while for the mix to cool down once melted.

While it is cooling mix with a beater on low setting the eggs, the coffee the vanilla and the sugar.  I mixed until the were well combined but not frothy.  I added a cup of the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture to temper them before combining the eggs into the chocolate again with the mixer.

In another bowl (Nellie was THRILLED with all the dishes involved) I mixed the 1 cup of flour, baking powder and salt; then folded into the chocolate mixture.  Once fully mixed and glossy I folded the chilled walnut/chocolate/peppermint mix into the batter and poured into the pand and baking dish.

I ended up baking the dish for 30 minutes and the pan for 45, but start checking at 30minutes.  Test by inserting a toothpick into the center of the brownie.  When it comes out clean, it is done.

Cool on racks until room temperature then refridgerate overnight in the pans.  After I cut the brownies into squares I dusted the top and bottom with a mix of the candy cane powder and confectioners sugar.

The subtle peppermint taste is very pleasant and not the punch in the nose that peppermint extract can be.  I brought some into my lawyers office today and everyone who tried them (expecially those who tried them multiple times) found them delicious.

(I will be updating this post with hyperlinks and photos as soon as I can.)

Last night Traveler Nell and I make our annual pilgrimage to the American Australian Association’s Benefit Gala at Cipriani’s (this year at their 42nd Street location.)  It was a very good time with a very nice meal and pretty good entertainment.

The Torpedo meets Travelers Bill and Nell

We also met Australian Olympic Swimming Legend, Ian “The Thorpedo” Thorpe, or Thorpie as everyone called him.  One thing that struck me is that swimmers back in 2000 must have been tiny as I always recalled him towering over everyone.  In person however, he isn’t much taller than I.  He is an exceptionally gracious man who accommodated an inordinate number of photo requests.  As you can see to the left of this paragraph, one of these requests came from the principal of Traveler Bill Industries.

Also regarding Mr. Thorpe, Traveler Nell was able to keep my past Michael Phelps comments to herself.  (Unlike this past February when she told Phoenix Cardinal punter Bennie Graham how I “barracked for the Steelers!”)  As an aside is it me or does it look like someone is holding a Muppet up between Traveler Nell and me?

Finally, Traveler Nell had her photograph taken with two of the stars of Fox’s breakout hit, Glee who were on hand to introduce fellow co-star Amber Riley’s terrific performance, as well as with Rosanna Scotto of Fox5 Good Day New York morning program.   Check out the embedded video for Rosanna’s recounting of the evening which starts at the 1:22 mark. There are some errors in her recollection, for instance it is the “American Australian Association” not the “Australian American Foundation.”  Also, at the 2:28 mark she tells an anecdote with a couple mistakes, ie: it is JENelle not JOHNelle and the guy with her is her fiance, not her husband.  Everything else in that portion was correct.

NOTICE: Australian viewers with gentle sensibilities should stop listening immediately after the previous anecdote!  Don’t say you weren’t warned!

Every now and then Traveler Nell and I like to pain the town red, or at least a robust shade of pink.  So when an old friend of hers came to town for an art gallery opening we decided to take the opportunity to eat out for a change.

Traveler Nell in front of the Famous Katz's Deli

The place we decided on was the famous Katz’s Delicatessan.  For those of you who are not aware, this is the restaurant from When Harry Met Sally… in which Meg Ryan’s Sally appreciated her meal inordinately.

Now I have dined at Katz’s thrice previously.  Once when wandering alone in my early days in New York City.  The second time with my father in 2000 on the occasion of his first visit to Traveler Bill Towers.  The last time was with a friend in 2007, right before I entered the hospital for my surgery to continue my  gradual transformation into a Human/Bovine/Cyborg Amalgam.

But Nellie has never eaten at Katz’s.  She told me that once before she went there but upon witnessing the scene inside, she turned right around and opted for the Yonah Schimmel’s Knishery down the block on Houston St.  If you’ve never been to Katz’s you might not be prepared for the chaos that is the cutter lines.  We decided to each get a corned beef sandwich (I opted to get mustard on mine) and share a matzo ball soup.  Nellie secured a table while I waited in line, so I dropped off our sandwiches and headed to get our drinks.

What I saw when I returned leveled me like a McGill University student slugged me in the stomach.  Traveler Nell has put, NAY smothered her corned beef sandwich in ketchup…ketchup! I thought I have reconciled Traveler Bill’s Yankee sensibility with Traveler Nell’s Aussie nuttiness.

And I have.

I would no sooner desecrate a delicious corned beef sandwich with, as she says, tomato sauce.  But as long as she doesn’t foist such an abomination on my palate, I am perfectly happy to let her ruin her meal if it makes her happy.

We’re like a regular Joan Wilder novel.

How an Australian ruins a sandwich

Traveler Bill’s new lawyers office is located in lower Manhattan. The World Financial Center to be specific, a complex of buildings built on the landfill generated when the World Trade Center was built in the early 1970’s.

We all remember the events of Sept. 2001.  It was an awful day, the happenings were burned into the memories of all Americans, but especially this of the residents of New York.

Seven and a half tons of the steel from the wreckage of the World Trade Center was transported to Louisinana to be used in the manufacture of the USS New York.  A little over eight years after that horrible day the recently christened, soon to be commissioned Amphibious Transport Dock: USS New York (LPD-21) sailed majestically up the Hudson River, stopping across from Ground Zero and honored the sacred site from which it was born.

I was on the Battery and witnessed this wonderful site.  I took the time and filmed the event for Traveler Bill Films.  My director of IT, Traveler Nell edited and uploaded the raw footage, which is posted below.  Some of the highlights…

• 10:09 – the flag is lowered.
• 10:12 – NYPD helicopted fly by.
• 10:56 – 11:07 – 21 Gun Salute by the Marine Corps.
• 13:10 – The flag is raised.

USS New York from Jenelle Cleary on Vimeo.

The most poignant moment of the entire ceremony when a mother riding her bike, carting a wagon with two toddlers was heard to say “something terrible happened before you were born.”

Recently it was announced that Traveler Bill had gotten himself engaged to his Director of IT Matilda Dundee Read.   Well, in an attempt to maintain a brand identity, she has decided to petition the court and change her name to Traveler Nell.  I was, of course, very touched by this gesture.

Almost as touched as I was by her spending her lunch half-hour to create Bill & Jenelle -dot- com!  This website gives all (and more) of the information you could want about the wedding of Travelers Bill and Nell!

Enjoy

It has been a while since our last post, and for that we would like to apologize. But a major life change has occurred at Traveler Bill™ Industries, Ltd. and a couple days were needed to reflect on the momentous nature of what had happened.

Therefore, Traveler Bill™, President and Chairman of Traveler Bill™ Industries, Ltd. Has extended an offer of matrimonial engagment to his Director of IT and Chief Travel-Erchivist, Matilda Dundee-Read. To his delight and amazement, she accepted.

The affair will be small and private in accordance with the celebrants wishes, and the location has yet to be officially announced. Some have requested the ceremony occur half-way between Traveler Bill™’s beloved New York and Matilda’s hometown of Melbourne. Bill is leaning toward this option, but not in Hawaii, as has been proposed, but rather India.

Fresh off the triumph of rekindling a memory from my youth, new hire at Traveler Bill Industries Buck Swenson, the head chef at the Test Kitchen at Traveler Bill Towers decided that he needed to kick his butt kissery to a whole new  level by creating an homage to Alton Brown’s Pressure Cooker Chili, or as it is (predictably) known here Traveler Chili!

TRAVELER CHILI – Makes 8 servings

Serving Suggestion

The ingredients:
1 pound stew beef – cubed small (1/2 inch)
1 pound ground beef (or pork…or turkey)
3 tbsp oil- canola, vegetable or corn
3 small onions – diced
2 garlic cloves
1 large red bell pepper
2 bottles beer
1 can kidney beans
1 small can tomato paste
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper – adobo sauce to taste
1 large can whole tomatoes
-Juice reserved and crushed by hand
-You can use 2 cans diced tomatoes too
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground dried chipotle pepper
1 pound bag your favorite plain corn chips
kosher salt
black pepper to taste

In a large heavy stock pot heat the 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat.  When the oil shimmers add ½ of the diced stew beef until browned.  Remove the beef add another tbsp oil browning the rest of the diced beef.  Remove and add the ground beef, cooking though and crumbling.  Add the remaining oil to the pot over medium heat.  Adding the onions, then peppers, sweating until transluscent with a pinch of salt and some black pepper.

Once they are at the desired consistency stir in the garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, dried pepper another pinch of salt and a couple grinds of pepper untill the spices have been completely absorbed.  Toss in the tomato paste and stir in 1 bottle of beer at the same time.  Turn up the heat to high and add the beans and tomatoes.  When the Traveler Chili starts to bubble crush ½ of the bag of chip and stir them in.   Cover, lower the heat to medium low and stir occasionally for ½ an hour.  Take this opportunity to drink the second bottle of beer and nosh on the remaining chips.

Chili under the microscope

Uncover the Traveler Chili and cook for another half hour.  Serve over chips, Saltine Crackers, with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar, with some minced onions.  If you’re from Cincinnati, feel free to serve over spaghetti.  If you save to eat another day, feel free to add a little water as this chili thickens up considerably.  It held up a spoon in the plastic container for a good minute…right up until I tried to take a photograph.

Thick, but not that thick.

If you have any requests or questions for Buck Swenson, please feel free to send them to Bmail@TravelerBill.com.  We’ll see that he gets them.