My Brother-in-Law the Gastronomic Drummer

I have the coolest in- laws ever. When I say that I married into a really great family, it is true. This is not one of those statement made with gnashed teeth made under my breath. My husband’s family is a wonderful bunch of people who have made me feel welcomed for over fifteen years now.

I must admit when I first met them, I was instantly struck by the music ability that they have.

All of my husband’s siblings play a musical instrument. They all have played various instruments throughout their lives and are all very talented. They seem to possess a strong musical gene.

I am not musically inclined nor is my singing great. As a result of my poor singing voice, I am no longer allowed to do it in my house. My oldest child looks at me with contempt when I sing and blurts out “just stop it please, you are hurting my ears”.

As a child, I wanted to play the drums, but I was never allowed to. Secretly I do not think my mother wanted a set of drums in the house, this is why I was told “girls don’t play the drums”.   So I begrudgingly took up the flute in elementary school and soon stopped playing shortly after I began.

Yes, I am a music school dropout.

Not to be dissuaded from my dreams, I became a closeted air drummer ever. I do a mean Neil Peart impression and I can play along to Rush’s Tom Sawyer like no body’s business.

According to my family, I look like I am having some sort of uncontrolled muscle spasm when I do my air drum routine. I am regaled to doing this in the privacy of my home, where the rest of society is safe from seeing this.

This is where my brother-in-law Kirk Shadel comes into play. I am in awe of my brother- in- law. Not only is it because he is an incredible drummer, but he is a diehard foodie as well! Drums and cooking are two of my favorite things.

When I first had heard about Kirk and his drumming talents, I was intrigued. I thought to myself how cool it is that my future brother –in-law is a drummer.

I had seen tapes of him play when he was younger, and I have heard him play live with his current band Paparazzi.  Incredible is the word that comes to mind; yeah he is that good!

He played in various bands after high school and in college, but it was never anything serious.  Then in the summer on 2010, he became a founding member of the band Paparazzi. 

According to Kirk, “Paparazzi is known as Pittsburgh's premiere dance band”.  It is a “highly energized five piece band”, and they play a “wide array of music from all walks of life; classic rock, country, pop and even rap and hip hop”.

To see him play live and hear the sounds that he is able to get from his drums, it is just amazing.

Kirk is the quintessential drummer. He has goatee and several tattoos adorn his arms. You will frequently see him sporting a pork pie hat along with some funky plaid shirts. Oh, he is that cool.

I have learned a thing or two about drummers over the years from my brother –in- law. They seem to have a certain way about them. For the most part, they are unique individuals who march to the beat of their own drum. Drummers have their own way of doing things. They do as they like and go along doing what they want to do.

The other thing that should be noted about drummers is this; their hands and fingers never stop moving. They are constantly drumming on things. When a song would come on, I would watch Kirk do this.  He has done this while he is cooking.

I am not coordinated at all. I am indeed one of those people who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.  So I am amazed by what he could do while drumming along to his favorite song.

I also mentioned that Kirk is a foodie. He is a phenomenal cook and makes some incredible dishes. He always adds his funky flair to whatever he cooks, and I like this about his cooking style.

Kirk believes in eating sustainable food, he eats and cooks consciously. He is a gentleman farmer, and along with his family grows some of their own produce.

In his cooking, he tries to use organic products many of which are from local farms. He does have a compost pile, and as a result grows the most wonderful vegetables and flowers ever.

Kirk gets great pleasure in showing off his vegetable garden and the food that he makes with it. It is quite a sight to see this tattooed rock drummer rummaging through his herb garden picking a fresh bunch of herbs.

He has knack of being able to use what is available in his garden and produce some really great dishes. Kirk is my go to person when I have questions about grains or beans. He is the master when it comes to incorporating grains, beans and fresh produce in a dish.

Kirk is a generous with his vegetables and his knowledge. He will share fresh produce with me as well as a recipe or two.

I have asked my brother –in- law to share a simple, delicious recipe for the blog. He was glad to do so and gave me a great fall inspired dish, a Roasted Root Vegetable Medley.  He is a big fan of oven roasting vegetables. According to Kirk “feel free to use whatever root vegetables are available, the vegetables suggested in this recipe are just a guide”.

Kirk Shadel’s Roasted Root Vegetable Medley

Ingredients:

8 to 12 slender carrots, peeled and trimmed
12 to 16 brussels sprouts
8 to 12 baby turnips, peeled
6 to 8 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise in halves
1 or 2 large parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
1 or 2 medium onions, trimmed, peeled and halved, each 1/2 cut into quarters
1 celery root, trimmed and halved, halves cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put all the vegetables and the herb sprigs in a large baking dish. Season well with salt and black pepper, drizzle generously with olive oil, and toss them with your hands to coat them evenly. Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and cook, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Serve the vegetables from their baking dish or transfer them to a platter. This makes a wonderful main dish; serve this dish with a side of rice. Use it as a side dish with some roasted or grilled chicken.

If you ever have a chance to see Paparazzi play, I highly suggest it. They are an entertaining band, and it will be a guaranteed great show.

Make sure you stop and see Kirk; he will be the man behind the drums. Ask him for a recipe and a tip or two on drumming, he will be glad to share this with you.

Please check out Paparazzi @ http://paparazzi151.com/, or on facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/Paparazzi151. Follow them on twitter @ Paparazzi | Pittsburgh's Premiere Dance Band http://paparazzi151.com/#.UFx4KVy2MK0.twitter

Nicky D Cooks: I am a Peters Township resident and cooking instructor. Check out my facebook page @ http://www.facebook.com/nicky.d.cooks or like my fan page @ Nicky D Cooks Foodie Fan Page for more information and great recipes.