Carbohydrates are one of my favorite food groups, especially in the summer when potato salads make wonderful additions to virtually any picnic or backyard barbecue menu.

In “The Great Potato Book” (Ten ‘Speed Press, $15.95), author Florence Fabricant says archaeological evidence suggests potatoes were already growing wild along the Chilean coast thirteen thousand years ago. They were first cultivated more than seven thousand years ago in the Andean high plateaus at altitudes where corn couldn’t be grown.

When the Spanish conquistadors brought potatoes to Europe late in the sixteenth century, they initially got a lukewarm reception. Eventually, however, Europeans realized that even a relatively small plot of land planted in potatoes could sustain a family.

When and where the first potato salad was served is a matter of conjecture. Since the French are credited with popularizing potatoes, the classic French potato salad may well be the origin of the genre. In general, the French cook and drain the potatoes and then, while they’re still warm, dress them with a simple vinaigrette.

The classic American potato salad is made with mayonnaise, boiled potatoes, and-more often than not-hard boiled eggs. Southerners often add some sweet pickle, and a lot of cooks put mustard, lemon juice or vinegar in the dressing. Variations aside, this is the potato salad that defines the genre for most of us.

As author Barbara Lauterbach explains in “Potato Salad: fifty favorite recipes” (Chronicle Books, $18.95), it’s the starch content that determines the texture of the potato. Low-starch potatoes like the waxy Red Bliss and the yellow-skinned White Rose make wonderful potato salad because they hold their shape when boiled and cubed, as does Yukon Gold, a medium-starch variety. High-starch varieties, including the ubiquitous Russet, crumble when cooked and should never be used for potato salad.

Lauterbach also recommends Fingerlings, White Eastern, and various “all-purpose,” regionally available varieties, such as the Red Norland and Kennebec. Whatever the variety, the potatoes should be cooked before they’re peeled. Not only will they hold their shape better, but as Lauterbach points out, fewer nutrients will be lost during the cooking process.

Potatoes peeled prior to cooking should be kept covered with cold water until they’re used to prevent discoloration. Some recipes use unpeeled potatoes, which is certainly a time saver, especially if you’re cooking for a crowd.

Much as I like a standard potato salad made with a mayonnaise-based dressing, there are times when a vinaigrette works better. The following recipe is from “Potato Salad: fifty favorite recipes.”

Nuremberg Potato Salad

2 pounds potatoes suitable for use in potato salad (Lauterbach suggests Red Bliss)

Dressing:3/4 cup diced bacon (1/4 pound)1/4 minced yellow onion1 1/2 teaspoons flour4 teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper1/4-1/3 cup cider vinegar1/2 cup water1/4 cup chopped fresh curly parsley1 teaspoon celery seed

Boil the potatoes. Once they’re cooked, take them out of the pot. When they’re cool enough to handle, cut them into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place into a bowl.Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until just crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the onion and saute until just tender but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1/4 cup of the vinegar and the 1/2 cup water until smooth. Taste and add more vinegar if the taste is not tart enough. Add the flour mixture to the bacon, then simmer over low heat, stirring, until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.Pour the hot dressing over the potatoes and add the remaining 1/4 cup of the onion, the parsley, and the celery seed. Toss the salad by pouring it from one bowl to another until the potatoes are well coated.Serve the salad immediately, or let cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight, then serve cold.

Matt Mervis (photo by Rikk Carlson)

AAA

Iowa 3, Buffalo 1

Game Recap

Matt Dermody has been on quite a run recently. He was coming off his best start of the season, and though he didn’t miss as many bats in this outing he didn’t walk anyone and kept the Bisons in check through five innings. He was relieved by Sean Newcomb, who also kept his recent run of good games going. He breezed through two innings, before losing some control in his third, but a nice play by Jared Young with the bases loaded got him off the hook.

After two strong innings, Sean Newcomb had worked himself into a bases loaded, 1-out jam in the 8th. Struck out the next batter on 3 pitches, then second baseman Jared Young bailed him out with this nice play. pic.twitter.com/iJsH2jwomC

July 16, 2022

Along with Newcomb, Erich Uelmen is also making a case for a shot in the bigs post-TDL:

I see you, Erich Uelman (hopefully in Chicago soon). pic.twitter.com/NgHuUTSZ8i

July 16, 2022

All of the Cubs runs came on one swing by Greg Deichmann.

Greg Deichmann puts us on top with this three-run shot! pic.twitter.com/1SJ8ZtDYKu

July 16, 2022

Top Performers

Matt Dermody: 5 IP, 5 H, R, 0 BB, 4 K (W, 5-3, 4.22)Sean Newcomb: 3 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, HBP, 2 K (4.50)Erich Uelmen: IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (S, 6, 2.79)Greg Deichmann: 2-3, 2B, HR (7), R, 3 RBI (.235)Jared Young: 2-4, R (.249)Darius Hill: 2-4, 2B (.336)

AA

Biloxi 5, Tennessee 3

Game Recap

Everyday we seem to get a highlight from Matt Mervis or Jake Slaughter. Sometimes we get a highlight from both. Slaughter did have a good game (I just don’t have any video clip). I do have video evidence of Mervis’s impact:

Maybe a little Freddie Freeman thrown in

July 15, 2022

I knew Matt Mervis had power. I expected him to eventually tap into it despite his relatively poor 2021. I did not expect him to figure it out quite this quickly.

There are still some concerns with his plate discipline and pitch recognition, but I love the swing, and he rarely misses the barrel when he get’s a hittable pitch in the zone. He could well see AAA before the end of the year, and a shot in the bigs sometime in 2023 is not out of the question.

We also got a great defensive play from Alexander Canario (and a scare as he collides with Yonathan Perlaza, who exited the game with an injury):

A SENSATIONAL CATCH BY CANARIO!! @alex_canario07 pic.twitter.com/evQZuwyC9w

July 16, 2022

Top Performers

Matt Mervis: 1-3, HR (14), R, 2 RBI, BB (.299)Jake Slaughter: 1`-3, R, RBI, HBP, SB (16) (.338)Bryce Windham: 1-3, R, BB, SB (1) (.201)Bailey Horn: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K (4.00)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

The big news on the farm yesterday was not something that happened on the diamond. The Cubs promoted two Top 10 prospects, and their top two left handed starters (Jordan Wicks and D.J. Herz) to AA. Wicks has gotten locked in over his last handful of starts. After focusing on his new breaking balls earlier in the season, he is now reincorporating his plus changeup more frequently, and it is leading to more whiffs and quicker at bats as he keeps hitters off balance. Herz was pertty much unhittable in South Bend, just as he was pretty much unhittable in Myrtle Beach. I would expect his stuff and deceptive delivery to still play pretty well in AA, but he’ll also run into a few more opponents capable of handling what he brings, and most importantly he’ll face more guys who will lay off pitches he throws outside the zone. This will test his command and control like never before.

High-A

Peoria 5, South Bend 3

Game Recap

Not much to focus on in this one beyond Yohendrick Piñango extending his hit streak to 12 games with an opposite field shot in the 1st. It gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead, but that lead slowly bled away over the course of the game.

Piñango even lifting the ball oppo now? Be still my heart. https://t.co/MqCvAIEs6l

July 16, 2022

Piñango (.294/.329/.478) has made some slight tweaks to his swing (and approach) this year which has allowed him to tap into his pull side power more frequently. But it is rare to see him go oppo with power. He gets plenty of hits that way, but doesn’t lift the ball to LF often. Piñango gets lost in the shuffle among some of the high profile outfield prospects the Cubs have in South Bend and Myrtle Beach, but please don’t sleep on this guy. He’s already young for High-A (turned 20 in May), and he may well reach AA in the near future.

Top Performers

Yohendrick Piñango: 2-4, HR (12), 2 R, 2 RBI (.294)Fabian Pertuz: 2-4, R (.245)Casey Opitz: 1-3, RBI, BB (.182)B.J. Murray Jr.: 1-3 (.203)Manuel Espinoza: 4 IP, 2 H, R, 5 BB, 2 K (4.86)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

With his 1st inning home run last night, Yohendrick Pinango’s hitting streak is up to 12 straight games and he is hitting over .400 in the month of July!

RECAP https://t.co/RFFxtwi8qQ pic.twitter.com/an3ibW6tDN

July 16, 2022

Low-A

Myrtle Beach 2, Fayetteville 0

Game Recap

I’ve missed most of Tyler Santana and Frankie Scalzo Jr.‘s appearances this year, so I don’t have much to report, but I know they’ve had good games, and Scalzo in particular is an arm to keep an eye on. Yesterday they combined to throw eight innings in the Pelicans shutout victory, allowing just five combined baserunners while punching out 11.

Top Performers

Tyler Santana: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K (2.38)Frankie Scalzo Jr.: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K (W, 3-3, 4.81)Angel Hernandez: IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, K (S, 2, 4.73)James Triantos: 2-4, 2B, R (.277)Kevin Alcantara: 1-3, R, RBI (.267)Ezequiel Pagan: 1-3, 2B, RBI (.298)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Real chance this guy is a unicorn, with plus power, a good hit tool, and the ability to play good defense at a cornerstone position in CF (even if PCA’s 70 grade glove pushes him to a corner). https://t.co/1aDMLny9nq

July 16, 2022

ACL

Cubs 5, Reds 0

Moises Ballesteros blasted his 6th homer of the season. He is now batting .300/.378/.588 over his first 25 games stateside. I’m not sure about his defensive skills behind the plate, but the bat is certainly intriguing.

Speaking of catchers, Miguel Amaya is reportedly nearing a return to AA. He’s now played 11 games in Mesa.

Koen Moreno got the start and pitched the first 2.2 innings of the shutout. He’s been plagued by injury since being an overslot draftee out of the prep ranks a couple of years ago. Hopefully, he can stay on the mound and get on a roll in the 2nd half.

DSL

Cubs Blue 4, Mets2 2

Marlins 4, Cubs Red 3

Broken Bells return this week with “We’re Not In Orbit Yet.” They’ve announced a new LP Into the Blue, it will be their first record since 2014’s After The Disco.

A new album by Drake, and not just a single? It seems Drake has released his seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind. He’s calling it an experimental dance LP dedicated to the late fashion designer, Virgil Abloh. “It’s all good if you don’t get it yet. That’s what we do,” Drake said on Instagram Live. “We wait for you to catch up. We caught up already. On to the next.” So, yeah, I was a little caught off guard after my first listen, but there were some solid takeaways. “Tie That Binds” has this incredible jazz guitar work on it, which ends with a guitar solo, and a freeform jam. I give Drake credit for trying something new, even though a lot of these songs sound the same. If you have the time you can skim through and find the songs that connect with you, and you’ll come away with some new faves. That’s the great part about what Drake has attempted.

We haven’t heard from Level 42 in a long while, and I can say I’ve never heard the single, “The Chinese Way.” This week they have released Singles & Remixes, a 44-song journey through their career and extensive singles collection. There is a lot of listening here, but I’m excited at the prospect of hearing past records that I missed.

Pearl Jam release a deluxe version of their latest double studio album, Gigaton. It’s a Tour Edition, complete with an 11-song companion disc that houses a nice set of live tunes from the same record. I really like this concept, for me, it’s like a gateway into their newest batch of tunes.

Dawes does their best Phish impersonation on “Ghost In The Machine.” Honestly, this band runs the gamut of styles and they play each with such care. I hear some Steely Dan and Grateful Dead as well, and this piano solo that happens near the 4:15 mark is a straight banger, that can’t be missed.

Snail Mail has been on my #RADAR, but this week they released one of those interesting Spotify singles, wherein the band challenges themselves with a cover song that’s out of their league. ‘”Feeling Like I Do” by, the 90’s powerpop group, Superdrag turns out to be right up their alley and Lindsey Jordan and company knock this one out of the park. Of the remake, Jordan said, “It’s been really cool getting to cover ‘Feeling Like I Do’ by Superdrag because I love it, and I’ve loved it for a while.” This is one of the best covers I’ve heard in a while and it gets the “Track of the Week” award.

Voxtrot has released two new singles, “Fifteen Minutes” and “Kindergarten,” from a forthcoming B-sides compilation called Cut from the Stone: Rarities & B-Sides. Both songs sound strong and I can’t wait to unearth the rest.

What wouldn’t you do in the “Back Of A Cab?” Paul Dally finds allegory, and salvation, and is delivered from evil in the back of this cab. Hell, he even talks about his baby there, and babies being born, for that matter. There’s something really simple and endearing about this song, and with each listen, you seem to hear more.

Your Jazz Cut Of The Week is “Good Times Ahead” by Kai Fenchel, Andreas Suttner, and that guy we heard a few weeks back, Wolfgang Lackerschmid. You can feel the foreshadowing merriment as they bring the happy, quickly to your door. Clocking in at just under two minutes, if you blink, you might just miss it!

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But first a disclaimer. I’m not exactly cocksure that any following strategy is legal, so check them out with your lawyer before you run off half-cocked executing them.

Oh, and another thing, You’ll have to take my word for it, but the moment the incipient SCOTUS abortion ruling was leaked, I seized onto the sinced-aired idea of establishing abortion clinics on Tribal land. Including in my proposal though was a plan to install slots in the waiting rooms, revenues split between Tribal school systems and an embryonic PAC aimed at influencing –with irresistible incentives– certain SCOTUS members into resigning their posts (one member–nameless here– with the added bonus of a lifetime supply of beer, brand or brands of his choice).

And now to begin.

In its recent assault-weapon spray of lunatic rulings, the Court may have tripped up by hitting two targets that, in a sense, declare war against each other. Or at least maybe just an invasion by contradiction. By snipping the constitutional barbed-wire fence separating government and religion, they’ve opened a frontier that could allow women the chance to govern the territories of their own bodies.

Already, The Jewish rabbinical establishment is challenging abortion prohibition is Florida, by filing suit against the DeSantis and his gang of hitmen, asserting that Talmudic law states that life begins at birth, hence abortion is accepted. Maybe not encouraged; I don’t know. But not banned.

That rabbinic initiative acts as the launch pad for the trajectories of one plot. Let’s begin by noting that an international Satanic religion, with over 500,000 members in the fold, is alive and well–even thriving– today at their Salem, Massachusetts headquarters.(Please don’t gasp a indignant breath.) The religion doesn’t actually recognize the existence of devils or even angels. Apparently, they simply get off on being impishly mischievous). How to use the Satanic church to thumb your nose to POTUS?

The pro-choice movement could consort to form a coalition devised to join the Satanic religion en masse. Every coalition member would advance a donation (from modest to substantial) to the church in exchange for a signed certificate conferring and confirming church membership to the donor. If a Satanic church edifice cannot be found anywhere near the new member’s domicile (a certainty, wink-wink) he or she may attend services via zoom or whatever electronic means is not inconvenient. Actually, as in generally prevailing de facto religious practice, regular church attendance is hardly mandatory. Finally, once the freshly bulging congregation is assembled and firmly formed, t with the urging of the new membership numbers, church can declare–as Florida Judaism has–that an abortion ban is against the religion. Or, maybe it already lays that claim?

Here’s the really shrewdly comforting part of the plot. The coalition membership can consist of the tens of millions in the pro-choice movement– Roman Catholic, Orthodox Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, pantheists, pagans, atheists, agnostics, and any splinter group within those belief systems. Maybe even–if enough bodies can be mustered–one of the 45 religions practiced in New Guinea rate inclusion. What’s more ( hush, here’s our secret), you don’t have to really abandon your religion. You can model yourselves after the Jewish conversos of middle-age Spain. pejoratively dubbed the Marranos, more kindly referred to as Crypto-Jews. They simply paid obeisance to the Inquisition by duplicitously declaring ” What’s that? Join the Catholic church? Where do I sign up?” Then they continued observing Judaism thoroughly, in the dark, furtive shadows of secrecy.

So check out the the tenets of the Satanic church. If it turns out that they allow abortion, you can even join individually to claim your exemption from the blinkered SCOTUS ruling.

Or–as an alternative to joining the Satanist church–there’s this. Charging up the power of the internet, assemble and sign-up multitudes of Pro-Choice flag-bearers to establish a new church that believes life begins at birth not at an arbitrary wild-guess. No brick-and-mortar sites that demand you attend in-person.. No high priest or priestesses to steadfastly obey. Just a web site to idly visit from time to time. With a massive congregation formed, you’d be loaded up for court abortion challenges. Why, you could even inaugurate schools that would theoretically be eligible for government funding and tax exemptions. notwithstanding policies that ordained the teaching of evolution rather than Genesis, heliocentric theory rather than flat-earth theory, astronomy rather than astrology, evidence rather than superstition, etc. You get the picture, don’t you? The school would be, after all, a perk-entitled Religious Institution , wouldn’t it?

Hey, maybe you yourself can dream up an alternative strategy or two to sidestep the inane, insane SCOTUS ruling. It’s clear that a blundering SCOTUS premise left a gaping portal for pro-choice proponents to breach. They conflated religion with bible-thumping, fundamental Christianity.

Message to the backward members of SCOTUS: It’s freedom of Religion, free from manacling by order of the state–rather than freedom of Christianity –free to disenfranchise all other belief systems. Including unwavering disbelief in the supernatural.