TongoRad
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Posts posted by TongoRad
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FWIW- I found a shop that still has some 2005 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (9.6% AbV) in stock and picked up a sixer to get a sense of where it is. I popped one open last night and took some notes:
This baby pours a mostly clear rich yet vivid brownish copper color with a dense tannish two-finger head.
Aroma is big- huge hops (resiny, citrusy) dominate but they are backed up by lots of caramel malt. I also pick up a blackberry-and-cream quality, hints of cocoa and, of course, alcohol.
Flavor is powerful- tons of malt and caramel at first, but the cocoa, berries and some nuts come right on afterwards. There is a gigantic bitterness cutting right through it all and there is a lingering finish of orange peel and alcohol.
I'm loving this beer right now- some of its abrasiveness of youth is gone and that lets some more complex characteristics come through, yet there is still some fire there as well. I'm going to get some more and hopefully I'll have the will power to cellar it until the wintertime.
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Unibroue makes several outstanding brews, ranging from the conventional 5% up to an imposing 10.5%. Lately I've been drinking that one a lot, a BIG-ass Abbey-style ale called "Terrible." It's very good; dark and rich with toasty notes, but still with that distinctively Belgian-styled fruitiness. One of the few beers which may be cellared for several years.It's been a few months since I've had a Unibroue Terrible but, man, that's a killer beer- well worth searching out.
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That's a great link, beergirl.
Unfortunately a lot of confusion comes from totally unnecessary labelling laws which require that brewers put misleading information on the labels. I've seen doppelbocks called 'malt liquor', schwartzbiers called 'ale', and on and on- - it creates the impression that beer is bewed to AbV rather than to style.
Anyway- this may be an urban legend but I got it from a friend of mine who was brewing on the west coast in the early 90's- supposedly Sierra Nevada's legal crew requested that their barleywine Bigfoot be brewed with such a palate-killing dose of hops to make it that the consumer could not drink more than one or two at a time. Of course nowadays Bigfoot is hardly a radical beer- funny how times have changed...
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The kits and homemade sodas are great ideas. You don't have to worry about adding too much of this, not enough of that..., and you can concentrate on fundamentals. I would also encourage you not to feel intimidated about asking too many questions at first; every homebrew shop I've been to has had people who bend over backwards to make beginners feel at ease. Just make sure you have a good understanding of the process before you get started. And- this cannot be overstated- be very wary of your sanitation procedures. Most folks use bleach when they get started, which is fine, just be sure to give it enough time and to give it a good rinse.
I suspect there is more to mead than I realised too, that the stuff is drinkable is down to luck I imagine
FWIW- chances are, if you added a wine yeast, you used what is called a "killer" strain, which would have put the odds of success in your favor. To make something 'drinkable' you just have to mitigate the odds of something bad occuring. To get beyond that level, well, that is a pretty fun journey in and of itself, and I'm sure you'll have plenty of help along the way if you need it. Good luck.
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I wouldn't venture too far from what SuziSushi said, but here's something I've done before-
Butterfly some chicken breasts and pound flat and even. Marinate in some fish sauce/soy/rice wine. Remove after an hour or so, lay flat and cover one side with basil leaves- roll and tie with string. Grill, remove string and serve sliced atop the green curry.
You could do something similar with the massaman and beef, only I would stuff the beef with crushed peanuts, raisins, chiles.
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And people would just pronounce it MAR-sala anyway...
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When I saw that Taco Bell reintroduced the enchirito a few years back I let out an audible 'woohoo' and my wife gave me an embarassed look- I try, folks, but there are some things that I just cannot get her to understand...
I can only imagine her reaction if they ever bring back the Taco Bell Grande ( am I remembering the name correctly?)- it was made with a large fried flour tortilla shell that was crispy, flaky and delicate and threatened to crumble into a million pieces the second you unwrapped it. You definitely had to approach it with your logistics in place to get through the whole thing with minimal destruction, but I always thought that the price was worth it. You just couldn't beat the texture of that thing.
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Three words: Burger King Yumbo
If I remember it correctly, it was a gooey, greasy ham and melted cheese on a squishy bun. Then again this was 30 years ago and I was young at the time- but I do recall that I ate them exclusively while they were available.
Hmmm...I guess I know what I'm having for dinner now, only I'll have to do it myself this time.
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Triple H Day
in Wine
I like everything listed so far, and they would all probably tie for second place in my book. My #1 would be Prosecco.
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This past winter I was watching a prime-time football game and looking for an appropriate snack. In my fridge were some corn tortillas, leftover buffalo wing sauce and cheese and, voila, Buffalo Enchiladas. The tortillas were fried and the whole thing was served stacked, like pancakes, with layers of the sauce and cheese in between. I believe that one would be hard pressed to come up with anything more nauseatingly greasy than that concoction, with the oil, cheese and buttery sauce. However...
I must admit that I have actually made these a couple of times since then, though I always regret it afterward- the hallmark of a truly great guilty pleasure, imo.
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Our local grocery stores often have a white fish called Basa on sale and I'd never heard of it. Is it mild like sole? Anyone tried it?
I like to use it as a sole substitute. It definitely has a mild flavor, but the texture is better and tends to be moister. Basa is not my fish of choice, mind you, but my wife likes it so I have come up with ways of preparing it that we both enjoy- Meuniere, Francese, that sort of thing. Heck, a lot of the time I'll do a quasi-blackening thing (it's not thick enough to totally 'blacken' in the pan).
I'd say give it a shot if it is on sale and you go into it with the right game plan.
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There may be another option in between pods and ground cardomom. In my local Indian markets I can buy the seeds themselves, as well as the pods. When a recipe calls for ground cardamom I can easily make what I need in my spice (coffee, actually) grinder. I just use the pods whole in things like savory dishes, mulled wine or cider.
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3. Roast pork and brocoli rabe with sharp provolone, from Tony Luke's in Philadelphia
I have been having a variation on that theme lately, except with a grilled chicken breast in place of the pork. I don't know how Tony Luke's does theirs but I also like to drizzle my bread with olive oil first. And garlic in the rabe, but I think that goes without saying.
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Philly's Smokehouse in LIC closed last December, and should probably be taken off the list ( unless another BBQ place took over the space.)
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I haven't been to that particular Karl Ehmer's (I grew up on Long Island, where there are a number of them- Seaford and Greenvale are the ones I am thinking of) but I do love those all beef dogs. The past few years, when I have been visiting relatives, we have been getting the cocktail franks (mostly for the benefit of the kids), but they sure seem to be made from the same recipe. And seem to have a nice smoky kick, if I remember correctly. Now that I live in NJ I have developed a taste for the pork/beef Thuman's ( I go to Jolly Nick's in Dumont), so the next time I am near a Karl Ehmer's I will be sure to try those as well.
They were also my go-to place for veal for weiner schnitzel. They would take a slice from what I assume is the loin and pound it flat. Very expensive, but worth it, imo- remarkably tender. And they would get me fresh rabbits as well, provided I ordered ahead. A great place- I don't go often enough...
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Hefeweizens
in Beer
I'll second what beergirl posted for three reasons-
- you can't really go wrong with any one of them
- personal taste can be a factor: some (like Schneider) will favor the phenols (spicy clove-like quality) while some will favor the esters (banana- either Hacker Pschorr or Spaten Franziskaner)
- freshness trumps all. They are typically dated on the case box- well... I know that Hacker and Spaten are, but that's where you'd look anyway.
Buying singles should tell you the best of what's available, as well as what you prefer.
Personally, if all other factors are equal, I'd get the Paulaner which tends to give the best of all worlds, though I do know quite a few Schneider fans.
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Containment
in Beer
And Andrew- please don't tell me that you drink beer from the bottle. I know people in the Philadelphia area who are perfectly capable of laying the smackdown on you the next time you try itUsually I prefer to drink directly from the keg, like the sweet sweet mother's nipple that it is.
Now we're talking...
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Containment
in Beer
I'm drinking a can of Pilsner Urquell while typing this post.
D'oh- now all they gotta do is make sure it is available by me...
And Andrew- please don't tell me that you drink beer from the bottle. I know people in the Philadelphia area who are perfectly capable of laying the smackdown on you the next time you try it
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I grew up in a family that does this so it just sort of comes natural to me. The thing is, we're usually drawn to different things so there is usually no discussion involved, and when we place our orders it is amazing how everybody at the table is getting something different (...even now that we're all married and rarely eat out together. ) And, of course, before digging in the opportunity to share is offered.
My wife and I have the same dynamic. Typically we will get two or three selections in our head that we can't decide between and whatever the other person orders will help narrow it down even further- they order one item, you get the other. This, of course, only works as long as you are genuinely torn, but that is usually the case. I still like to look at dining out as an adventure (especially now that we have kids and don't do it as often) so I tend to be pretty spontaneous and maleable about what I order- unless we're going to a someplace like a steakhouse where it is pre-decided that we're getting the porterhouse for two before the key is even in the ignition.
When we're out with friends, though, we will keep the ordering and sharing between the two of us and don't involve the rest of the table.
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Containment
in Beer
I have absolutely no problem with cans. In fact, I can think of a number of beers that I would prefer to see in cans (Jever, Pilsner Urquell, etc.) and would buy more of if that were the case.
Cheers to places like Spiker Ales who are willing to take chances like that!
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The other night I had a couple of DIPA's back to back- Stone Ruination and the Dogfish Head 90 Minute. I gotta say I prefered the Stone myself. The 90 Minute is a real lupulin bomb, to be sure, but it left me feeling like there was a raw hop coating inside my mouth. I don't dislike it, but I'm glad that I ended the session with it.
I also had a Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, and it was probably the most impressive beer I've had in a couple of weeks. I've long enjoyed this beer, but it never hit me like this. Either they've been tweaking it, it was extremely fresh, it wasn't too chilled, or whatever (maybe all of the above)- what a great, complex, perfectly balanced beer that pulls no punches yet manages to have some finesse. I'm glad I revisited it.
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Fish (salmon or tuna, usually) Tartare, or is that passe already? Either way, the last couple of times I had it the sesame oil dominated the taste of the fish so I'm just not interested anymore.
I think the seared tuna thing has been around for a while now (15 years from when I first had it) and may be here to stay as a perfectly reasonable way to prepare certain cuts. I still enjoy the preparation.
I agree with the good riddance to sun dried tomatoes, but I only see them in neighborhood joints nowadays.
And I'm not willing to say goodbye to balsamic vinegar either.
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I wonder whether there are many non-Jews who like gefilte fish. Sure, they like quenelles and other stuff that's similar, but what about gefilte fish? For the record, I think it can be pretty nice when home made.
My wife is Jewish, so I've had my fair share. To be honest, though, I don't see myself ever eating any without the family present. Usually I load up on the horseradish to 'get through it' and be polite.
When I was growing up I would occasionally have friends over for 'sunday gravy'. The one thing they usually could not fathom was the pork skin bracciole (no meat, just skin)- "...isn't that just to flavor the sauce?...why would anyone eat that when there's a giant bowl of meatballs and sausage right next to it?...". On the other hand- you did not want to get between my grandfather and the serving dish. And he liked to try to get the newbies to try a bite, which resulted in some interesting faces being made.
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I haven't participated in the mole cookoff mainly because I just had some last week in a restaurant- with cheese encheladas. It's a great way to serve it, I just love how the flavors interact with the corn tortillas. Another stuffing I like is smoked duck- talk about rich...
Now that you have your mole the enchilada part should be easy. Enjoy!
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Why is it American Micro Breweries can make quality Ales and Belgian style beers; but, more often than not, fall on their face when they try to make a high quality Lager or Hefe-Weissen? Is it the water?
It is actually the mash schedule- the imported versions of those beers have most likely been 'decoction mashed' as opposed to 'infusion mashed'. In a decoction mash a portion of the grain and liquid are removed and boiled and then added back to the main mash to raise the temperature in steps. This process accentuates the malty flavor of the grain in and of itself, but the overall length of time for the mash process is also dramatically increased so the grains are in contact with the mash water for that much longer. A triple decoction mash can take six hours before runoff whereas in the infusion mash used by many American micros the duration before runoff is in the neighborhood of 90 minutes.
The decoction mash requires specialized equipment and a longer workday for the brewers. The beers you mention can certainly be made with an infusion mash, or even its cousin the 'step infusion', but there is ultimately some tradeoff in character.
Wood Chips for Grilling
in New Jersey: Cooking & Baking
Posted
We have a Hardware Store/ Lumber yard in Tenafly that I get them at. If you're not close by then you can look in a local Lowes or Home Depot or someplace like that.