Matsusaka Ushi

I definately cook to show off, but I also cook because I love to cook. Whevever anyone comes to my house I'm off to the kitchen. If you stop by for longer than 30 minutes you will go home fed. I take particular pride in my lunches/dinners that I take to work with me. I have recently been cooking for both myself and my roommate every day (except wednesday when he insists on cooking so he doesnt feel like I cook for him every day... male pride issues). Every day people come up to see what we are eating. Its not like I'm making anything too extravagant, but its just the fact that I make the food directly before work, cool it, and package it so it will be in good shape. Often times I will bring real plates so I can re-plate the food because I'm on the night shift at the moment and I want to eat my dinner on an actual plate, thank you very much. I take pride that we are the only people in the lunchroom eating grilled salmon with a redskin garlic mashed and some young asparagus.

I'm developing an expensive beer habit from this thread. I feel compelled to go to my local beer stores and raid their shelves on a nightly basis. Perhaps there should be support groups for this sort of thing. This is actually getting worse than my wine addiction in some ways. *sigh* BUT I digress.... Yesterday: Dogfish Head Aprihop, Corsendonk Abby Pale Ale. Corsendonk is one of my favorites, its beautiful champagne pop followed by its excellent apple and pear smells. Its not quite as sweet as some other belgians of its style, which is a good thing for me. Also, years ago Corsendonk was my first serious introduction into "good" beers... so there is that nostalgia factor. The aprihop is good, although not one of Dogfish Heads best in my opinion. Definately nice crisp hop flavor, but the hops arent so prominent that it obscures the apricot. A good beer for sure, but I would say it would be a better value if it was in the 6 pack rather than the 4. Then again, thats probably just my habit talking.

May 2nd: La Trapp Quardrupel Ale, Dogfish Head 60minute IPA, and in a pinch I drank some Kirin. The 60 minute was not nearly as good as the 90 minute. Much more hoppy, but it didnt have that dark full almost chocolate/carmel flavor that the 90 minute did. I'll stick with the 90 minute, and keep trying to find the 120 minute in my area. I'm not a huge IPA fan, but so this softened hop flavor is much more my style The La Trapp is about average for its type. A bit too sweet for my taste, and too expensive. It did have a nice warm alcohol feel in the finish, chest warming for the cold that overtook the midwest. Kirin, eh... whatever. May 3rd: Dogfish Head Raison D`Etre (2000 vintage from what I can tell). I was a little worried by the dust on this when I went to Bostons, but it was quite good. Sweet, slight peppery from the beets and not too thick or overly carmel flavored. I have always liked this beer, but its not a long term drinking beer. I can drink a few, then switch off. I have a Scaldis but I havent opened it. I'll report on that later.

Yesterday: Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA. First time I've had this beer. Its amazingly good. Not quite like any of the other IPA's I've ever had. I must say, this is probably my new favorite IPA now.

Tonight: Rogue Dead Guy Ale, and Victory Golden monkey Ahhhh... golden monkey is Soooooooo goood. and cheap too $9.99 a 6pack

Because it was HIS floor? Spitting is only illegal in the street isn't it?

Tonight: Rogue Dead Guy Ale Chufi, Here you can usually find better beers at specialty shops or at a good bar that has a wide selection. I also have had luck in finding little shops, groceries or even conveinence stores that carry anything from a huge microbrew/specialty section to a dozen or so very good beers. When I lived in Columbus Ohio I had a small place called Dairy Family that looked like a total dump right down the street. It was a shop ran by an indian family. When I first moved there I never thought to get anything but cigarettes there. One day I was wandering through the store and I looked at the large beer cooler and realized that they had well over 100 microbrews of very high quality, some of such small production numbers that they came in unmarked white 6-pack carrying cases with hand pasted labels. They had the full selection of Bells (kalamazoo brewing company), Rogue, and even Unibrou. They also had a selection of around 75 imports of high quality. I could get Corsendonk or Chimay, even some Lindemans Lambic. I became VERY good friends with those people very quickly. Now that I live in a small town where the cows outnumber the people I have found that my local independent grocery has a selection of about 30 high quality microbrews and another 20 imports of good quality. I found beers that I would never expect to see in such a small town. I guess I've just been lucky.

Hmm, I looked for more info on it and the only thing I actually find is a study to promote the Magic Egg industry in china. Just for fun, here is the link. Where can I find one of these magic eggs I wonder, perhaps they will make me into a ninja...

Day before yesterday: I drank some Boddingtons and Guinness Draught. Yesterday: Henninger Lager. Not exactly GOOD beer per se, its sorta skunky and a bit too sweet for its style. I dunno, it is remarkably cheap though, and I am poor at the moment. $4.79 for a 6pack of pints is insane... and its way better than busweiser.

I'm not that interested in making friends with the chickens, I just want to eat `em! Do they TASTE any different??

I've seen some images of these black chickens online, and I've heard of how they have magical properties for healing people. I've also read that they lay 'jade' eggs, which are full of different vitamins and minerals. My main question is, where can one find such a bird? I would be interested in trying one just for the experience. In addition I'm supprised that they havent been used more often as an addition in higher end restaurants (at least not to my knowledge) if for no other reason that they would be an odd colouring for chicken. Has anyone ever had one of these birds?

Grape Nuts, no milk. Its like eating little tasty flavored rocks. One warning tho, don't eat a whole box of Grape Nuts, its NOT exactly good for your...uhm... digestion.

Paulaner Hefe-weizen, and a Pinkus Hefeweizen. Oh, and I'll sneak in the wine I'm saving to drink with dinner, a Laforet Bourgogne Pinot Nior.

In my small midwestern city there are only a few decent higher-end restaurants. One of these has high quality dry aged beef and the old school dark wood panneling and dim lighting that recalls memories of country clubs "mens only" bar areas and perhaps the occasional mob deal scene in a movie. The steaks are about $30 each, all sides extra... the standard for these types of steak houses. The non 'moo' food isnt spectacular but the steak is probably the highest quality in the city or possibly even in the surrounding larger cities 60-90 miles away in every direction. This restaurant PRIDES itself on not taking CC's. It seems to add to the mystique or allure of this type of restaurant for the patrons. I'm sure this has never really been a problem for them, and I think that it only adds to the draw of making this a sort of destination restaurant for the people here who might not otherwise ever choose to spend the $$ on a meal. Of course, this concept only probably works in Ohio or other such backward places, and only if the restaurant has been open long enough that when the world turned in its paper for plastic they had the choice of not making the switch. I know that it is easy to skim off of the customers money, wether it be cash or plastic, for a few good reasons: Servers can keep open checks, ring drinks and other things on these checks and so long as they make sure they deliver it themselves there should be no notice that its on the wrong table #. If you work in a place with parties of 6+ that go on one bill fairly frequently you will find that almost NO ONE checks the bill for items they did not purchase. So ring two tables together, one small top, and one large. Gamble that the small one will pay in cash (I'm thinking you could just 'get a feel" for this). Split out a bill for the large one, which will almost certainly be a credit card, take the payment. Split again for the small one. Now you just charge the small table paying cash the full ammount for what they had, part of their bill having already been paid for, and close the check pocket the cash, claim the tip... unless you make it obvious, or your manager is a particularly suspicious individual, you will make more than you would have in tips every night of the week. I'm not saying that I, myself would EVER have done this, but I know how the system works. So... that having been said, check the bill.

Yesterday: Bitburger Pils, Unibroue Éphémère Apple, LindemansLambic Framboise Today: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Bells Oberon, Paulaner Salvator Double Bock. Ahhh... a good selection, if a bit odd. I enjoy variety!