FrogPrincesse

Drink writer Forest Collins and eGullet member @Forest passed away suddenly last week. She was the chair of the World's 50 Best Bars Academy for France, and had recently published a book about Parisian bars (the extension of her blog, 52 Martinis). RIP Forest.

When I have an excess of limes I use their juice in cocktails. Margaritas, daiquiris, etc. Infinite options.

I don't like turkey much so I make cassoulet for thanksgiving. I use duck confit that I make myself, good Toulouse sausage, pork belly, a pigs foot, and white beans. It's a labor of love as it takes a few days. It's a very comforting and festive dish (also quite rich!).

Quince jelly and cheese according to this review.

A couple of things. First, oude / aged lambics tend to be more sour than the unaged variety because they undergo a secondary fermentation which produces more complex flavors, but also more acidity (and reduces the sugar content). So I would generally stay away from aged krieks if you are not overly fond of these types of flavors. I also feel that Lindemans and Boon are on the sweeter side compared to some other krieks or lambics I have tried. I have had plenty of sours that make Lindemans kriek almost taste like candy in comparison. You are right that the tasting notes for your beer are all over the place. My guess is that this is mostly due to people's preferences - some are used to (and even seek) a pronounced sour flavor profile (which is typical for that kind of beer; after all krieks are a type of "sour beer"), and for others it's a bit of a shock to the palate.

One more thought - a good way to know what your beer is “supposed” to taste like would be to check the various tasting notes on Untappd (it’s a beer app). Of course not everyone’s taste buds will be similar to yours, but it will give you a general idea.

Oude kriek is a type of beer (not a brand) which is an aged (oude means old) lambic beer made with sour cherries, and the traditional ones are quite tart with vinegar and cherry notes. Some lambics are a little less sour than others and resemble a very dry funky earthy cider. Some are more on the sweet side, although it’s not the majority. Since lambic is a beer made with wild yeasts, sometimes things evolve in an unexpected way, so it’s also possible that you ended up with a bad bottle. The only way to know would be to get a second bottle from a different batch and compare… but if this bottle wasn’t to your liking, I doubt you’d want to get another one! Although if you don’t like the beer, you can always use it to make lapin a la kriek! The vinegar notes will mellow during cooking and it will likely be delicious at the end.

Butternut squash soup with coriander + lemon, made in the instant pot (recipe by Melissa Clark in Dinner in an Instant). It's surprisingly tasty - I made sure to brown the squash before cooking it in the liquid and that really helps develop the flavors. It has onion, coriander, lemon zest and lemon juice (added at the end). I didn't have fennel so I subbed a shallot and some fennel seeds. Garnished with cilantro and a thin drizzle of olive oil. The little reddish flecks are timur pepper (my addition to the recipe, and it worked very well with its lemony notes).

@gulfporter You are welcome! I wish you both a wonderful anniversary & birthdays!

There is also a video version of the recipe that is available online and has a few good tips.

Spiced, braised short ribs with creamy potatoes from nothing fancy (similar recipe here) With the weather turning (ever so slightly) colder in San Diego, I was in the mood for short ribs and decided to try this recipe. It's a pretty standard process - brown the ribs, remove from the pot, cook the aromatics and spices, deglaze the pot & create a flavorful liquid to braise the meat in, braise in the oven, raise the temperature at the end (with the lid off) to brown the meat further. In addition to onions, garlic, and tomato paste, the liquid (which is broth - I used water + demi-glace - and white wine vinegar) contains a lot of spices which are an interesting departure from the mostly French or Italian short ribs recipes I have tried in the past (it's worth pointing out that it doesn't contain wine or beer, unlike the vast majority of short ribs recipes I have seen). Spices are cumin, fennel, coriander, a touch of cinnamon, and chiles, which leans towards middle eastern. The flavors were actually quite intense due to the large amount of spices used, and the inclusion of chopped lemon (preserved lemons can also be used) both in the braise and as a garnish. The online recipe also includes fresh cilantro as a garnish which I thought was a good addition compared to the book version of the recipe. I also like the potatoes in the dish, which makes it a true on-pot meal. The potatoes stay intact for the most part, and the little bit that sort of melts into the dish thickens the sauce. It's a good recipe and quite easy. The short ribs were bought at Whole Foods and were good quality (very tender which isn't always the case - I found that the quality of the meat is very important with short ribs recipes in general). Before going into the oven... ...and after Plated The leftovers will go into tacos!

I think you may be missing anchovies in your list of ingredients. It keeps for a few weeks in the fridge with a bit of olive oil on top.

Agree, I have taken these Harvard food sciences courses on edX and they are great (and free)!

That is a very specific list, @gulfporter! At least you are clear on what you are looking for. San Diego is famous for its Mexican cuisine, but obviously you have plenty of that in your village, and also its vibrant Asian food scene (in Convoy neighborhood, see here). Some of the cuisines you listed aren't especially common in SD but I will do my best to help, as long as you promise to share your impressions after your visit 😉. Jamaican (including goat): Rock Steady in Grant Hill (east of downtown) Afghan and Persian cuisine: Khyber Pass in Hillcrest Indian: the place I liked in Sorrento Valley changed hands during covid and I don't have a go-to at the moment. SD Magazine recommends the following: Bhojan Griha (critic's pick), Curry & More Indian Bistro (readers' pick), and Charminar (see here for more of their recommendations). Moroccan: the only Moroccan place I am aware of is Medina which does Baja-Moroccan fusion and is quite good New Mexican: Wolf in the Woods is excellent (reservations are a must) All of the above are extremely casual, with the exception of the last one which is nice-casual (you'd be hard press to find anything that isn't casual in SD). In addition, the linked thread has some recommendations that may work for you (most are older posts, but some of these restaurants are still around), so I recommend going through it. Also it's worth checking out Kirk's blog mmm-yoso which has a lot of ideas for hole-in-the-wall restaurants that you can filter by cuisine. Lastly, Eater has a few lists as well that can be helpful (see here, and here). Enjoy your visit!

I treated myself to this nice campfire harbison cheese (like the original, but lightly smoked) from Jasper Hill farm. (Also some Humboldt fog for good measure.)