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Davydd

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Everything posted by Davydd

  1. They all look promising to me. Glad they didn't try to stick an obligatory BudMillerCoors Lite brew in there somehow. I like Bell's Brewery in general. That Java Stout might make a good marriage of coffee and beer, my two main drinks.
  2. I believe Starbucks roasts all their coffee beans the same so many brews do have that burnt taste. How true that is I am not sure but it probably imprints a signature to its brand. Most will roast beans differently depending on the type of bean. Our son-in-law once owned three coffee shops with his family (since sold) and I learned a little bit about the business just from general family discussions. I also once went to Starbucks' headquarters in Seattle and gained a little insight during business meetings. Looks like a nice place to work. It is an old converted Sears building nicely done. One of those Sears buildings that had a tower. There is one tip I learned I think worth passing on to the general public. Every year they have their own employee in-house holiday blend at the end of the year that none of us outsiders can get, but the closest thing to it in the stores is their Christmas Blend every December. Maybe that is a bit of mind play but I now do look forward to it every year and will usually buy a couple of pounds of it for home use over the holidays. I drink Starbucks just about every work day morning and then switch to Caribou in the afternoon. I will also drink most independent coffee shop brews if they are convenient. I drink my coffee straight black with no cream or sugar.
  3. There are over 30,000 people living in the downtown condos within the freeway loop. For a downtown area in a city the size of Minneapolis that is pretty good. OK, it's not Chicago. I work downtown and live in the Lake Minnetonka area 20 miles west. Most people that don't work downtown in the suburbs have no interest in going downtown or into Minneapolis. I once knew a woman in Shorewood who had never been to downtown Minneapolis! I would venture most of the people that go to Twins, Timberwolves and Vikings games get in and get out as expediently as possible. Since they chow down at those events I doubt they have an inclination to go to a good restaurant but maybe a sports bar before and after. I know my way around and have 24/7 monthly parking so don't have a problem with downtown. But in the summertime I like sitting on the piers of Lake Minnetonka. Food is secondary though there are some good eats. But we did take in this summer's downtown jazz festival on a Saturday night and had a good meal.
  4. Wow! a whole nickel. I'm so old I can remember when a bottomless cup of coffee in a diner mug was only a nickel.
  5. Hmmm, good suggestion. Might go well with my deep-fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches. The heart will go before the liver.
  6. Sheesh! Another condescending know it all commenter. Do you people cruise around with a black mushroom cloud over your head to naysay comment in every mushrooming thread? Have you read the thread? Do you know anything about mushrooms? I am very familiar with the puffball mushroom with over 24 years experience with them in my woods. I believe I stated that earlier. I guess I knew another naysayer would come out of the woods or I wouldn't have said "Hello. Me again. Still alive." Yeah, my bad. But I'm happy. I figured out what to do with the puffballs. They are strangely different in taste with a squeeky chewy texture in a traditional use mushroom fixing way. But in soup, superb!
  7. Hello. Me again. Still alive. Another crop came up again this weekend. That's a first for us--two crops in one season. I now know what puffball mushrooms are good for. Mushroom soup! I picked another one about the size of a canteloupe, skinned it, cut it up into cubes, sauteed it in a stick of butter along with a whole chopped red onion, added a 1/4 cup of flour, stirred in 5 cups of chicken broth, and brought it to a boil. Then put it on simmer and added 1 cup of half and half, along with about 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp dry mustard. It was good. There is another one out in the woods. I am thinking about slicing that one up, sauteeing it in olive oil and then freezing it for future pizzas.
  8. Guinness - What better in a pub? Boddington's Pub Ale - OK, maybe this. Summit Pale Ale - When in Minnesota, the standby on tap to defend against the light beers. Bell's Two Hearted Ale Newcastle Nut Brown Ale Leinenkugel's Original - When can beer is necessary for the occassion
  9. Davydd

    Sandwiches!

    No sandwich discussion can go by without mention of the Heartland's nearly exclusive deep fried breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. Seldom it seems are these made in the home but they can be found in just about every restaurant and bar/grill in Indiana and Iowa. I do make my own and have a recipe/tutorial photo essay page... http://web.mac.com/davydd/iWeb/Site/BPT_Tutorial.html Here is one of my home made sandwiches... and here is one of six made in the pine forests of Minnesota in a campground... and of course, my Avatar, that I call the "Hangover".
  10. We took a walk today in the University of Minnesota Arboretum. We went off the main public and more formal arboretum and into the Forest walk area. In a short two mile walk we probably saw about 3 dozen large puffballs. Since it is University property we left them as is. This has been a great year for puffballs in Minnesota.
  11. Toast, fried egg and peanut butter sandwich is my favorite.
  12. So that's what I am. I just go to restaurants to photograph breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches and my wife actually puts up with it.
  13. I might watch out of curiosity because I am an architect.
  14. One day later and I am still alive. ← Yes, you're still alive. And yes, a puffball is one of the most easily identifiable of fungi. So, you gonna try the next mushroom you see anyway if you aren't 100 percent certain of its identification? Plus, there are a number of mushrooms whose toxic effects don't show up until three or four days later (these are particularly nasty varieties, which usually attack the nervous system with a vengeance), so your being alive the day after you eat it is hardly proof of its safety. These are particularly nasty varieties, which usually attack the nervous system with a vengeance. And even these can taste good. Read the novel Debt to Pleasure. ← Day 4. Whew! Still alive. You might realize by now I don't need a holier than thou condescending lecture about mushrooms. I know what a puffball is as I have been picking them out of my woods for nearly 30 years. The picture I posted was of good size not to be mistaken for something else and was firm and fresh. The question was what to do with them. I have to agree silentmeow, there is not a whole lot of flavor in a puffball. It is slight and subtle and does need some spicing up. I used the onions and some Emeril's Original Essence. I didn't think about the Parmesan cheese. Sounds like a good idea. DrColby's idea with eggs is another good one. Pizza? Anyone tried that? The window of opportunity is closing. I am going to leave three of them out there to propagate a future crop. I might even go out and punt them once they are ready. The next search will be next spring for the morels that pop up.
  15. Pulse OK. No sweating. Stomach feels fine even after a pizza. Day Two and I am still alive.
  16. Davydd

    worst rum

    Mixed with coconut milk and orange juice, who cares? That's the way we drank that stuff in the British Virgin Islands on board a sailboat.
  17. I am pretty sure I know my puffballs and morels that also grow in my woods. I've been checking them out for 30 years. There are literally dozens of other mushrooms that grow as well but I don't bother with them safe or not. Just so you don't worry I will check back in about four days.
  18. One day later and I am still alive.
  19. Yep, three hours later and I am still alive. If there is poison I will kill it with Wild Turkey neat.
  20. Truffles? YOu are out of my league.
  21. Tonight I am having a Beamish Genuine Irish Stout. Now I know what the little ball in the can is called. Beamish calls it a "widget". "The floating widget lets you enjoy the silky smooth taste and creamy head of Draught Beamish Irish Stout from a can. Simply chill & pour smoothly into a glass." It is a little sharper and hoppier than Guinness Stout. I am having this while I am reading, An Inebriated History of Britain by Peter Haydon.
  22. I just fried up the smallest puffball with onions in butter, olive oil, and Emeril's Original Essence seasoning. You are right SB about them not being filling. The whole puffball reduced itself to a small plate full. Will the mushroom kill me? I didn't see any gills when I sliced it open but I imagine the half stick of butter will not help me.
  23. Davydd

    Coffee Matters

    Hey, the mugs are looking good. Who would have thought about a lid to keep the coffee warm. That's cool Live It Up. 15 years with the same mug has to be some kind a record Bombdog. The patch seems to be intact. SB, if you can take a digital picture and get it on your computer the posting is simple. I sample my high res pictures down to a manageable 600 x 450 and upload to Photobucket.com. They store your picture and give you files to use. In this case you simply copy the IMG referenced file and paste it in your posting. It doesn't take a lot of brainpower once you get the routine down. When did coffee cease being served with a cup and saucer? I looked high and low for the classic diner coffee mug from the days at sitting at a counter and drinking coffee. That's my preference. I am also thinking ahead about what I want to keep in my RV and the diner coffee mug looks like a stable spill proof cup.
  24. The fact that they don't keep is a dilemma. With five giant ones we could not possibly eat them. I understand you can saute them and then freeze them for later. Can you dry them out with a food dryer and use them as a condiment? The one I picked most likely will be sliced up tonight and fried with onions.
  25. I found five of these puffball mushrooms in my woods this afternoon. I picked one and trimmed off the outer skin. What do you suggest I do with it?
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