Duvel

I am but a simple man living by simple principles …

Thanks ! I would have probably just used a refraktometer, but your method certainly works as well … What I would like to know it how one can be certain about the 25% dilution. I thought to puzzle together a small Aspen simulation for that but … temperature of the mixture pre chilling temperature of the ice environmental temperature amount of the mixture pre chilling amount of ice (mass) surface volume of the ice heat capacity of the shaker/stirring vessel time of contact between mixture and ice … And then you have the „melting“ part of the equation, but also the „dissolving“ part, which heavily depends on the surface volume of the ice, but also the surface structure. I know I am overthinking this. But then again … 25% 🤔

Thanks. I do not see really where he gets the 25% dilution from … Seems a bit random, but I’ll calculate myself one of these days.

Umm 🙄 … guilty as charged ?

How do you calculate the dilution imparted by shaking/stirring it with ice ?

I used 68 oC for 24h with great effect, but for the ease of timing I use 70 oC for 18h now …

I remember a particular JV negotiation with a large state-owned company near Chongqing. Before the banquet at night our hosts insisted we drink each about 500 mL of room temperature drinking yoghurt „to protect your stomach“. I was impressed, because I was expecting a rather spicy Sichuan dinner* and thought it is very thoughtful. But my translator assured me that this was only to counteract the copious amounts of alcohol that they would „force“ us to drink later. Unfortunately for them, after a few obligatory rounds of ice-cold red wine they left the choice of the hard liquor to us. It seems the drinking yoghurt did not protect their stomachs against Chivas Regal … —- * and it was

I was under the impression that when you want to get some gyros in the US, you will get almost exclusively the uniform loaf derived variety, and not the stacked Greek version. That doesn't mean you can't get it anywhere else* on occasion, but certainly not as the standard. However, in Europe most of the gyros joints have been replaced by Döner selling ones. Döner is not made from pork and allowed to have a certain percentage of minced meat in the skewer, so is moves into the "American gyros" direction. Adding on that, I don't see the necessity for the "unfortunately" expression ... I think it is a tasty product that serves its purpose, at least in the version I made. Not an elite gourmet food (neither is the Greek gyros), and sure you can always hide anything in a minced meat product, but that would be the fault of the producer/vendor, not of the product itself. --- * Though not in Germany (anymore), as the term "Gyros" is protected by law. They would need to sell it under a different name.

Gyros in Greece is a spit with marinated slices of pork (typically neck/collar) stacked on top of each other, grilled and sliced off layer by layer from the vertically rotating skewer. American gyros is a kind of seasoned meatloaf, comprised of seasoned minced lamb, beef or a mixture thereof, precooked, sliced and fried (or grilled and sliced). Thus, the choice of meat, the resulting texture and the employed cooking method will render it “American gyro(s)”.

Sorry, not pictured. The pita was sitting next to me complaining about the celery in the Greek salad …

„American Gyros“, made from minced beef & lamb using my Leberkäse method. Cooked in a loaf tin, cooled and refried in thin slices … Served with a Greek salad and minty Zaziki.

Wow - that is a healthy Color on those sprouts. Only due to the balsamic ?

Okonomiyaki meets Jeon meets the content of family Duvel‘s vegetable crisper … Daikon, celery, cabbage, leek, carrot, onion, garlic. Some mixed minced meat, marinated in Ssamjang, thrown in for good measure. Served with a dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime, maple sirup and sriracha. No complaints 🤗

In all seriousness: my palate is not able to differentiate between a proper and a semiproper oxygenated wine, so all functional aspects of the glass (including a fancy constriction and the like) are unfortunately lost for me. The insulation features from @rotuts post are also irrelevant, because I drink too fast. Esthetics are always subject to ones preferences, but if it has a long stem, a decent bulge and a reasonable volume, it‘ll do for me. And the IKEA ones are doing the job for me as many of the ones pictured in the article.

At least not anymore* https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Xianrendong-panel-with-large-naturalistic-elk-and-deer-outline-paintings-Yunnan_fig2_268689709 —- * which can - without any doubt - be attributed to the widespread popularity of the Yunnan elk dish in prehistoric times …

CNY eve in Germany … Fish (that didn’t fit into my steaming setup, for prosperity) Dumplings (for wealth) Noodles (for happiness & longevity) I thing we got it covered ☺️ Gong Xi Fa Cai - Gong Hei Fat Choy 🙏

Really … you went to the elephant sanctuary and didn’t fill up on the free trunk jerky, so you still could squeeze in dinner ?!?

Damn - and I thought moving from IKEA plastic cups to IKEA 365 wine glasses was the pinnacle of refinement … 🙄

I had Bactrian camel a couple of times when I was visiting Xinjiang province in China. Tasty lean meat, only had it braised with plenty of spices. Sweeter version of beef comes to mind … But for this Cook-Off, you‘ll need to bite into ostrich* *or any other avian variety of choice.

You can mail order … https://www.americanostrichfarms.com/products/ostrich-wings

I wasn’t joking - in fact, I found a source for those in the US (link in my introduction post). For me it would be very interesting how ostrich wings compare - I mean ostrich meat is red, very much akin to beef. Can you imagine „beefy“ wings ?! Think of the possibilities 🤗 I would not worry about their „uselessness“. Farmed chickens use their wings most likely even less that ostriches, so texture should be fine and not too tough …

Nice ones, @dcarch! I think we had a few of those precook/dry/crisp combinations and though laborious they seem to yield results … I was wondering about your wings: I have not come across „full wings“ here so far. Even in the ethnic market (that are more Mediterranean/middle eastern here), wings are sold without the tip. Where do you source yours ?

Fair enough 🤗 (and yet I‘ll enjoy it under that name in private)

That‘s intriguing. Now, if you could premake and freeze them …

Me too, for the “regular” Sapphire (at 40%). Bombay dry is at 42%, and the Sapphire 47% is at … well … 47%. It is more intense, not for the higher alcohol content but the lack of dilution, if you will, of the flavours. That, some brine, some lemon peel if you feel fancy and veeeery cold does the trick.