The Food and Drink Thread

[noman]

So, given that the 7th Sea thread was nearly hijacked with a discussion of food*, I thought I'd open a thread here for anybody who wants to talk about food, drink, recipes, and whatever. Something like that pops up, we can direct it here, you know?

Diet can sometimes get a little confrontational, so let's keep it nice. No harshing on smelly, kale-eating vegans, and no shaming those poor, misguided wretches who prefer a little animal protein in their diet.

* It wasn't me! I swear! It was those other guys, with their anchovies and bacon, and bacon-wrapped anchovies!

 

[noman]

So, every now and then, I lose my mind.

I keep to a rigid meal plan during the week, but every now and then, I get a strong craving for something completely off the wall. For example, about once or twice a year, I'll have to have donuts. I generally don't like donuts, but when this hits, I'm out the door, going to the local donut place, and chowing down on half-a-dozen of the damned things.

Today it was mashed potatoes. Why? I have no idea. I'm not even a big fan of the dish.

I had potatoes but no milk, so I had to improvise. I used margarine, olive oil, Mrs. Braggs and garlic powder for flavor, and a little water. I like my MP dry and lumpy, and I thought this would do the trick.

The finished product was...passable. No self-respecting Southerner would tolerate this, to be sure -- I'd get a punch in the mouth if I served this at a proper, Southern table. But it wasn't bad. Creamier than I expected, and quite savory. My SO approved, and we finished a massive bowl of the stuff for lunch.

 

[The Butcher]

I like mashed potatoes well enough. WhenI was a kid my dad would take us to a restaurant where they did chicken Kiev with cream cheese instead of butter, with mashed potatoes on the side.

I should try and make chicken Kiev at home some day.

My favorite way to do potatoes is either Southern German/Austrian-style potato salad (boil until al dente, throw with red onions, sage, chives and a mustard-based vinaigrette), or just cook them, brush a little olive oil, sprinkle some paprika and bake them in the oven. Potatoes are nearly foolproof.

 

[noman]

I like mashed potatoes well enough. WhenI was a kid my dad would take us to a restaurant where they did chicken Kiev with cream cheese instead of butter, with mashed potatoes on the side.

I should try and make chicken Kiev at home some day.

My favorite way to do potatoes is either Southern German/Austrian-style potato salad (boil until al dente, throw with red onions, sage, chives and a mustard-based vinaigrette), or just cook them, brush a little olive oil, sprinkle some paprika and bake them in the oven. Potatoes are nearly foolproof.

This sounds really good. Will try.

 

[Ronin]

I like mashed potatoes well enough. WhenI was a kid my dad would take us to a restaurant where they did chicken Kiev with cream cheese instead of butter, with mashed potatoes on the side.

I should try and make chicken Kiev at home some day.

My favorite way to do potatoes is either Southern German/Austrian-style potato salad (boil until al dente, throw with red onions, sage, chives and a mustard-based vinaigrette), or just cook them, brush a little olive oil, sprinkle some paprika and bake them in the oven. Potatoes are nearly foolproof.

OK you need to stay out of my house, or perhaps my head. Talking about Kiev, I had earlier this week chicken breasts stuffed with broccoli and cheese. In the same vein as kiev. It was really good for frozen stuff. (Needed an easy single meal, as the wife was not really eating.) But it got me to thinking about making my own stuffed chicken breasts. May happen this weekend.

As for German potato salad. I haven't had that in a while. Now that you say it, I'monesing for it. Thanks

 

[Ronin]

So, every now and then, I lose my mind.

I keep to a rigid meal plan during the week, but every now and then, I get a strong craving for something completely off the wall. For example, about once or twice a year, I'll have to have donuts. I generally don't like donuts, but when this hits, I'm out the door, going to the local donut place, and chowing down on half-a-dozen of the damned things.

Today it was mashed potatoes. Why? I have no idea. I'm not even a big fan of the dish.

I had potatoes but no milk, so I had to improvise. I used margarine, olive oil, Mrs. Braggs and garlic powder for flavor, and a little water. I like my MP dry and lumpy, and I thought this would do the trick.

The finished product was...passable. No self-respecting Southerner would tolerate this, to be sure -- I'd get a punch in the mouth if I served this at a proper, Southern table. But it wasn't bad. Creamier than I expected, and quite savory. My SO approved, and we finished a massive bowl of the stuff for lunch.

Mash potatoes are the bomb. I just happen to have potatoes, chives (From the garden), garlic (from the garden), butter, and milk. I think I know what we are having tomorrow night for dinner

 

[noman]

Mash potatoes are the bomb. I just happen to have potatoes, chives (From the garden), garlic (from the garden), butter, and milk. I think I know what we are having tomorrow night for dinner

Oooh! Home grown garlic and herbs. Nice.

Now I want mashed potatoes again.

 

[Ronin]

We try to do a little better and a little more every year in our garden. We will end up having three different beds next year to support our gardening habits

 

[The Butcher]

Let's talk booze. Who's drinking what?

Wine's my favorite and I drink a little beer, but lately I've taken a shine to cocktail-mixing and to spirits. After exploring gin for a couple of years, now I'm getting into whisk(e)y — an expensive but fun spirit to get into.

I've been sampling scotch (easy to find here but fairly expensive) and bourbon (hard to find, cheaper than scotch but still way more expensive than what you pay in 'Murica) at every opportunity. Irish whiskey — only Jameson, only once. And no Japanese whisky yet.

Though I still struggle with the alcohol burn with the first few sips, my impression so far is that scotch lends itself to subtler and more complex expressions, while bourbon — my sampling is very limited, admittedly (Jack Daniels, Bulleit, Woodford Reserve) — usually hits you up front with caramel, toffee and vanilla, and it takes some time to pick out other notes such as fruit or spice.

 

[Johnny Blade]

So, given that the 7th Sea thread was nearly hijacked with a discussion of food*, I thought I'd open a thread here for anybody who wants to talk about food, drink, recipes, and whatever. Something like that pops up, we can direct it here, you know?

Diet can sometimes get a little confrontational, so let's keep it nice. No harshing on smelly, kale-eating vegans, and no shaming those poor, misguided wretches who prefer a little animal protein in their diet.

* It wasn't me! I swear! It was those other guys, with their anchovies and bacon, and bacon-wrapped anchovies!

Great Idea!
Yesterday i prepared some Good chili.
Nothing supernatural just beans, minched meat, carrots and peperonis and onions cut fine, nutmeg jalapeño (in traces) and turmeric.
No oil: just some water and a vague idea of soy sauce in the end to tie everything up.
Freezed 4 portions and ate one there and then. Light beer to drink with It, obviously.

Edit: A vegetarian could obtain something roughly similar just by sobstituting the meat with tofu I suppose.

 

[Spinachcat]

Booze? Captain Morgan's Private Stock. Easily my favorite sipping rum. It's so beyond regular Captain its weird they originate with the same company.

My morning go-to is Whaler's Dark Rum for my jacuzzi Americano. Whaler's Rum has a creamy vanilla flavor that goes great with espresso. [OMG, I am so LA.]

Food? My girlfriend loves my stir fry dishes and I've recently started using jalapenos in my faux-asian cooking. I've been pleasantly surprised. We love extremely spicy dishes and mixing Thai chilis and jalapeno has been a success.

So, every now and then, I lose my mind.

You? Shocked I tell you! Shocked! :cool:

I keep to a rigid meal plan during the week,

Explain!

 

[Imperator]

Let's talk booze. Who's drinking what?

Wine's my favorite and I drink a little beer, but lately I've taken a shine to cocktail-mixing and to spirits. After exploring gin for a couple of years, now I'm getting into whisk(e)y — an expensive but fun spirit to get into.

I've been sampling scotch (easy to find here but fairly expensive) and bourbon (hard to find, cheaper than scotch but still way more expensive than what you pay in 'Murica) at every opportunity. Irish whiskey — only Jameson, only once. And no Japanese whisky yet.

Though I still struggle with the alcohol burn with the first few sips, my impression so far is that scotch lends itself to subtler and more complex expressions, while bourbon — my sampling is very limited, admittedly (Jack Daniels, Bulleit, Woodford Reserve) — usually hits you up front with caramel, toffee and vanilla, and it takes some time to pick out other notes such as fruit or spice.

I love both wine and beer, and they're my first choice. Fortunately, we have both great beers and wines in Spain, and you don't have to pay expensive prices for them. So, unless I am going to a place specialized on cocktails or spirits, I will ask for wither beer or wine when going out.

On spirits, I've been mostly a vodka guy. I like whiskey and rum, and I like them more as I grow older. Gin and tonic is something I only started to tolerate recently.

 

[noman]

You? Shocked I tell you! Shocked! :cool:

I'm honestly not sure what you're going on about.

I mean, all of my posts, both here and on the Site, have been measured, grounded, purely about RPGs, and most of all, consistent and reasonable.

:p

Explain!

Not really much to explain here.

I like doing the cooking at the noman household, so I keep it organized. Detailed menu plans. This saves me time and money over the long run, as knowing what I need to buy ahead of time reduces my habit of getting crap I don't need. Doing this also reduces the influx of junk food, which is a good thing. I've noted that less disciplined planning and more spontaneous shopping (Ohh, they have fresh peaches and vegan crackers!) can increase our weekly shopping bill by almost 50%, depending.

 

[noman]

Edit: A vegetarian could obtain something roughly similar just by sobstituting the meat with tofu I suppose.

Amy's does a decent vegan chili. I've got a few recipes that I've tried, and they're okay. Not anything close to an actual, good quality, home-cooked meat-based chili.

IMO, real chili is meat-based, with no beans, homemade, and served by a surly, overweight Texan or Southerner who's carrying a concealed pistol and eyeing you suspiciously as he's dishing out his delicious, meaty goodness into your bowl.

 

[Johnny Blade]

This saves me time and money over the long run, as knowing what I need to buy ahead of time reduces my habit of getting crap I don't need.

I do the same and I can testify that by this simple method you can save a lot of money and time.
Talking of diet I'm working on something to step up the metabolism because I want MAD GAINZ without resorting to disgusting chemistry.
ATM I've come to the conclusion that If I try to do What my veterinarian friends does to horses, that is giving them different nutrients in the course of the week, discriminating by day (ie: wednesday and thursday are protein days etc) I shouldn't die. Perhaps I'll try one week and see how it goes.
In the meantime I'm cutting on the cooking oil.

 

[Johnny Blade]

Amy's does a decent vegan chili. I've got a few recipes that I've tried, and they're okay. Not anything close to an actual, good quality, home-cooked meat-based chili.

We agree on the nature of Chili

IMO, real chili is meat-based, with no beans, homemade, and served by a surly, overweight Texan or Southerner who's carrying a concealed pistol and eyeing you suspiciously as he's dishing out his delicious, meaty goodness into your bowl.

Except for the "without beans" part I'm 100% on board. It's Spaghetti Western Special Day. You watch the Good the Bad and the Ugly and eat chili. You just made the evening.
Also; With either red wine or light mexican beer like Corona. With the lemon slice of course.

 

[noman]

We agree on the nature of Chili

Except for the "without beans" part I'm 100% on board. It's Spaghetti Western Special Day. You watch the Good the Bad and the Ugly and eat chili. You just made the evening.
Also; With either red wine or light mexican beer like Corona. With the lemon slice of course.

Can't watch TGB&TU without needing to power-consume tex-mex.

 

[Spinachcat]

Has the Hawaiian poke craze hit the rest of the country?

It's huge in LA. Essentially, its a sushi roll in a bowl and its served like Subway, aka, you pick your base, pick your proteins, pick your add-ons, pick your sauce, boom done next. If you enjoy sushi, poke will be on your hit parade.

We also have been inundated with the make-your-own pizza places, like PizzaRev and Pieology. AKA, its a thin crust base, and again like Subway, you go down the worker line and they throw whatever toppings you want on the 'za, then quick cook in the mega-oven then deliver to table. I'm a big fan, but its pizza and I haven't met pizza I haven't kinda enjoyed.

Including the weirdo time I went to a "Brazilian" pizza place in LA which is part restaurant and part barber shop. NOT a combo I would suggest.

IMO, real chili is meat-based, with no beans, homemade, and served by a surly, overweight Texan or Southerner who's carrying a concealed pistol and eyeing you suspiciously as he's dishing out his delicious, meaty goodness into your bowl.

I don't think I've ever had chili without beans. Anyone have a favorite recipe?

I make a huge pot of chili every season that packs 1/4 of the freezer for a month. I also the house chef and my answer is I cook big and freeze 9/10th of it. Both my girlfriend and I were raised on real food, so junk food isn't a big draw so we are lucky there.

 

[Johnny Blade]

Has the Hawaiian poke craze hit the rest of the country?

It's huge in LA. Essentially, its a sushi roll in a bowl and its served like Subway, aka, you pick your base, pick your proteins, pick your add-ons, pick your sauce, boom done next. If you enjoy sushi, poke will be on your hit parade.

We also have been inundated with the make-your-own pizza places, like PizzaRev and Pieology. AKA, its a thin crust base, and again like Subway, you go down the worker line and they throw whatever toppings you want on the 'za, then quick cook in the mega-oven then deliver to table. I'm a big fan, but its pizza and I haven't met pizza I haven't kinda enjoyed.

Including the weirdo time I went to a "Brazilian" pizza place in LA which is part restaurant and part barber shop. NOT a combo I would suggest.



I don't think I've ever had chili without beans. Anyone have a favorite recipe?

I make a huge pot of chili every season that packs 1/4 of the freezer for a month. I also the house chef and my answer is I cook big and freeze 9/10th of it. Both my girlfriend and I were raised on real food, so junk food isn't a big draw so we are lucky there.

The Industrialization of the service sector proceeds apace I see. Soon they won't even have to hire people, mechanic arms will do the same.
I'm optimist though: the luddites didn't foresee the creation of new jobs, and likewise our futurologists of today aren't.
Back on topic: I had tuna fillette with fantasy salad and white wine today; it was good but I've partially screwed up the cooking time. How do You people do fish fillette?

 

[The Butcher]

Including the weirdo time I went to a "Brazilian" pizza place in LA which is part restaurant and part barber shop. NOT a combo I would suggest.

Haha, fucking Brazilians. Or should I say, HUE HUE* ;)

* As a Brazilian I endorse this stereotype. At least as far as online gaming is concerned.

Back on topic: I had tuna fillette with fantasy salad and white wine today; it was good but I've partially screwed up the cooking time. How do You people do fish fillette?

Thinly sliced? Nonstick pan, high heat, as little oil or butter as possible, sear a minute (or less!) each side, done.

Take more time with each side if a thicker cut; if you want it cooked through, lower heat after searing and cover. A meat thermometer is a great tool to have, especially if you grill (just make sure to get a small-tipped digital one for fish).

 

[Johnny Blade]

The meat thermomether is a really good idea, thank You.

 

[noman]

I don't think I've ever had chili without beans.

My comments upthread were mostly tongue-in-cheek. The point being that what I tend to make and call "chili" isn't so much chili as it is a vegetable stew.

It was once explained to me by a native Texan that "real chili" is prepared without beans. Most of the chili I ate as a child was likewise without beans, due to the culinary habits of the region.

But I'm of the opinion that there's no right or wrong way to make chili (is it yummy in the tummy?) just as there's no right or wrong way to game (is it fun?).

An interesting article for anyone (SFW, Slate) who wants to read about this

 

[Ronin]

Let's talk booze. Who's drinking what?

Wine's my favorite and I drink a little beer, but lately I've taken a shine to cocktail-mixing and to spirits. After exploring gin for a couple of years, now I'm getting into whisk(e)y — an expensive but fun spirit to get into.

I've been sampling scotch (easy to find here but fairly expensive) and bourbon (hard to find, cheaper than scotch but still way more expensive than what you pay in 'Murica) at every opportunity. Irish whiskey — only Jameson, only once. And no Japanese whisky yet.

Though I still struggle with the alcohol burn with the first few sips, my impression so far is that scotch lends itself to subtler and more complex expressions, while bourbon — my sampling is very limited, admittedly (Jack Daniels, Bulleit, Woodford Reserve) — usually hits you up front with caramel, toffee and vanilla, and it takes some time to pick out other notes such as fruit or spice.

When it comes to bourbon you need to try Evan Williams Single Barrel, and Makers Mark. Although I do have a special place in my heart for Wild Turkey, but its got to be the 101 proof. It's straight up hillbilly rocket fuel. Shenanigans will ensue, guaranteed.
Now speaking of Irish Whiskey. I personally enjoy Jameson, Bushmills, and Tullamore Dew. All three are very good.

 

[Ronin]

Amy's does a decent vegan chili. I've got a few recipes that I've tried, and they're okay. Not anything close to an actual, good quality, home-cooked meat-based chili.

IMO, real chili is meat-based, with no beans, homemade, and served by a surly, overweight Texan or Southerner who's carrying a concealed pistol and eyeing you suspiciously as he's dishing out his delicious, meaty goodness into your bowl.

I can get behind this. But I'm not a total non bean guy. (My Texan grandmother is probably spinning in her grave upon hearing that statement.) But I am firmly behind the surly, overweight, gun carrying part. They know, and make good food. Don't let anyone else tell you different. What's that? What did you say? You son of a bitch!!!!! (draws handgun from waist band) I'm giving you three seconds to make right with which ever god you like. (See I'm progressive. I gave them a choice.;):p)

 

[Ronin]

Has the Hawaiian poke craze hit the rest of the country?

It's huge in LA. Essentially, its a sushi roll in a bowl and its served like Subway, aka, you pick your base, pick your proteins, pick your add-ons, pick your sauce, boom done next. If you enjoy sushi, poke will be on your hit parade.

We also have been inundated with the make-your-own pizza places, like PizzaRev and Pieology. AKA, its a thin crust base, and again like Subway, you go down the worker line and they throw whatever toppings you want on the 'za, then quick cook in the mega-oven then deliver to table. I'm a big fan, but its pizza and I haven't met pizza I haven't kinda enjoyed.

Including the weirdo time I went to a "Brazilian" pizza place in LA which is part restaurant and part barber shop. NOT a combo I would suggest.



I don't think I've ever had chili without beans. Anyone have a favorite recipe?

I make a huge pot of chili every season that packs 1/4 of the freezer for a month. I also the house chef and my answer is I cook big and freeze 9/10th of it. Both my girlfriend and I were raised on real food, so junk food isn't a big draw so we are lucky there.

No Poke around here in the mid-michigan DMZ. But the wife and I like to cook up "Lunch Plate". Having never been to Hawaii, I don't know how authentic it is. But its pretty tasty.

 

[Spinachcat]

Butcher, tell us about Brazilian pizza.

Here's the place I went. I have no idea if this the real deal or not.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bella-vista-brazilian-gourmet-pizza-culver-city

Noman, thank you for the chili article! Do you have a fav recipe?

My comments upthread were mostly tongue-in-cheek.

I'm open minded about where people put their tongues. :p

 

[noman]

Do you have a fav recipe?

Sadly, no. For two reasons.

Any recipe would be meatless, which would be of limited value to most of us here, and I'm not satisfied with my current chili recipes at the moment. Still tweaking and experimenting. Not going to put up a recipe unless I think I can stand by its quality.

 

[Ronin]

Well I haven't thrown in my lot with the devil and gone meatless;) So let me give you my recipe for chili.
Dice up two jalapenos, one large onion. (I like a yellow onion for this. But they are all good.) Fry up in a pan a pound of ground beef with one diced jalapeno, and half the onion. When the beef is cooked. Dump that in a large pot. Then cook up a pound of bob evans spicy italian sausage. Dump this into the pot. Add to this two cans of mild chili beans, a can of black beans, and a can of kidney beans. Add the rest of the peppers, and onion. Then add chili powder to taste (I used to go all the way to "Oh My God!" Now I stick to "that's spicy".) add black pepper, and cayenne to taste. Add one can of Coca cola, and then a can of beer. When it comes to beer I like to use a good domestic lager. In any case I think it is good advise not to use beer that you would not drink. Cheap is not necessarily the answer. Unless you happen to like a cheap beer, then go on with your bad self. Then finally I usually give a couple good shakes of some Franks Red hot into it. Then put the pot on to the heat and cook it down. Stirring it once and awhile. If some thickening is required, I use a little flour. But do not just dump it into the pot. Mix it well in a glass with water. Then mix that mixture with the chili.
Lastly enjoy. I like to put it in a bowl with a little grated cheese on it. Then scoop it up with townhouse crackers. But you eat anyway you want.

 

[noman]

Ronin

Why the Coke?

 

[The Butcher]

When it comes to bourbon you need to try Evan Williams Single Barrel, and Makers Mark. Although I do have a special place in my heart for Wild Turkey, but its got to be the 101 proof. It's straight up hillbilly rocket fuel. Shenanigans will ensue, guaranteed.
Now speaking of Irish Whiskey. I personally enjoy Jameson, Bushmills, and Tullamore Dew. All three are very good.

Maker's Mark is consistently recommended amd definitely on my list. Hopefully I can pick it up for a less than gouging price next time I walk into a duty-free shop (may be a while). The mark-up at local stores is insane (more than twice the US price).

I see a lot of love for Evan Williams SB but I have yet to encounter it in the wild.

WT101 is another recurring recommendation but I'm not crazy about the high proof.

As for the Irish, Jameson (the only one easily found around here) is good, and the Internet seems to hold Bushmills and Tullamore Dew in high regard as well. I see much praise for Redbreast too. All on my list.

Butcher, tell us about Brazilian pizza.

Here's the place I went. I have no idea if this the real deal or not.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bella-vista-brazilian-gourmet-pizza-culver-city

Okay, from the reviews and pics, this place is the real deal all right.

I'm a fairly conservative guy when it comes to pizza. If I'm going out for pizza, as opposed to ordering it, I tend to stick to the cleaner, fancier pizza joints which do classic Italian toppings like prosciutto or sausage. The sort of place you take the missus to impress her and inspect the wine list like a general before his assembled troops, before ordering the value-driven Italian du jour.

But we all grew up eating cheap, insane Brazilian toppings like frango com Catupiry (chicken and cream cheese), quatro queijos (an unholy melt of four cheeses typically dominated by second-rate blue cheese), portuguesa (a delicious but heartburn-inducing melange of sausage, ham, olives, onion, bell peppers and I shit you not, hard boiled egg) and the dreaded estrogonofe (the Brazilian take on beef Stroganoff — just beef diced in cubes and stewed with tomato sauce — or God help you, ketchup — and heavy cream; typically served over rice and topped by shoestring fries, but some heathens among us pour it on pizza), classically served in pizza parlors of dubious hygiene, be they mom-and-pop or local chains.

The rodízio de pizza — all-you-can-eat pizza, brought to your table by weary, battle-hardened waiters — is another Brazilian institution that may set you back as little as seven dollars American to stuff your face full of pizza. Anyone over 30 probably had at least one birthday (as a child or young teen) celebrated at a rodízio de pizza place.

 

[Ronin]

Ronin

Why the Coke?

The sugar helps to mellow the heat. The acid of it help break things down and mingle the flavors together. It sounds weird I know, but it's good. It's my not so secret, secret ingredient/weapon.

 

[noman]

The sugar helps to mellow the heat. The acid of it help break things down and mingle the flavors together. It sounds weird I know, but it's good. It's my not so secret, secret ingredient/weapon.

Ah, I get it. Very cool.

 

[Ronin]

Oh and the WT101 is a powerful unit. But yet still does have good flavor/character. But it can lead to wild times and shenanigans. Not to mention after the first glass, flavor is out the window. Get fucked up and crazy is in order. I recommend for those crazy once a year bashes. Where its ok to get a little wild. Course that maybe my own experience. One that the wife like to remind me of. You take a flask of WT101 to a wedding reception, things get a little wild, and you're never allowed to forget about it.......

 

[Ladybird]

An interesting article for anyone (SFW, Slate) who wants to read about this

That Holiday article, linked from there, is hilariously funny.

Encouraged by this thread, I tried making mushroom "chilli" for tea last night (Just using sauce from a jar, because I didn't know if it would work and didn't want to waste proper ingredients on a daft experiment; yes, it had beans). And it... was okay, the sauce wasn't very spicy but that's down to the jar I used, and the mushrooms leaked enough mushroom juice to drown themselves, but that's just mushrooms for you. It showed enough potential that I'll do it properly next time.

For a mince dish, I quite like a keema curry. I find you have to go really light on the chillis, though, else they overpower the entire thing (For reference, my general curry preferences are a bhuna or jalfrezi) and all you can taste is burning.

But tonight's dinner was stir-friend venison in "asian" sauce (I'm not being unawares, that's what the packet said; it was sticky and lightly-sweetened) with noodles and vegetables.

 

[noman]

An interesting article (SFW) about cheese, specially cheddar and Lancaster cheeses. More information than you'd ever want to know, unless, you know, you love cheese (which I do).

 

[Spinachcat]

That article was cheesy. Thank you!

Now I want to try Lancashire cheese!

And in sharing the love of cheese, I must post Joe Mande's NSFW comedy routine about the first cave man to drink milk and his followup, what happens when that cave man creates cheese.

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/dqkern/the-half-hour-first-guy-to-drink-milk

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/oer88d/the-half-hour-invention-of-cheese

and inspect the wine list like a general before his assembled troops, before ordering the value-driven Italian du jour.

WARNING: WINO RANT INCOMING!!!

I am SO sick of buying wine at dinner. I want wine with dinner, but I HATE the rituals and nonsense, then the price for a 1/3 of a glass. Fill the damn thing up with a good house red and get on with it!!

I know I can't trust the wait staff for recommendations. They either lie and inevitably tell me the second most expensive choice is the most popular or they go AA sanctimonious about how they don't drink the Devil's Blood. And they do this while I have forks and knives near me!!

And the corkage fees? Ugh.

It's gotten bad at sushi places too. In corner joints in mini-malls, sake options should be small or large. Don't dare go 5 star Tokyo on me when you're hawking Volcano Kale Rolls on the all-you-can-eat menu with J-Pop on the speakers.

END RANT

Yet I am immensely grateful that I get to be such a spoiled brat to whine about wine.

But we all grew up eating cheap, insane Brazilian toppings like frango com Catupiry (chicken and cream cheese), quatro queijos (an unholy melt of four cheeses typically dominated by second-rate blue cheese), portuguesa (a delicious but heartburn-inducing melange of sausage, ham, olives, onion, bell peppers and I shit you not, hard boiled egg) and the dreaded estrogonofe (the Brazilian take on beef Stroganoff.

Butcher, thank you for the details!

I wasn't sure if we were experiencing the real thing or being punked! :confused:

Now I know that all those crazy pizzas were authentic, I will hunt down a better location. My girlfriend couldn't get past the bizarre "ambiance", but I really enjoyed the servings that actually arrived hot. The beef Strog pizza was so weird that I couldn't help appreciating the culinary offense. The Catupiry had corn on it!

I recently learned about Swedish Pizza. I haven't tried it yet, but I will report back when I do.

My current pizza joy is Detroit style deep dish. It's super healthy and vegan. :p

 

[The Butcher]

An interesting article (SFW) about cheese, specially cheddar and Lancaster cheeses. More information than you'd ever want to know, unless, you know, you love cheese (which I do).

Loved the article too! Serious Eats is the best.

WARNING: WINO RANT INCOMING!!!

I am SO sick of buying wine at dinner. I want wine with dinner, but I HATE the rituals and nonsense, then the price for a 1/3 of a glass. Fill the damn thing up with a good house red and get on with it!!

I know I can't trust the wait staff for recommendations. They either lie and inevitably tell me the second most expensive choice is the most popular or they go AA sanctimonious about how they don't drink the Devil's Blood. And they do this while I have forks and knives near me!!

And the corkage fees? Ugh.

It's gotten bad at sushi places too. In corner joints in mini-malls, sake options should be small or large. Don't dare go 5 star Tokyo on me when you're hawking Volcano Kale Rolls on the all-you-can-eat menu with J-Pop on the speakers.

END RANT

Yet I am immensely grateful that I get to be such a spoiled brat to whine about wine.

Yeah, it's pretty much the same here. I write it off as a sunk cost: you've already left your home and you're already paying several times more than it'd cost you to cook a nice dinner at home; might as well get an overpriced pour of wine.

What's your taste you wines? I drink a bit of everything but I'm mostly into bold, fruity reds. I get the best value from Argentinean Malbec, Chilean Syrah and the odd Portuguese or Italian (hello, Momtepulciano D'Abruzzo).

Butcher, thank you for the details!

I wasn't sure if we were experiencing the real thing or being punked! :confused:

Now I know that all those crazy pizzas were authentic, I will hunt down a better location. My girlfriend couldn't get past the bizarre "ambiance", but I really enjoyed the servings that actually arrived hot. The beef Strog pizza was so weird that I couldn't help appreciating the culinary offense. The Catupiry had corn on it!

Corn with the frango com Catupiry? Classic.

Selling pizza with cheap, lowbrow, insane Brazilian toppings to the American market. I can't decide whether these guys are brilliant, or idiots.

My current pizza joy is Detroit style deep dish. It's super healthy and vegan. :p

That looks pretty cool! I tried Chicago's famous deep dish pizza when I was there a couple of years ago, but was... unfortunate, I think.

 

[Spinachcat]

BTW, do any of you make "Asian" stir-fry at home?

If you have not, I must recommend it tremendously. The time spent chopping veggies can be daunting (I'm CHOPPING BROCCOLI!!), but its a great way to create a meal with lots (or all) veggies and little (or no) meat. I have always enjoyed shiitake mushrooms and Chinese eggplant, but only recently hunted down an Asian market to bring those home. In non-Asian markets, shiitakes have stupid prices, but the Asian market often sell them in bulk and the eggplant is surprisingly cheap. BTW, Chinese eggplant isn't the traditional aubergine used in Italian cuisine. It's long with dense meat instead of squat and watery. Goes tremendously well with ginger and garlic.

My stir fry is the above, plus onion chunks, water chestnuts, bamboo sprouts, broccoli and thinly sliced jalapenos. My sauce is usually soy sauce, Sriracha, sweet chili sauce, and maybe a splash of fish sauce. I like the heat level to be slightly nuclear.

And I also discovered BROKEN RICE...I never heard of it before. The Asian market was selling a 5lb bag of broken jasmine rice from Thailand for $2. It's tiny rice fragments. I was very surprised how different and tasty it was. Highly recommended.

 

[Spinachcat]

What's your taste you wines? I drink a bit of everything but I'm mostly into bold, fruity reds. I get the best value from Argentinean Malbec, Chilean Syrah and the odd Portuguese or Italian (hello, Momtepulciano D'Abruzzo).

Same here. I want fermented grape juice. The Trader Joes chain has great import section and both the Argentine Malbec and Chile Syrah are favs. I enjoy both the Grifone Primitivo and La Finca - both great with food. I find you can do good "with food" wines for $10 or less, but wines to be enjoyed on their own mostly require $20 per bottle. But hey, I'm always up for some cheese so "with food" is an easy option for me.

As I'm in Calfornia, I've done the mandatory wine tours in the Central and North areas. I've tried some wonderful wines in small vineyards, but I rarely see them in any markets. But the whole "wine as status symbol" offends me. I grew up with bottles of chianti on the table with bowls of marinara. Today, that's a $60 hipster meal for 2 and I want to strangle them.

BTW, what are churrascaria prices in Brazil? In LA, the prices are $25-$40 for lunch and $35-$60 for dinner per person.

Selling pizza with cheap, lowbrow, insane Brazilian toppings to the American market. I can't decide whether these guys are brilliant, or idiots.

They are brilliant. There are far too many pizza options in LA and its hard to compete to be top notch, so its much easier to gain attention by being different. Hopefully Bella Vista will either get a location with better hygiene, oven and ambiance, or a competitor will open.

 

[Ronin]

BTW, do any of you make "Asian" stir-fry at home?

If you have not, I must recommend it tremendously. The time spent chopping veggies can be daunting (I'm CHOPPING BROCCOLI!!), but its a great way to create a meal with lots (or all) veggies and little (or no) meat. I have always enjoyed shiitake mushrooms and Chinese eggplant, but only recently hunted down an Asian market to bring those home. In non-Asian markets, shiitakes have stupid prices, but the Asian market often sell them in bulk and the eggplant is surprisingly cheap. BTW, Chinese eggplant isn't the traditional aubergine used in Italian cuisine. It's long with dense meat instead of squat and watery. Goes tremendously well with ginger and garlic.

My stir fry is the above, plus onion chunks, water chestnuts, bamboo sprouts, broccoli and thinly sliced jalapenos. My sauce is usually soy sauce, Sriracha, sweet chili sauce, and maybe a splash of fish sauce. I like the heat level to be slightly nuclear.

And I also discovered BROKEN RICE...I never heard of it before. The Asian market was selling a 5lb bag of broken jasmine rice from Thailand for $2. It's tiny rice fragments. I was very surprised how different and tasty it was. Highly recommended.

I make a "Pepper Steak", and Lunch Plate" which I suppose is close to asian stir fry food. If I made it mostly veggies my wife (Who claims to eat well/healthy) would rebel. I am so not dealing with that. I make enough trouble for myself on my own.