The Food and Drink Thread

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I have been doing brewed coffee multiple days of the week for the last six months (since I got back after the event). I used to do VIA packets because of work or my lack of brain activity in the morning. So because I need to limit caffeine intake, I am making a 16ish oz point, for two or three cups. However, yes. It is so much better.

I saw a video that you might find useful. I like watching James Hoffmann's coffee videos because they are both informative and I just like listening to his soothing voice. (Plus he is a man with an opinion, but willing to listen to others to make sure he is right.)

The Best USA Grocery Store Coffee (which covers most Canadian brands)

The taste off is interesting, but the end which has his final recommendations is the part you might want. I am also local to Philz - initially a bay area chain, so I know where his recommendations come from. You can order the winner as whole bean. However, I tend to drink Veranda or Dunkins at home.



Thanks. I have been watching that guy's channel as well. He is kind of crazy too (in a good way). I saw him drinking like 50 year old or 80 year old coffee in some videos (can't remember what it was exactly but I really want to know how he feels after doing that). I will check that video out. I have to vet the brands for dietary reasons so there is a narrow sliver that I can actually choose from at the store, but always looking for more options.

I am from New England so Dunkins is a coffee I am very comfortable with (though I have to say I've never managed to make the packaged version taste the same as it does at the store: I feel like they brew it differently there or something). Right now I am drinking New England Coffee because its a local brand. But I've also been eyeing a few other options on the shelves. I drink my coffee plain with no cream or sugar, so if the flavor isn't working for me, it really isn't working because I can't mask it with anything.

Many years ago I did whole bean. This time around I am just going with ground so I can save time. I love the smell of ground whole beans (I used to grind hazelnut coffee just for the aroma).

Edit: Watching the video and I definitely share his dislike of chicory coffee
 
I made Thanksgiving dinner for I think the third time ever? We were visiting my parents, and my mom isn't as physically able as she used to be.

I've never done turkey before, so instead I roasted a pork shoulder with a garlic and oregano rub. On the side carrots and potatoes and candied yams, so at least something was a little traditional.

Despite being not my kitchen it turned out right, so I call it a win.
 
This post is about me pigging out in San Antonio. After over a year of eating right and exercise I’m going overboard here with grease, sugar and alcohol.

Just for a couple more days.

F7DE75C9-0FDA-4D4F-A93E-99A5F9843037.jpeg
Mi Tierra near Market Square. Kickass place.

0D12E9AC-74CD-4058-AD1C-85F5C9DBD470.jpegQuesadilla al pastor from a food stall next to Mi Tierra. So good.

71450111-834F-4157-B58D-94FEFA2493C8.jpeg
Shiner Bock. Loved it.

033BA418-8CFD-44D9-A4AC-2EA7ADAA9E40.jpegJerk chicken sliders from a Caribbean food stall at the Pearl Brewery complex. So so good.

AD7890D2-22DB-4D98-841D-C6FD788E9ADA.jpegShiner was good but this… this is amazing.

CB702DD2-3D49-475D-B7CF-92A4575C5C6B.jpeg
Cherry cobbler from a pharm rep stall at the conference. Sugary as all hell but great.

51F9D159-8155-4D5E-AC85-F9C686E08F31.jpeg
Tacos de birria from a food truck parked at the back of El Camino. Hands down the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. A local brew (Highwheel Betty Kölsch) to quell the hot sauce. (The tiny one, not the dip.)

Part deux coming in a few days.
 
This post is about me pigging out in San Antonio. After over a year of eating right and exercise I’m going overboard here with grease, sugar and alcohol.

Just for a couple more days.

View attachment 52661
Mi Tierra near Market Square. Kickass place.

View attachment 52662Quesadilla al pastor from a food stall next to Mi Tierra. So good.

View attachment 52663
Shiner Bock. Loved it.

View attachment 52664Jerk chicken sliders from a Caribbean food stall at the Pearl Brewery complex. So so good.

View attachment 52665Shiner was good but this… this is amazing.

View attachment 52666
Cherry cobbler from a pharm rep stall at the conference. Sugary as all hell but great.

View attachment 52667
Tacos de birria from a food truck parked at the back of El Camino. Hands down the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. A local brew (Highwheel Betty Kölsch) to quell the hot sauce. (The tiny one, not the dip.)

Part deux coming in a few days.
I am insanely jealous. You enjoy pigging out. :thumbsup:
 
As I understand it, virtually all pharma reps are hot. Is that accurate?

Reminds me of some movie where Jessica Alba was playing a rep for not-Viagra, and when the main character's wife finds out, wife tells main character, "You told me she sells boner medicine. You didn't tell me she is boner medicine."
 
Mayonnaise is an emulsion, and thus a derivative of Hollandaise. Anything that ends with -aise is going to be in that same boat.
Note: Bolognese is not "Bolognaise". (And it isn't made with red wine, garlic, and lots of tomatoes.)
 
Mayonnaise is an emulsion, and thus a derivative of Hollandaise. Anything that ends with -aise is going to be in that same boat.
Oh yeah, I forgot about this. This is not my understanding of how it works. Either culinarily or linguistically. Hollandaise and mayonnaise are prepared very differently, so I don’t think you can really make this argument.

If that argument IS made, I’m definitely gonna need a citation, cuz even French sources I’ve seen have sometimes listed mayonnaise as a mother sauce on its own.

Also, aioli is an emulsion, but it too is distinct from mayonnaise and hollandaise, and doesn’t end in -aise.
 
Oh yeah, I forgot about this. This is not my understanding of how it works. Either culinarily or linguistically. Hollandaise and mayonnaise are prepared very differently, so I don’t think you can really make this argument.

If that argument IS made, I’m definitely gonna need a citation, cuz even French sources I’ve seen have sometimes listed mayonnaise as a mother sauce on its own.

Also, aioli is an emulsion, but it too is distinct from mayonnaise and hollandaise, and doesn’t end in -aise.
Lets start with the basics. Do you know what an emulsion is and how they are made?
 
I do, yes. Garlic and eggs both have emulsifying properties in differing degrees.
And both Hollandaise and Mayonnaise are emulsions, as is Aioli. The commonality is the process of emulsion, which should suggest that they perhaps aren't prepared 'very' differently at least in that sense.

The five mother sauces were identified by August Escoffier in his Le Guide Culinare, and Mayonnaise isn't one of them. I've seen people identify Mayo as a mother sauce, but they would be wrong. Not that it isn't important, or not the 'mother' of many (many!) petite sauces, but it isn't one of the Five.
 
And both Hollandaise and Mayonnaise are emulsions, as is Aioli. The commonality is the process of emulsion, which should suggest that they perhaps aren't prepared 'very' differently at least in that sense.

The five mother sauces were identified by August Escoffier in his Le Guide Culinare, and Mayonnaise isn't one of them. I've seen people identify Mayo as a mother sauce, but they would be wrong. Not that it isn't important, or not the 'mother' of many (many!) petite sauces, but it isn't one of the Five.
Whether it’s a mother sauce or not isn’t really what I was objecting to. Knowing France there’s probably some kind of organization that makes that decision, regardless of the origin of the concept.

What I was talking about was the idea that mayonnaise is a derivative of hollandaise. That doesn’t track at all. Just because it’s an emulsion and named similarly doesn’t mean they’re in any capacity related.
 
Whether it’s a mother sauce or not isn’t really what I was objecting to. Knowing France there’s probably some kind of organization that makes that decision, regardless of the origin of the concept.

What I was talking about was the idea that mayonnaise is a derivative of hollandaise. That doesn’t track at all. Just because it’s an emulsion and named similarly doesn’t mean they’re in any capacity related.
The base of each sauce is produced with almost identical set of ingredients and process. Egg yolk, lemon juice, and salt which are then emulsified in one case using butter and in the other by using oil. I don't see how you can think that they aren't related. They even taste similar.

I think your putting way too much weight on the idea that one is derivative of the other (which is probably my fault) - that is true in terms of the classification of the mother sauces in terms of precedence, but not necessarily literally true.
 
The base of each sauce is produced with almost identical set of ingredients and process. Egg yolk, lemon juice, and salt which are then emulsified in one case using butter and in the other by using oil. I don't see how you can think that they aren't related. They even taste similar.

I think your putting way too much weight on the idea that one is derivative of the other (which is probably my fault) - that is true in terms of the classification of the mother sauces in terms of precedence, but not necessarily literally true.
They’re similar superficially, but the techniques are completely different. Hollandaise is made with a solid fat, slowly emulsified, and must be done over heat. Mayonnaise uses liquid fat, rapidly emulsified and I’m pretty sure can’t be done over heat.

Plus, mayonnaise is stable at room temperature almost indefinitely, while hollandaise must be refrigerated and will break if you re-heat it improperly.

As for the flavors, I don’t think they taste similar at all, and their textures are almost completely dissimilar.
 
They’re similar superficially, but the techniques are completely different. Hollandaise is made with a solid fat, slowly emulsified, and must be done over heat. Mayonnaise uses liquid fat, rapidly emulsified and I’m pretty sure can’t be done over heat.
No, they aren't. The presence or absence of heat doesn't change the skill set. The actual process of emulsifying those two sauces is almost identical and has everything do with the speed with which the fat is added. You'll bust up a mayo batch just fine by adding the oil too quickly. Here's a quote from a mayo recipe:

1670613212032.png

You'll notice that it's exactly the same as the same portion of a Hollandaise recipe. There's a reason for that.
 
No, they aren't. The presence or absence of heat doesn't change the skill set. The actual process of emulsifying those two sauces is almost identical and has everything do with the speed with which the fat is added. You'll bust up a mayo batch just fine by adding the oil too quickly. Here's a quote from a mayo recipe:

View attachment 52720

You'll notice that it's exactly the same as the same portion of a Hollandaise recipe. There's a reason for that.
They've got similarities, but they're still very different sauces. Honestly, I'd go so far as to say that Bechamel and Veloute have more in common with one another than Mayonnaise and Hollandaise, because they're made in exactly the same manner with the only significant change being the liquid base, milk vs stock. But those are considered entirely separate mother sauces. Espagnole is significantly similar too, just with a load more ingredients and a longer-cooked roux.
 
Well, I'll be honest. As a professional chef I'm coming at this from a skills and ingredients standpoint, at which point the sauces in question are exactly as I described. You seem to be rating things differently, somehow, so you know, ok.
 
Thanks. I have been watching that guy's channel as well. He is kind of crazy too (in a good way). I saw him drinking like 50 year old or 80 year old coffee in some videos (can't remember what it was exactly but I really want to know how he feels after doing that). I will check that video out. I have to vet the brands for dietary reasons so there is a narrow sliver that I can actually choose from at the store, but always looking for more options.

I am from New England so Dunkins is a coffee I am very comfortable with (though I have to say I've never managed to make the packaged version taste the same as it does at the store: I feel like they brew it differently there or something). Right now I am drinking New England Coffee because its a local brand. But I've also been eyeing a few other options on the shelves. I drink my coffee plain with no cream or sugar, so if the flavor isn't working for me, it really isn't working because I can't mask it with anything.

Many years ago I did whole bean. This time around I am just going with ground so I can save time. I love the smell of ground whole beans (I used to grind hazelnut coffee just for the aroma).

Edit: Watching the video and I definitely share his dislike of chicory coffee
Yeah the Dunkin Donuts store coffee isn’t the same. Pisses me off.
 
I stopped drinking coffee every morning this year. I drink about one cup a month. Switched to green tea. Decided there wasn’t enough good coffee around. Most of it is just trash. Probably my tastebuds.
 
Yeah the Dunkin Donuts store coffee isn’t the same. Pisses me off.

I really don't understand why that is either. I'd be very curious what they do at the store that makes it taste so different (presumably the packaged coffee is the same they are using to brew at the store).
 
I stopped drinking coffee every morning this year. I drink about one cup a month. Switched to green tea. Decided there wasn’t enough good coffee around. Most of it is just trash. Probably my tastebuds.

I've been drinking coffee for so long I don't think I could ever stop. I started drinking at church at a pretty young age, and was drinking a cup every morning by Junior High. I had to take an intentional break when I switched back to brewed coffee from K cups and these protein shakes with coffee in them, it just took a bit to set up the coffee maker, so I went slightly over 24 hours without coffee and the headaches were excruciating. They also didn't go away immediate when I started drinking coffee again.
 
Well, I'll be honest. As a professional chef I'm coming at this from a skills and ingredients standpoint, at which point the sauces in question are exactly as I described. You seem to be rating things differently, somehow, so you know, ok.

What kind of cuisine do you cook?
 
I've been drinking coffee for so long I don't think I could ever stop. I started drinking at church at a pretty young age, and was drinking a cup every morning by Junior High. I had to take an intentional break when I switched back to brewed coffee from K cups and these protein shakes with coffee in them, it just took a bit to set up the coffee maker, so I went slightly over 24 hours without coffee and the headaches were excruciating. They also didn't go away immediate when I started drinking coffee again.
The caffeine withdrawal is bad enough, but when it kicks off a migraine, Holy Shit.
 
This post is about me pigging out in San Antonio. After over a year of eating right and exercise I’m going overboard here with grease, sugar and alcohol.

Just for a couple more days.

View attachment 52661
Mi Tierra near Market Square. Kickass place.

View attachment 52662Quesadilla al pastor from a food stall next to Mi Tierra. So good.

View attachment 52663
Shiner Bock. Loved it.

View attachment 52664Jerk chicken sliders from a Caribbean food stall at the Pearl Brewery complex. So so good.

View attachment 52665Shiner was good but this… this is amazing.

View attachment 52666
Cherry cobbler from a pharm rep stall at the conference. Sugary as all hell but great.

View attachment 52667
Tacos de birria from a food truck parked at the back of El Camino. Hands down the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. A local brew (Highwheel Betty Kölsch) to quell the hot sauce. (The tiny one, not the dip.)

Part deux coming in a few days.
I love Modelo Negra.
 
Well, I'll be honest. As a professional chef I'm coming at this from a skills and ingredients standpoint, at which point the sauces in question are exactly as I described. You seem to be rating things differently, somehow, so you know, ok.
I'm not a professional, but I'm coming at it from a use standpoint. Mayonnaise and hollandaise aren't used in the same manner. One is hot and a liquid, the other is cold and I suppose you'd say an amorphous solid.

I suppose I could run it past my father, who was a professional chef for a couple decades, but frankly I think my viewpoint is based in pretty sound reasoning. Meringue and whipped cream made in the same way, that doesn't mean they're particularly similar. Butter and whipped cream both made the same way and use the same ingredients except for how long you beat them, and they're very different products. Sugar and salt can be added to either.

Plus, if we go back to my original comment, even Escoffier changed the designations of various sauces between versions of his guide. I don't read French, and I don't have access to century old culinary guides, but — if the internet is correct, always dubious but I don't exactly have primary sources to hand — apparently mayonnaise was listed as a mother sauce in a previous edition, while hollandaise wasn't. And more things changed between translations.
 
I always thought Mayonnaise came first as a Mother Sauce and Hollandaise was a Daughter Sauce.

In any case, didn’t Mayo come first, when some crazy ass sacked a city named Mahón and stole their Aioli (the Drunk History version)?

Here’s how I always remembered it.
1. White sauce
2. Off-White sauce
3. Brown sauce
4. Tomato sauce
5. The Emulsified :devil:
 
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