Sponsored Content
« Open Thread (reserved for politics) [CBD] | Main | Tesla for Thee But Not For Me - [Niedermeyer's Dead Horse] »
April 06, 2014

Food Thread: Unexpected Treasures [CBD]

We Politely Request That All Off-Topic or Political Comments Be Directed to the Thread Directly Below This One, Which Will Serve Officially as the Current "Active Conversation" Thread for All Discussions Not Related To This Topic.

duck club.jpg

It's simple to find good food in major metropolitan areas. Getting a great meal in New York or Chicago or San Francisco or Miami or, my personal favorite Charleston (suck it NYC!), is an issue only of money if you have no time, or a little time for research if you have no money.


Outside of many cities it is difficult to find great restaurant cooking. And before you get all huffy and call me am egg-sucking, sheep stealing, one-eyed son of a stuffed monkey (Platinum membership for the first to identify that quotation), I am not talking about good, solid food that makes you happy. I am talking about that rare meal or dish that makes you want to dance with joy, or order another plate of it.

In a crappy neighborhood on the North side of Charleston, on the way in from the airport, there is a sandwich of such ethereal, glorious, fattening magnificence that everything else on the menu of this solid roadhouse pales in comparison. It's called a duck club, and it's made with confit of duck, excellent bacon and some smoked cheddar on a surprisingly sweet Hawaiian bread. The Tattooed Moose is worth braving the neighborhood. Hell...it's worth a flight to Charleston just for that sandwich.

Heading in the other direction, in a nondescript little town in central Vermont lives the perfect rural café. We were in the area for a long weekend and stopped in for a late breakfast our first day...and then our second day...and then our third day...and then our last day. I think they were embarrassed for us and gave us a locals discount that last day. The hostaery, in Ludlow Vermont does everything well. They have nothing complicated on the menu, but everything is made exactly how it should be. Fresh eggs, fresh bread, great bacon and sausage and ham, and short-order cooks who know what they are doing and take pride in a job well done.

The restaurant is in ski country, where there is plenty of money and lots of beautiful inns with fancy and expensive restaurants, all catering to the dinner crowd, but the meals at this simple place beat anything in the area.

So.....where are those little gems that thrill you and surprise you? Nothing in a metro area or anywhere where you would expect good food. And nothing regional, like great BBQ in the middle of nowhere...that's exactly where it's supposed to be.

Cheddar Ale Soup

4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1 bottle (12 fl. oz.) ale (Use something with flavor and a little bite)
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste

In a stockpot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk in the milk and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.

Return the mixture to the pot and set over medium heat. Add the ale, Worcestershire and mustard and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in the cheese 1/2 cup at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more; do not allow the soup to boil. Season with salt and cayenne.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

digg this
posted by Open Blogger at 05:00 PM

| Access Comments




Recent Comments
San Franpsycho: "Good evening morons and thanks wd for all the meme ..."

Dr. T: "This post seems contemptuous toward the brave men ..."

BignJames: "Might I suggest that, one night the ONT should fea ..."

Archimedes: "Not only was the Titanic a dinghy compared to the ..."

zombie Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger: "My, such fat, juicy targets! ..."

Walter Freeman: "[I]@12: "... only comment section more Maoist than ..."

jewells45 fuck cancer: "Hi nurse! Hanging in there! ..."

nurse ratched : "Jewells! Hi there sweetheart! How are you? ..."

Tonypete: "Might I suggest that, one night the ONT should fea ..."

Taq, Rickrolled by Jesus: "Thanks WD. Imma read the content but first... ..."

mindful webworker - reading between the lines: "… Was trying to come up with a greeting, ..."

jewells45 fuck cancer: "Good evening! ..."

Recent Entries
Search


Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
Powered by
Movable Type 2.64