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Food Thread: Ketchup Snacks? Oyster in Jelly? The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!

I'll try most things once. But this looks to be at best an oddity that really doesn't deserve the commitment in calories, and at worst an abomination that will rend the fabric of the food universe and cause catastrophic downstream effects.

Besides, I don't really like ketchup that much. Sure, I'll dip fries in it, but I prefer vinegar or mayonnaise. And don't start with the nonsense that ketchup belongs on burgers or -- and this is a horror-show of a thought -- hot dogs!

And why are they orange...is that a sort of Halloween vibe?

What exactly is going on here?

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Sauces can be simple or complex, from the simplest pan sauce thickened with butter or cream, to the lunatic mother sauces of French gastronomy. That's not quite fair, but French cooking makes a big deal out of The Five Basic Sauces, I think to the detriment of other things.

I'm not denying that they are tasty...they absolutely are, and a plate of chopped shoe leather dressed with one of those sauces can be delicious. But I like the main ingredient of my food to shine, and not be lost in the sauce (hah!).

So why do the French obsess over their sauces? Could it be that sauces are an inexpensive addition to a dish that can hide a multitude of failings...like substandard meats or vegetables? Or perhaps sauces are a way to extend a dish without using a lot of expensive meat or seafood?

I think that describes a lot of Chinese cooking! Is it a fair description of classic French cooking? Eh...maybe.

I mostly don't bother with classic sauces, and simply deglaze with wine (mostly white), then finish with butter or cream... or both! If I want to get fancy I'll toss in some minced shallots or leeks, but that is the extent of it. I like deglazing because it uses the meat or fish itself to intensify flavor. And I like cream and butter because I am sane, and fat is flavor!

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I had this last weekend at a fine restaurant that is run by a Japanese chef who has embraced modern French cooking. I find most fusion restaurants to be messes...not sure what they are and trying to be both cuisines. But this guy is definitely a French chef, with some subtle Japanese influence.

That is a raw oyster in a sort of flavored jelly. Yeah, it sounds sort of gross, but it was delicious. It had all of the subtle oyster flavors, with the addition of mignonette, a traditional accompaniment.

It was pretty close to my personal line in the culinary sand...don't get too weird and make food a science experiment. But it worked and was tasty, so I'll allow it!

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Historic flooding expected to have caused 'extensive damage' to Frankfort bourbon distillery [Old article]

Uh Oh!

I like most of Buffalo Trace's bourbons and ryes, even if the price points in my neck of the woods are ridiculous. Their flagship mass-market bourbon, the eponymous "Buffalo Trace," is an excellent $25-$30 bourbon. But for $50? That's nuts.

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I love coffee. My morning ritual borders on obsessive (Borders? my wife mutters....), and I will get very grumpy if I can't have a cup of good coffee before I have to interact with humanity. I will chat for hours about how pathetically bad Starbucks coffee is, and am genuinely happy when I get an afternoon cup of espresso that punctuates the day.

But it's just a drink.

Here's How to Order Your Morning Caffeine in the No. 1 City for Coffee

The city’s famous alleyways were designed as service lanes for those enterprises. Today, they make the perfect place to install a hidden, “if you know, you know” café or coffee window.
The Top 10 International Cities for Coffee, According to the Experts

Immigrants, particularly Italians, brought espresso machines with them to the city in the mid-20th century, and a steady stream of newcomers from all over the world have introduced innovations ever since.

“Then there’s the port, which brings in more products than any other in Australia,” says Sweetman. “So we have coffee from Kenya, Columbia, Indonesia, and everywhere else. Because we’re so far from pretty much everywhere, there’s no favoritism.”

Coffee shop as speakeasy? No thanks. And that conceit about Melbourne being a port? How pompous can they get? I'll bet most supermarkets in America have a selection of coffee that includes many single origin coffees!

Climb down off of your high horse and just have a cup of coffee.

Next thing you know they will be extolling the virtues of shaking Manhattans!

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[Hat Tip: Kathy]

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I thought France would have good garlic, but the Frogs seem to have the same problem we have in the U.S. At least they don't import filthy garlic from China. Pork is great here, but no game, so send all of your extra antelope to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Who are those poor deluded souls We know who shakes their Manhattans! These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.

$1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.

The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty of fifty years, but it is worth it!