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Food Thread: Chicken Femurs And Turgid Wine?

Well kids; it's time for your yearly poultry anatomy lesson!

Specifically...comparative anatomy of French vs. American chickens.

And you thought this wasn't a sexy and provocative thread? Hah!

American chicken thighs tend to be quadrilaterals with roughly equal length sides.

French thighs, based on my limited experience, tend to be longer and thinner.

That sounds nuts! Don't chickens migrate across the Atlantic? Aren't they the same varieties?

Nope. I dipped my toe into the waters of chicken varieties and...it's crazy!

But the gold standard in France is a breed called Bresse Gauloise, which is the source of the famous Volaille de Bresse, a very tasty and very expensive chicken that has rigorous standards and a legal definition.

My American comparison is a regional brand called Bell & Evans, a local poultry farm, and the premium chicken from my go-to market. And all three have the shape I described, as has every chicken thigh I have seen in all of my years eating chicken.

So, what's the difference? What were the French breeding for that yielded that shape, and what was the American chicken industry seeking when they got their particular shape?

Don't ask me...I have no idea.

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I get that wine writers want to convey in words what they experience with other senses. It's called "writing." But how many writers can get away routinely with this sort of histrionic, florid, grandiose writing about anything? Why do wine people get away with it?

Deep ruby with a purple hue, it just exudes elegance and statesmanship. It has a noble quality to it that begins with its precise and lifted bouquet of dried rose petals, kirsch, Blackberry, and cassis fruit interlaced with sagebrush, sandalwood, and toasty cedarwood. Perfectly medium to full-bodied, showcasing a dazzling spectrum of silken red and black fruits redolent of strawberry, cherry, plum, and blackberry atop a substantial bed of taut, mineral-tinged tannins. A spine of racy acidity lifts the panoply of fruit, and the finish reveals a plethora of wild herbs, cast iron notes, pastille, and white pepper, nuanced by rich, toasty oak infused with toffee and vanilla bean.

17 flavors? Really? Statesmanship? It's a f*cking glass of wine, you ninny!

This is the sort of ridiculous blather that drove me away from taking winetasting seriously. I lived in Northern California for years, and spent a lot of very happy time in wine country, but stopped tasting after several years because it became such an overheated, pompous world.

And judging by that review, it isn't getting any better!

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From long-time commenter "Steven Price Blair" comes another interesting installment of vintage recipes -- this time about ice cream! He has thoughtfully published it in book form as a download, or printed via Amazon and Lulu.

Four New Ices and an Ice Cream Cookery

While there are any number of superb ice cream producers in America, there is something about homemade ice cream and sorbet that is special.

Some friends have a great ice cream machine that they use to produce delicious stuff one would never find in a store freezer. Pear Reisling Ginger Sorbet? What the hell?

But it was spectacular.

So take a look at SPB's cookbook!

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It's easy to fall into the trap of assuming that the best cuts of beef are the most expensive. Filets and NY strips and rib steaks are absolutely delicious.

Food nerd/porn here in the Dominican Republic this evening. Had the best steak of my life. Didn't look like much, but it delivered. Argentinian Steakhouse in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.

Churrasco Prime Flank Steak. Melt in mouth, the right amount of marbling, cooked perfectly - the magic of fire, simple presentation. Also had some pretty good chorizo al vino, croquetas de pollo, empanaditas de carne mechada with guayaba and mozzarella, and jamon serrano with manchego cheese.

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Is this Good Hot Fish , as in spicy? Or just good fish that arrives at one's table at the correct temperature?

Probably a little of both. But it looks like fun, and is exactly the sort of wonderful, simple, delicious Southern cooking that makes the American South my favorite place for food.

Anyone live in Asheville? Anyone ever been to this place? Inquiring minds want to know whether it is hype or the real thing!

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This is the sort of story that at first glance seems straightforward. But...2,000,000 of the damned things, and only about 100 reported injuries? That sounds like a well-made product and some stupid operators. Or not. I don't know, but out of 2,000,000 people, how many are knuckle-dragging, booger-eating retards who shouldn't be allowed to cross the street unaccompanied?

SharkNinja recalls over 2 million Foodi Pressure Cookers in U.S. and Canada because of severe burn injuries

Yeah... maybe I am just jaded.

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[Hat Tip: Pete Bog]

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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!