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Food Thread: I Say Whisky...You Say Whiskey? Let's Call The Whole Thing Off!

I was recently given this bottle by a friend, and aside from it being a delicious and surprisingly delicate example of a Highland Malt, it showcases the relatively new attempts by many distillers to age their Scotch or Rum or Bourbon in interesting barrels or casks.

This one was aged in Sauternes casks, which imparted a subtle sweetness that was unexpected, but very, very nice. No monster mouthful of oak and smoke and iodine...it was subtle and smooth and a thoroughly enjoyable glass!

I think many of these attempts are simply to differentiate a particular brand from the huge numbers of similar liquors. But some are genuine attempts to expand the flavor palates of some already very good booze!

In the past I have been suspicious of this newfangled weirdness (get off my lawn!), but after tasting this bottle I will take it more seriously.

[As for the Whisky vs. Whiskey controversy? It's actually more complicated than it seems.]

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Factory Farming is a Blight

As of 2022, 98% of pigs, 99.9% of chickens and 75% of cows in the United States are kept, for a significant portion of their lives, in tightly confined and deeply unnatural conditions known as factory farms. These ratios are similar across other developed nations.

These industrial operations can vary in scale, but their key differentiator from conventional farming is their efficiency. A factory farm optimises for economic efficiency above all other values, which of course massively impacts the quality of life of their animals. A particularly egregious example of this is “gestation crating,” the practice of forcing female pigs to live in cages so short and narrow they cannot even turn around or comfortably lie down for months on end. Such confinement for a cat or a dog for more than a few minutes would be unthinkable to most of us, and yet the vast majority of pigs on Earth—a species more emotionally intelligent than a dog—live this way almost permanently.

Short answer? Maybe, but feeding humans is more important than the welfare of farmed animals. I have beaten this drum in the past, and I will continue to do so until these retards understand that while it is important to treat our food with respect, feeding the world comes first.

As for the toll that large-scale factory farming takes on human health? Yeah...there is a lot of smoke in that argument, but not much light and heat. Everyone has read the scare stories about beef and pork that is tainted with antibiotics, but the data are simply not there. Is antibiotic overuse in agriculture a problem? Absolutely! But not for the hypothetical reasons these authors suggest.

And...I'll bet if we looked into these authors, we would find other motivations. Anyone care to bet against the supposition that they are globalists, probably vegans or vegetarians, and are furiously pimping insect protein as an alternative to tasty, tasty bacon?

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That is my new (to me) local market. Certainly not for everything, but it is a very well-run store, and the deli is particularly fun. And any time I see a sign like this one, I tend to like the establishment. Sure...allergies are a problem, but the hysteria in parts of our culture about them suggests that there are other things at work.

I am reminded of the gluten lunacy. Celiac disease is very uncommon, but it seems like everywhere I look there is a gluten-free option! How many of these people are latching onto it for other reasons? Weight loss? Attention? Neuroses?

Yup, I am being mean, but why is the vast majority being plagued with this stuff?

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Ah...an academic paper that carefully avoids the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

Zoonotic Escherichia coli and urinary tract infections in Southern California

They are suggesting that food-borne E. coli contamination is contributing to UTIs. Okay, but maybe examine exactly how that seems to be happening (if it is)?

Like...for instance...people not washing their hands after food prep! How the hell do these "scholars" think that people get UTIs? There is another pathway that I am simply going to ignore, but I'll bet more than a few of you know exactly which one.

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From lurker "LF" comes some good Midwestern garlic, but at a painful price! He says it's tasty though, so it is worth it, if only to avoid the heavy metals and human excrement in which Chinese garlic is grown!

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At first glance, this blog does everything I hate. It lards the recipes with paragraph after paragraph of blather that lends nothing to the recipe except usually a link to a product, or another page in the blog.

But....CHEESE! Grilled Cheese Social is a cheese-centric blog that really does what it says, and the few recipes I looked at seem pretty solid. Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs (Easy Crockpot Recipe) is easily modified if you don't have a crockpot...I don't but this is probably going on the dinner table at Chez Dildo this month!

It also doesn't take itself too seriously, as this recipe surely suggests! Smash Burger Grilled Cheese with Special Sauce sounds like a sloppy mess, and something that I would absolutely try once, eat with real pleasure and gusto, then probably throw away!

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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 or fifty years, but it is worth it!