« First World Problems... | Main

Food Thread: Eat, Drink, And Be Merry (And Ignore What Anyone Else Says!)

[Courtesy of Commenter "Dr_No" Take a look at his stuff!]

Food and drink pomposity is a real thing, especially among the nomenklatura and their hangers-on in Park Slope and Hyde Park and Tribeca and Austin. Sure, we all have our little foibles about food (shaken Manhattans are a creation of the Devil), but most people just try to make and eat what they like, and don't trouble themselves too much about appearances when it comes to what is on the plate in front of them.

And that is as it should be!

If you want to eat microwave frozen burritos while standing over the sink, or fast food while hunched over the steering wheel? Have at it! I have done both, and have enjoyed those meals. If you want to eat at a fancy restaurant with 19 forks, knives, spoons, and three unidentified utensils, while being served nine courses over four hours? Go for it! I have done that and it's a hoot!

One of my most memorable meals was a chunk of Safeway Cheddar, half a Galileo salami, several chunks of sourdough bread, and three bottles of Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve beer. Granted, it was a glorious Northern California day, on the beach at Fort Ross after a particularly successful abalone dive, and that might beat the kitchen sink scenario, but still...

What were some of your memorable meals? Extra credit for interesting locations.

******

Am I crossing the streams? Grammar pedantry meets Food Thread!

******
There is a certain coblogger whose name rhymes with Hisanthropic Mumanitarian. On the surface he seems like an amiable and pleasant fellow, but beneath that friendly Midwestern exterior lurks the heart of a cruel and dark man. He seems to get some perverse amusement out of sending me recipes for classic dishes that have been butchered by maniacs who are hell-bent on putting their own stamp on the classics, and taste be damned!

French Onion Casserole? Really? What the hell is wrong with French Onion Soup? It's a perfect dish, so stop trying to improve it!

Mis Hum is cackling with glee as I twitch and convulse with revulsion.

******

I saw that bottle at my local liquor store and was intrigued. It is distilled in Missouri, which makes it interesting, has some bottle age, and is bottled in bond, which puts it at a very nice alcohol level.

It was also $50, so it wasn't an impulse buy, but I tasted it last night and am quite pleased. I like the wheated bourbon taste profile, and this bottle didn't disappoint. It had a hint of sweetness, balanced the alcohol very nicely, and wasn't out of balance at all. Not too much oak or vanilla, which is a big problem with many bourbons.

Oh, that glass is called a glencairn, after the company that popularized it. I think it adds to the enjoyment of some bourbons, although it is absolutely not essential. I drink most of my bourbon in a low-ball glass or old square scotch glasses I got in a gift pack about 35 years ago.

******
Chicken thighs are where it's at, and no amount of tenderness and quick cooking will convince me that chicken breasts are superior in any dish.

So I decided to try Chicken Piccata with chicken thighs, realizing that I would have to modify the recipe a bit to cook the thighs to the appropriate temperature. And boy oh boy...that was simple! All I did was follow the recipe with one change...after I sautéed the thighs, I popped them into a 300 degree oven for about 30 minutes. They came out perfectly, and I then continued with the recipe.

Delicious!

Oh...I linked to a good recipe for no particular reason, but there are thousands of them all over the internet.

******

[Hat Tip: TC]
******
Well, the garlic is out in the sunshine, probably soon to be eaten by those vile rodents with bushy tails and a penchant for damaging my home. But if they survive the squirrel apocalypse, and actually grow into something edible, I will be in garlic heaven! In case it doesn't, send all of your excellent home-grown garlic to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Rumor has it that the Bourbon Bubble is bursting. I have seen no evidence of decreasing prices, but maybe the bursting started somewhere else! 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!