by gansie
Now that’s one spicy meatball [Wonkette]
Baked baking, now even I can do that [Express]
Eff Canada, we’re moving to Indonesia [USA Today]
Photo: 3 Quarks Daily
Menu
December 2007
by Tim
Victory Brewing Co. – Downingtown, PA
Storm King – Imperial Stout
9.1% ABV
Victory’s Storm King Stout is an excellent beer. I’m not gonna do a full review, not today at
least, but here’s the tip on Victory’s Imperial Stout…
Appearance: Pitch Black with a healthy (1″) tan head.
Smells like: Chocolate and, seriously, salted ham. My family grew up on southern style salted “country” hams, and their smell is unmistakable – strong, meaty, with a fistful of salt and pepper. It was weird, but that aroma was definitely part of it.
Ok, anyway, the taste: was a let down at first, but as I let it warm the flavor really filled out. This is an Imperial (or double) stout, so I was expecting a real asskicking with this one. After 5 or 10 minutes warming on the coffee table, the full depth came out to play – coffee, chocolate, cream, caramel. You could age this thing for 2 years just for fun.
The texture: and viscosity were excellent. Thick enough to justify its classification as an imperial stout, but without a syrupy texture.
Especially drinkable: for a 9.1% ABV. And, especially quaffable when very cold. Although I’d prefer to drink it closer to room temperature for the added depth in flavor.
All-in-all: an excellent stout. But lacking in the Imperial Stout category. It beats the holy hell out of Yuengling Stout, but it doesn’t quite match up to Russian River’s Old Rasputin Imperial Stout.
Umm, ok, I guess I did do a full review, huh?
Photo: Austin Liquors
by gansie
You may think nothing exciting happens between the two meccas of elite food — Brooklyn, NYC (BS) and Mt. Pleasant, DC (gansie) — but, apparently there’s cake and fame in York, Pennsylvania.
I just got an email from my old housemate, Hickey, about some very exiting happenings. Her boyfriend’s grandmother recently turned ninety and the fam threw her a party to celebrate this major accomplishment. Georgia loves knitting so they decided to combine the great art of the stitch and America’s other favorite hobby, eating. And as everyone who steals watches cable TV knows…there’s only one place to call for the greatest of all great cakes – Charm City Cakes, aka Ace of Cakes.
Okay, so I don’t know that much about the Baltimore based Ace of Cakes TV show, except it takes air time away from the more lavish and “Hamptons” Barefoot Contessa and the more sophisticated and “Napa” Michael Chiarello.
But, I will soon become an avid watcher because, and I quote from a witness: “Last minute they decided to make it the featured cake of an episode and came and filmed the party. Here is the cake..I was amazed. It was a marbled cake – moist and tasty! Supposedly it is will air in February.”
Happy Birthday, Georgia!
***
Another shot:
by BS
Since I was down in D.C. a few weeks ago, I got to partake in dadgansie’s endless bounty of green tomatoes. Mmmm.
This savory tart (torte?) was inspired by gansie’s tomato bake. Of course, I had to add in the three p’s that rule my life: pine nuts, pastry and parm. (sorry Phyllo, I went with the easier puff pastry this time, and besides, your p. is tenuous given its silence.)
Now, even though this is a tart, I didn’t want the tomatoes to be tart, so I caramelized them with brown sugar (I got some inspiration/instruction from Gary Rhodes). This worked well in the deliciousness department, although it unfortunately left dadgansie’s beautiful greens a less-than-appetizing brown. I covered my tracks by throwing on some red (non-caramelized) tomatoes and covering the tart with enough pine and parm to drown a cat.
Recipe after the j.
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