Reviews - - Page 12

by gansie

Reliable Witness Avers: Gansie Likes Tofu Ice Cream

Editors Note: These are all lies! Maidelitala is a liar!

There are those of us doomed to a world devoid of cheese and ice cream – barred from relishing the sharp bite of a crumbly cheshire, robbed of enjoying tongue curling licks of a lifetime of ice cream cones, forever cast into the listless monotony of lactose free nothingness.

We learn to compensate. Those of us cast into Lactardia by a cruel twist of fate slowly discover somewhat adequate imitations that may ease the pain of longing. Science sometimes gives us what nature cannot. This I shared with you all in my post In Defense of Falsified Cheese (in which I discussed my admittedly tepid love affair with soya kas vegan “cheese” substitute).

But let’s face it, we wouldn’t eat these impostor products if we could stomach the real thing… would we? I mean, would a person blessed with normal levels of the lactate enzyme in their intestinal tract (the presence of lactate is required for one to properly metabolize the lactose sugar) be enthralled by the taste of some knock-off non-dairy “ice cream” sandwich? Apparently so – and her name is…

by Russell Warnick

Calimocho, Say What?

A recent trip to Screen on the Green with some friends resulted in my first experience of a drink I had never heard of before (and for me that takes some doing), an unusual concoction of sorts that my friend Tiffany introduced me to. It’s called Calimocho (or Kalimotxo). I’m sure some of our European readers may have heard of this – Calimocho is a Basque inspired drink consisting of equal parts red wine and in this instance Diet Coke, over ice. I know, you are thinking this is a crazy notion, but I have to say, not so much. It was actually a refreshing blend, the wine almost removes the fizz of the soda while the soda tones down the strength of the wine, without removing the basic taste of the two. The pairing kind of neutralizes the smell and intensity of the contrasting flavours.

Apparently this drink is common for teenagers in Spanish regions. The lax alcohol laws enable the younger generation to drink wine, so they mix it with coke, or in my case Diet Coke. One of my Spanish friends laughed at me when I told him about my discovery; he basically said it was the equivalent of a trashy wine cooler. I refuse to accept this drink as being trashy, I say it’s a fine, refreshing compliment to an outdoor social. I have to admit though, I was a little hesitant at first as I don’t drink soda, so it took a lot for me to actually drink it. Not something to be done on a whim, but it’s certainly one I will be offering to my guests at future events.

Other variations after the jump.

by gansie

Good Stuff Eatery

I finally got my ass over to Spike’s (Top Chef) new burger joint on Cap Hill, Good Stuff Eatery. And to our surprise, Spike was there, passing out burgers while spending equal time adjusting his fedora and flirting with fans. While my bocce team usually heads to the Pour House with the rest of the league, yours truly seriously craved a burger, so we ventured to the nearby Good Stuff. (And one time when we left Pour House we saw Dennis Kucinich eating there with his wife!)

And while we were waiting in line*, Spike got out from behind the counter and had to walk through the long line. And he actually stopped right next to me. I of course took this opportunity to introduce myself and remind him of his LIVE BLOGGING on ES during the season finale (see previous Top Chef link.) He at least acted like he remembered and seemed pleased to meet me. I’m a fan. But, this wouldn’t be a review with out some harsh, maybe unnecessary judgments.

in Red Meat 4 comments

by gansie

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For…Fro-Yo

from: Britannia
to: gansie
subject: I love your article in today’s express

It’s almost as if a gay man wrote it, you compare a fat free yogurt shop to BeBar and reference the closest gay beach to DC.

Awesome.

Thanks, Brit. But I’m actually a fat breeder.

My friend Laura and I went to both Mr. Yogato and Tangysweet in the same afternoon. But, hey, at least we walked (instead of driving, an idea that floated around) from one place to the other. And don’t think I’m too terrible, but I got a free sample of Sticky Finger’s anti-fro-yo before I even ate breakfast.

Keep me away from the frozen treats!

Cold Comforts: Fro-Yo To Go [Express]

Photo: Flickr’s voteprime

in Desserts 3 comments

by gansie

Capital Cooking

I barely claim to be an authority on food, so I don’t even claim a little bit to be an authority on food TV. It’s like mastering Art History, which I think is the most demanding major. I mean, not only do you have to know what looks good on canvass (or sculpture or photograph) and the theories and techniques behind the physical demands of the “sport,” but also about the artist’s personality, the personal history of the artist, the time in history the artist lived and what was going on during that period (war, famine, medicine, sex, drugs, relationship with his/her mother), the artist’s influences, who was influenced by that artist or movement…I think you know where I’m going. And, fine, I really wanted to be an Art History major but instead of abandoning my PolySci studies, I learned what I could about art by being *that girl* in the back of the room, trying to distinguish her left from right while changing the slides. Yes, gansie was the slide girl in your Modern Art 101.

Well, if I lost you…

in TV 8 comments

by gansie

Calling the Shots

When I was home in Jersey a few weekends back, 80P and I went to the bar with SAG, his girlfriend, Morgasm, and my newly 21 year old sister, Sherry. I’d be lying if I said this was the first time we all hit the bars together, but as this was legally the inaugural drinkfest, shots were clearly in order.

My go-to, don’t have to think about it shot is the classic, SoCo and Lime. (Although it was funny one time when the bartender gave me an entire glass of SoCo with just a wedge of lime on the side. Not exactly the normal shooter.) Well, its reign is over and I’m spreading the gospel, there’s a new shot in town.

in Drinks / Trends 6 comments

by gansie

Hott Links: Summer School

As much as I’d like to become more of a “reader,” I’m a pretty slow reader and therefore, I don’t finish the hott books until at least 2 years post their prime. Which, actually can suck: I finished The Da Vinci Code mere weeks before the movie hit theaters, resulting in my hating the film even more than the average viewer who finished the book, idontknow, four years before.

Anyway, I just finished My Life In France, Julia Child’s own tale of how she moved to Paris and started being really fucking anal about measuring. I mean, whole months of her life were dedicated to figuring out exact amounts of different ingredients. Of course, Julia’s my girl, and I’m in awe of her humility, but boy would she hate our nonchalant paradigm of cooking at ES.

This summer, though, I have a few books on my list as I plan to spend time out of the kitchen <gasp> and out on the Jersey Shore.

The Apprentice: My Life In The Kitchen [Jacques Pepin]

If you only watch one cooking show for the rest of your life, make it Jacques’ current show, Fast Food My Way. Jacuqes is an adorable, older, Frenchman. He is so funny, so talented and so entertaining to watch. And, he is a remnant of a soon to be gone generation, not just in the food world, but of a population that grew up during World War II. In a very selfish way, Jacques reminds me of my grandmother. I find comfort in him, his warmth and his excitement for food and life. I’m currently reading his memoir.

in Personal 9 comments

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