tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65345273507011771982024-03-13T06:51:17.460-07:00Felicious FoodEats eaten, recipes tested, and appreciation for the art of food.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-14141263297875397732012-11-01T22:19:00.000-07:002012-11-01T22:19:47.026-07:00Beers by Land and by Sea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Vn69FbvIho/UJNWdQD8_0I/AAAAAAAAARY/rLPD8my99Zk/s1600/moose.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Vn69FbvIho/UJNWdQD8_0I/AAAAAAAAARY/rLPD8my99Zk/s320/moose.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>One night I had a chat with a beertender about what beers you might take on a camping trip, and I kept thinking on the subject. Here are some of my favorites:</b></div>
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<strong><i>Beers for a Camping Trip:</i></strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.bigskybrew.com/Moose%20Drool" target="_blank">Moose Drool</a> Chocolate Brown Ale, Big Sky Brewing Co.</div>
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Racer 5 1PA, Bear Republic</div>
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Kodiak Brown Ale, Midnight Sun Brewing Co.</div>
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<strong><i>Beers for Fishing (a.k.a. a love letter to Ballast Point):</i></strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers-of-ballast-point-ipa-sculpin/" target="_blank">Ballast Point Sculpin</a></div>
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Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter</div>
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Big Swell IPA</div>
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Any of them, really, with all those fish on the labels. </div>
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<strong><i>Beers for the Beach:</i></strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beer-RedSeal.htm" target="_blank">Red Seal Ale</a>, North Coast</div>
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Scrimshaw Pilsner, North Coast</div>
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<a href="http://mauibrewingco.com/mbc/MBCCannedBeer.html" target="_blank">Bikini Blonde Lager</a>, Maui Brewing Co.</div>
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Shark Attack Double Red Ale, Port Brewing Co.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-15689242223668509232012-09-19T22:15:00.000-07:002012-09-19T22:18:06.436-07:00This Latte Will Bring Us Closer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://felicitydoyle.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/tnt-judges1.jpg" style="color: #36bcab;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-446" height="435" src="http://felicitydoyle.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/tnt-judges1.jpg?w=580&h=435" style="border: none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" title="TNT judges" width="580" /></a><br />
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Making their meanest “Judges” faces</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
Last Thursday I went to my first Latte Art Competition. It was a <strong style="color: black;">Latte Art THROWDOWN</strong>, to be exact, presented by<strong style="color: black;"><a href="http://losangelestnt.tumblr.com/" style="color: black;">Los Angeles Thursday Night Throwdown</a></strong>, aka LATNT, at <strong style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.fixcoffeeco.com/" style="color: black;">Fix Coffee</a></strong> in Echo Park. It was a community event, bringing together people from some of the finest coffee shops on the Eastside. There were competitors from Fix, Intelligentsia, Coffee Commissary, Cafe Dulce, and Handsome Coffee among others.</span></h2>
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Does it seem like a room full of coffee geeks and TOMs-wearing baristas would be all macho about pouring the perfect rosetta design into a latte? The answer is yes. Yes they would. A throwdown? There may be no sweaty announcer a la Randy Savage, but spectators and competitors alike were just as amped. Everyone would crowd in to see the drinks handed off at the end of the bar, and cheered for first-time pourers. One guy even brought his own milk pitchers. We also were well-fed and well-equipped to party and pour some drinks. Everyone chipped in. There were donations from <a href="http://la.twoboots.com/" style="color: black;">Two Boots Pizza</a>, <a href="http://goldenroad.la/" style="color: black;">Golden Road</a> giving us some tall boy cans of Point the WAY IPA and the GR Hefeweizen, accessories from <a href="http://lacoffeeclub.com/" style="color: black;">LA Coffee Club</a>, which ships locally roasted coffee to its subscribers, amazing samples from <a href="http://www.vervecoffeeroasters.com/" style="color: black;">Verve Coffee Roasters</a>, and contest beans supplied by <a href="http://www.beyondthegrind.com/barista-supplies/" style="color: black;">Beyond the Grind</a>.<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: small;">So how does it work?</span></em></h3>
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Two baristas go head-to-head, splitting a double shot of espresso into two 8oz cups, while each of them steams their milk. After they pour their magic, they shuffle it over to the panel of discerning judges, usually to a chorus of “oohs” from the onlookers. Then the winning cup is declared by a fist on the table. In the event of a tiebreaker, the judges call out a new shape (rosetta, tulip) or new milk (nonfat). (There were several threats of “Soymilk,” which always garnered a laugh.) So it goes on to the final round, when the winner takes home a big pot of money from the entrance fees. <em>And who doesn’t want free beer money? That would make my week.</em><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>
The <strong style="color: black;">LATNT</strong> is the ground floor into the world of specialty coffee competitions.</i></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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From there it goes on to Barista Nation, and the U.S. and World Barista Championships. In the upper echelons it is more complicated. Competitors must pour a single espresso, a cappuccino and a signature drink for multiple sensory & technical judges. It’s easy to scoff at, but it’s just as serious as any cooking or pastry competition. Brewing coffee is a science, and its very easy to tarnish the taste of these delicately roasted beans when placed in the wrong hands. The beauty of local roasters like like <a href="http://www.thebestcoffee.com/" style="color: black;">Jones Coffee</a> in Pasadena and <a href="http://www.handsomecoffee.com/" style="color: black;">Handsome Coffee</a> in Downtown LA, is that they bring coffee to the height of wine. The flavor descriptors on that $5 single-origin cup of coffee is no bullshit. You really <em>can</em> smell and taste the caramel, hazelnuts, and even sage or strawberry. Terroir is not just for wine.</div>
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So if one day you find yourself invited to a Latte Art Competition by that barista friend, do yourself a favor and check it out. You’ll meet some good people having a good time. And feel free to wear flannel.<br />
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________</div>
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<em>This round of Thursday Night Throwdown began in January. Finals will be in November. Stay tuned!</em></div>
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<em>And check out the <a href="http://smdlr.com/2012/09/14/latnt-coffeeculturecommunity-is-art/" style="color: black;" title="Smdlr LATNT feature">feature of the event</a> by coffee blogger <strong style="color: black;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ilovesmdlr" style="color: black;">Smdlr</a>. </strong>She knows what’s up! </em></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0825335 -118.246814834.056231 -118.2862968 34.108836 -118.20733279999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-31381018719592960382012-07-10T22:56:00.001-07:002012-07-12T14:53:42.032-07:00Poor Fee's Tomato & Black Bean Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QswINWXB33I/T_0TbBbIDrI/AAAAAAAAANM/_D1EKJwrSWc/s1600/gro_goya_regular_02_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QswINWXB33I/T_0TbBbIDrI/AAAAAAAAANM/_D1EKJwrSWc/s1600/gro_goya_regular_02_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mis amigos </td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
It's a week when I need to stretch the almighty dollar pretty far, so I made soup.</h3>
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<i>Tomato-Black Bean Soup </i><br />
3 cloves garlic, smashed<br />
1/4 diced yellow onion<br />
1 green chile, diced<br />
4 fresh roma tomatoes, diced <br />
14oz (1 can) vegetable broth (or use bouillon cubes)<br />
4- 14oz cans diced tomatoes in juice <br />
1-29oz can black beans, drained<br />
1 avocado (for garnish)<br />
1 lime (for garnish)<br />
red pepper flakes (optional)<br />
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<br />
Sweat the garlic, onion and green chile in your soup pot, about 10 minutes. Add 3 of the fresh tomatoes and let cook down. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes. Add canned diced tomatoes and black beans, reserving a few tablespoons to stir in at the end. Let simmer until hot.<br />
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<i>Now bust out that blender!</i> If you have an immersion blender, bravo, that's a fancy kitchen appliance. If you're like me, you're blending the soup in batches. Blend until mostly smooth, then transfer back into the soup pot. Adjust seasoning, and then add the reserved black beans and diced fresh tomato for texture.<br />
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Serve with avocado slices, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, your favorite hot sauce, and a hot tortilla. <br />
<br />
For all the canned goods (tomatoes, beans, broth) I try to find salt-free or low sodium wherever possible. You can always add more salt. It's not so fun to rinse your dinner with water and wash the flavor out because you dumped too much salt in. No, it's not.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
I also made a salad to go along with... </h3>
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Collard Green Salad</i><br />
2 or 3 large leaves collard greens, stems removed, chopped into thin strips<br />
1/2 avocado, diced<br />
1/2 small lime, juiced<br />
salt & pepper<br />
olive oil<br />
<br />
I wanted some crunch so I treated the greens like I would raw kale, massaging the leaves with the lime juice and salt. Simple. Yummy.<br />
<br />
<i>Tuesday Tidbit: </i>I rarely eat collard greens because often they're sitting sloppy and cold in a bowl, and it's the last thing I want to eat with dinner. BUT I just discovered that <i>raw</i> collard greens pale in comparison to <i>cooked </i>for nutritional value, which boasts 5 times as much fiber, 4 times as much protein, and similar boosts in Vitamin A, Calcium, and Antioxidants. What's not to love?<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">felicious </span></i><br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-38913416978292419862012-05-18T10:00:00.000-07:002012-05-18T13:00:35.945-07:00Ballast Point Tasting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.ballastpoint.com%20/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p79HfOlA1Fs/T7WUQc8514I/AAAAAAAAANA/B8geKjQqBUQ/s640/web-sculpin-ipa.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Happy American Craft Beer Week! </h4>
This is <i>THE </i>week to drink local beer and praise brewers for all their hard work. This Monday the Golden Gopher Beer Society was host to <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits</b></span> from San Diego. We sampled a ton of beers! Aside from their classics like the <a href="http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers-of-ballast-point-pale-ale/" target="_blank">Pale Ale</a>, <a href="http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers-of-ballast-point-brewing-company-ipa-big-eye/" target="_blank">Big Eye IPA</a>, and the <a href="http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers-of-ballast-point-amber-ale-calico/" target="_blank">Calico Amber</a>, they brought along some specialty high-flavor brews. Here are two of my faves:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>San Salvador </b><br />
Saison Farmhouse Ale<br />
7.5% ABV <br />
<br />
Brewed with local white sage, curacao, and elderflower, this Saison is a pleasant balance of malt and earthy grassiness. It
reminded me of Bootlegger's Chocolate Mint porter, the herbs giving a
fresh aroma and a tingly mouth feel.<br />
<br />
<b>Tongue Buckler</b><br />
Imperial Red Ale<br />
10% ABV <br />
107 IBU<br />
<br />
Man, oh man. I am in love with Imperial Styles. They pack a punch, and the Tongue Buckler is no exception. A fruity, malty explosion with a serious resiny hop backbone. I swear to you, to me it smelled like Haribo Gummi Bears. Yum!<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
So what's the deal with Imperial Styles? </h4>
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Think<i> high</i>. Brewers bump up the hops for high bitterness, but then round it out with more malts, making it high alcohol (<i>whee!</i>) with a ton of flavor. What's an IBU? It's an <i>International Bittering Unit</i>, or a measure of the bitterness in beer, a scale from 0 to 100. The next time you find yourself in the beer section at the liquor store, keep that in mind when you want to try a new IPA. A great super bitter ale is <a href="http://www.moylans.com/site/pages/brewery/beer.php" target="_blank">Moylan's Hopsicle Imperial Ale</a>, or <a href="http://www.greenflashbrew.com/our-beers.php" target="_blank">Green Flash Palate Wrecker</a>, both with 100+ IBUs.<br />
<br />
Ballast Point Brewing is a mere 16 years old, growing from
its origins at <a href="http://homebrewmart.com/" target="_blank">Home Brew Mart</a> (built in 1992), and has taken the San
Diego beer community by storm. Ballast Point is available in many
pockets of the country: Boston, New York City, and of course San
Francisco, L.A., even internationally in Japan and the Philippines. Come to the <a href="http://213nightlife.com/goldengopher" target="_blank">Golden Gopher</a> for a few pints of <a href="http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers-of-ballast-point-ipa-sculpin/" target="_blank">Sculpin</a> or <a href="http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers-of-ballast-point-wheat-beer-wahoo/" target="_blank">Wahoo Wheat</a>, and take home some bottles from <a href="http://8thstreetbottleshop.com/Welcome.html" target="_blank">8th Street Bottle Shop</a>. Many thanks to Sales Reps <i>Matt Wilson </i>and <i>Laura Slayter</i> for leading the tasting. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">felicious </span></i></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits</div>
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10051 Old Grove Road</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
San Diego, CA 92131<br />
<br />
<i>"Real beer lovers, making real good beer." </i></div>
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<a href="http://www.ballastpoint.com%20/" target="_blank">www.ballastpoint.com </a><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-68202508512166411392012-05-11T18:18:00.002-07:002012-05-11T18:18:26.720-07:00What Makes a Stew?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqwIUTT7ijQ/T623YszrzyI/AAAAAAAAAMY/iyS1qDkS0WE/s1600/package.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqwIUTT7ijQ/T623YszrzyI/AAAAAAAAAMY/iyS1qDkS0WE/s200/package.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3-lb Young Rabbit</td></tr>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
What Makes a Stew? or My Relationship to Meat </h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Today I was walking down Pico back to my car, amidst the flurry of the Fashion District, and I remembered the first occasion I cooked rabbit. My birthday always falls around Easter, so I made the morbidly-fascinated decision to serve rabbit at my party. (See <a href="http://feliciousfood.blogspot.com/2010/04/rabbit-stew-for-easter-sunday.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for pics.) </h3>
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At the time I was working at the now closed <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/fleur-de-lys-patisserie-monterey-park" target="_blank">Fleur de Lys</a> in Monterey Park, which is predominantly Chinese. I asked around, and the most common response was, "I don't know, a pet store?" I told one of my regulars Vivian about my conquest for rabbit for dinner. Three days a week Vivian would come in, order a Double Cappuccino, <i>(extra hot) </i>and try a scone. She often had comments like, "Not hot enough" or "The scone didn't crumble like it should." Her daughter was a Pastry Chef in New York. She was the only one who had an answer to my rabbit question. "I think I know a place."<br />
<br />
She ended up calling me on Saturday afternoon, and told me "there is a market in South LA that sells live ducks. They might have rabbit." I wrote down the address, thanked her, and hung up the phone dumbfounded. "Oh my God," I thought, "She thinks I want a pet? Does she think I was going to buy the rabbit and kill it?" Loads of questions ran through my mind. I wondered what the tradition was at her house, or maybe what was inherited from her family's past.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-3EWRoKlGk/T621PB3YmtI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/C_Mm1mJshOo/s1600/74_523067780820_909469_34289162_8218_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-3EWRoKlGk/T621PB3YmtI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/C_Mm1mJshOo/s320/74_523067780820_909469_34289162_8218_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Binta at the CFCA in Niamey <i>avec poulet</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I was in Niger in 2007 I helped pluck and butcher two freshly-slaughtered chickens. It was curious, to stare at a chicken (or rabbit) carcass and empathize, feeling like I myself am just bones and meat. (The year before that I had seen <a href="http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/about-the-exhibition.html" target="_blank">Bodies: The Exhibition</a> in Boston.) It was humbling and disturbing, to be able to see humans as animals. Along the same lines, even though the act of turning the "animal" to "meat" <i>is </i>quite shocking, it is also quite human. It seems to be a challenge in our food culture for people to recognize that fact. <br />
<br />
Perhaps that's what you get living the product-oriented way of life. "Don't show me the dirty work. I only want to see the prize." <br />
<br />
And do you know what my family ate for Easter in 2011? Roasted Rabbit. The tradition lives on. <br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">felicious </span></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-73001305910393059112012-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:002012-05-08T10:07:41.718-07:00Cinco de Mayo: Fiesta on the Brink of Summer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Cinco de Mayo: Fiesta on the Brink of Summer </h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_192729965" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytNv1hFsbCQ/T6hlwXX7T3I/AAAAAAAAAL4/1VLZ8kSMU18/s400/cinco-de-mayo-facts-mexico-2012_52618_600x450.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/05/120505-cinco-de-mayo-history-mexican-mexico-american-beer-battle/" target="_blank">Reennactment in the city of Puebla, Mexico Photo: Eduardo Verdugo, AP</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Cinco de Drinko. Drinko de Mayo. Whichever you call it, Saturday was a day for feasting and drinking. For many it is a "drinking holiday" just like St. Patrick's Day, where anyone feels right scarfing nachos and slamming tequila shots. </h3>
<br />
<h4 style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">
<i>Un poco de historia...</i></h4>
<br />
Not be confused with Mexican Independence Day (September 16th), Cinco de Mayo commemoratess the <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/cinco-de-mayo" target="_blank">1861 Battle of Puebla,</a> in which Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza drove the occupying French from the city of Puebla, in a symbolic win for the liberal Mexican government. Cinco de Mayo became popular in the US in the 1960's during the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, and has since become a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-weight: normal;">Back to the food...</i></h4>
Just off Franklin Ave. in Los Feliz, a good friend's parents held a last-minute fiesta on their front porch, a great place for conversation. (<a href="http://studio.lux-fix.com/post/22249380719/my-secret-la-by-anna-stothard" target="_blank">Anne Stothard thinks so, too!</a>) On the menu: tacos, guacamole, beer, and tequila. As I arrived my friend Julia was busy de-pitting avocados and mincing garlic. Grillmaster Richard was prepping the grill for the array of meats. There is no rest for the vegetarian at this house. There was Flank Steak, Argentinian & Mexican Chorizo, and Carnitas al Pastor.<br />
<br />
<i>Al Pastor</i> means "shepherd style" and is a Shawarma-inspired spice mix adapted by Lebanese immigrants in Mexico. The recipe includes roasting the meat with pineapple, leaving it to marinate for days, making the meat sweet, acidic, and <i>ohh</i> so tender. Our batches were purchased for $2.99/lb at the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/produce-for-less-market-los-angeles" target="_blank">Produce for Less Market</a> on Melrose. It's just one of the thousands of <i>mercados </i>and <i>carnicerias</i> scattered across Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
We warmed up on Cerveza and shots of Tequila Reposado. We snacked on slices of chorizo covered in lime juice and chopped cilantro. After I assisted with the grilling of the flour tortillas, we ate. Freshly grilled meat, smooth avocado, and the cool spiciness of mango salsa always makes a pleasant bite. <i>Que bueno! </i> To the first of many cookouts this season!<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
</h4>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_192729982" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LpWP4YXc7JY/T6hyxgFfhDI/AAAAAAAAAME/Z7gJKHJilCI/s320/bp27.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/05/supermoon_the_perigee_moon_of.html" target="_blank">Photo credit: <span class="bpMore">Salman Jafri</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">To the brink...</span></b></i></h4>
<div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">
There's a mystery to this time of year. Just before the heat of summer, the wind blows the scents of burning charcoal, rosemary, and jacaranda blossoms down LA sidewalks. Driving towards Downtown after dinner, with the orange Supermoon rising over the metropolis, I could already feel the bittersweet hope of summertime. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>felicious</i></span></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-11756800784652654062012-04-28T20:32:00.000-07:002012-04-28T20:39:23.437-07:00Hangar 24 Brewery Tour & Tasting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6OEwKpAzZro/T5pB4PXUsRI/AAAAAAAAAK8/LDLo5iODqJg/s1600/orange+grove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6OEwKpAzZro/T5pB4PXUsRI/AAAAAAAAAK8/LDLo5iODqJg/s320/orange+grove.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The groves on Judson St.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxVkwq_K8io/T5pZTu7jyWI/AAAAAAAAALg/Zalk0eFiPfA/s1600/oranges+on+Judson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxVkwq_K8io/T5pZTu7jyWI/AAAAAAAAALg/Zalk0eFiPfA/s320/oranges+on+Judson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next stop for these oranges: beer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hangar 24 Brewery Tour and Tasting</b></span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Drive an hour east of Los Angeles on the 10 or 210 freeways, about 1/5 the way to Las Vegas, and you'll hit Redlands. <b> </b>Drive north on Judson Street past these orange groves, toward the San Bernardino Mountains, and across the street from the Redlands Municipal Airport you'll find Hangar 24 Brewery. Wednesday afternoon I went with the Golden Gopher bar staff for a tour and tasting. Driving through the hot and humid valley heat, I was ready for a beer upon arrival. We were greeted by <span class="bodyCopyTeam">Wholesaler Market Manager</span>, <i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rafael Hurtado</span></b></i>, and I had a pint as we watched the brewery in action. </h3>
<br />
The tour was given by <span style="font-size: small;">Brewer <i>John Kopta</i></span>, who moved from Colorado to California a few years ago. As we passed the grain mill and brew kettles, stepping over large hoses on wet concrete, the hum and buzz of room was constant. All these guys (bearded and non-bearded alike) run around in their rubber boots and jeans. To meet current demands, they work 24 hours, 5 days a week. And the space is surprisingly small for the volume they produce. I was floored. At this point I have brewed beer twice, and it is humbling to see
production on a larger scale. A lot of home brewers will make anywhere
from 2 to 5 gallons of beer at a time. At Hangar 24, they brew in 20-25 barrel capacity kettles.<br />
<br />
As of April 23rd they have <a href="http://hangar24brewery.com/events-admin/" target="_blank">broken ground for expansion</a> to <i>DOUBLE</i> brewing capacity and build a <i>canning system</i>. (Canned craft beer does <u>not </u>mean it's cheap and tasteless. It's more cost-effective than bottles, and more importantly environment friendly.) Last year they produced just over 15,000 barrels, roughly 3,780,000 pints,
and graduated from a "Microbrewery" to a "Regional Craft Brewery." June marks the 4-year anniversary, so look out for the Anniversary Ale, to be announced. <br />
<br />
Just like <a href="http://elsegundobrewing.com/" target="_blank">El Segundo</a> and <a href="http://goldenroad.la/" target="_blank">Golden Road</a>, Hangar 24 is dedicated to making
quality brews for locals. Hangar 24 goes the step of sourcing
ingredients locally, not only for the Redlands-grown oranges for the <a href="http://hangar24brewery.com/co_orangewheat.htm" target="_blank"><b>Orange Wheat </b></a>(pictured above), but dates grown in Coachella Valley for <a href="http://hangar24brewery.com/co_local_palmero.htm" target="_blank"><b>Palmero</b></a>, their dark and fruity Belgian Dubbel. (Part of the<a href="http://hangar24brewery.com/currentofferings_localfields.htm" target="_blank"> <i>Local Fields Series</i></a><i>.</i>) The story is heartwarming: Founder <i>Ben Cook</i> and buddies flying planes, talking about life and drinking home brew. The rest is a labor of love. Do yourself a favor and make the drive East, fill a growler, and talk beer with these guys.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Su1b-uCZAxY/T5pYiOTPSNI/AAAAAAAAALI/6KVz5qX-lOM/s1600/bottling+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Su1b-uCZAxY/T5pYiOTPSNI/AAAAAAAAALI/6KVz5qX-lOM/s320/bottling+machine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amarillo Pale Ale bottles being labeled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fk7gw68BVJI/T5pYnfJpqDI/AAAAAAAAALQ/XUGzztv5xzg/s1600/fermentation+kegs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fk7gw68BVJI/T5pYnfJpqDI/AAAAAAAAALQ/XUGzztv5xzg/s320/fermentation+kegs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fermentation!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
____________</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>To conclude, allow me to share my Blunder of the trip.</i></span> </h3>
When you make beer in home brew, after you have boiled the grains and pitched the yeast, you need to seal the fermenter (or carboy) with an airlock and stopper. This allows carbon dioxide to escape, while keeping oxygen out. To make sure no bacteria has any chance, you fill the airlock with a flavorless, sanitized solution such as vodka. On this large scale, the airlock is instead a large metal blow-off tube submerged in a bucket of sanitized solution, and the CO2 escaping looks just like boiling water. Next to<b> </b>the <b>Orange Wheat,</b> you can whiff the vapors of orange peel from across the room. I made the mistake of sticking my nose in the bucket and getting one, swift sniff. It was a jolt up my nostril and took my breath away. I've done it once, but I don't recommend this. It's probably on the same brain cell-melting level of huffing in your parents' garage. No, no, no. After we did that, <i>John </i>mentioned the dangers of working in a brewery: high pressure tanks, exploding kegs, and dangerous chemicals. Duly noted.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>______________</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tr8us0RR3N8/T5y3zQVUdvI/AAAAAAAAALs/xYOQitezw2s/s1600/2+row+pale+malt+silo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tr8us0RR3N8/T5y3zQVUdvI/AAAAAAAAALs/xYOQitezw2s/s320/2+row+pale+malt+silo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Hangar 24 beers are on tap at <a href="http://213nightlife.com/goldengopher" target="_blank">Golden Gopher</a>. Stop by in the next few weeks while they still have <b>Pugachev's Cobra</b>, a 16.5% Russian Imperial Stout and <b>Hammerhead</b>, a 13.8% Barleywine aged in Rye Whisky barrels, both from the <a href="http://hangar24brewery.com/currentofferings_barrelroll.htm" target="_blank"><i>Barrel Roll Series</i></a>. <br />
<br />
Want some <b>Chocolate Porter</b> to go? Make sure and stop by <a href="http://8thstreetbottleshop.com/Welcome.html" target="_blank">8th Street Bottle Shop</a>. We'll send you home happy.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">felicious</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
(<i>Check my math:</i> 1 US liquid barrel=252 pints. 252*15,000=3.78 mil. <i>Feel free to correct!</i>)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-72999292833289943772012-04-14T14:05:00.001-07:002012-04-28T23:38:49.142-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A List: LA Restaurants to go to:</b></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GbytR1hHJIo/TcwjoUIM36I/AAAAAAAANIY/owa71bhMXOI/s1600/IMG_5003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GbytR1hHJIo/TcwjoUIM36I/AAAAAAAANIY/owa71bhMXOI/s320/IMG_5003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at Salt's Cure</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://animalrestaurant.com/">Animal</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://beerbellyla.com/">Beer Belly </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bottegalouie.com/">Bottega Louie</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.canele-la.com/">Canele</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://figsantamonica.com/">Fig</a><br />
<br />
Le Comptoir<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lukshon.com/">Lukshon</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://saltscure.com/">Salt's Cure</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thespicetable.com/">Spice Table</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://thepieholela.com/about.html">The Pie Hole</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://wilshirerestaurant.com/menus/" target="_blank">Wilshire </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'll start there. Dang food critics who eat out for a living. <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2011-11-10/eat-drink/golden-deli-99-essential-restaurants-2011/">I could never live up to you. </a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>felicious</i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-7245215678497068802012-03-17T15:49:00.001-07:002012-03-17T15:49:49.179-07:00Happy St. Patty's Day from a Doyle<br />
<h1 class="firstHeading" id="firstHeading" style="color: #38761d;">
<span dir="auto">Sláinte! </span></h1>
Happy St. Patrick's Day- A drinking holiday that is not religious, but commercial, where any red-blooded American can claim Irish heritage, and where inexplicably strangers can pinch you.<br />
<br />
I was in the play Dancing at Lughnasa by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Friel">Brian Friel </a>my senior year of high school. In the climax scene, the sisters dance in the kitchen, one of them putting flour on her face as a mask. I always romantically imagined if I were to ever live in Ireland, I would spend my afternoons gathering Peat Moss and singing, that hopefully making a loaf of Irish Soda Bread could be that exciting.<br />
<br />
My mom has the habit of making Irish Soda Bread, and it is something quite simple and delicious. Here's a nice recipe (and pic) from <a href="http://www.closetcooking.com/">Closet Cooking</a>, a great blog.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f220ofzRuFE/T2UTKrbscUI/AAAAAAAAAJI/p2yl9yHMmg0/s1600/Irish+Soda+Bread+Sliced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f220ofzRuFE/T2UTKrbscUI/AAAAAAAAAJI/p2yl9yHMmg0/s320/Irish+Soda+Bread+Sliced.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.closetcooking.com/2008/03/irish-soda-bread.html">Irish Soda Bread </a><br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1 cup whole-wheat flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 cup rolled oats<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and rolled oats in a bowl.<br />
2. Mix in the buttermilk and form a dough.<br />
3. Shape the dough and place it on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan.<br />
4. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 40 minutes (the top should be golden brown).<br />
<br />
Goes well with Lamb Stew, and Guinness Chocolate Pudding, and whiskey, and <a href="http://thebeerchicks.com/drink/kiss-me-i-m-irish-ish">Moylan's Dragoons Dry Irish Stout</a>. It goes on. <br />
<br />
And now the Pogues...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/W5jv13oakdE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">felicious</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-8257471548481148292012-03-13T18:11:00.000-07:002012-03-13T18:11:04.081-07:00El Segundo Brewing Co. TastingOnce a month in Downtown LA, Golden Gopher Beer Society hosts a beer tasting in which local Professional Brewers share and talk about their beer with guests. It's a whole lot of fun. This past Monday, Thomas Kelley from <a href="http://elsegundobrewing.com/index.htm">El Segundo Brewing Co.</a> brought 3 excellent beers for an eager crowd to taste.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mZ_eHfk9CAE/T1_rYFquq3I/AAAAAAAAAI0/lLnt7Q6b9K4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-13+at+5.49.06+PM+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mZ_eHfk9CAE/T1_rYFquq3I/AAAAAAAAAI0/lLnt7Q6b9K4/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-03-13+at+5.49.06+PM+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Blue House Pale Ale </b>5.5% ABV, IBU-34<b></b><br />
The perfect "lawnmower" beer. Refreshing carbonation, nice aroma, with a bitterness that finishes clean.<br />
<br />
<b>Hyperion's Double Stout </b>7.5% ABV, IBU-35<b></b><br />
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! Your girlfriend will love this beer. Creamy with a sweet chocolate base, and a balance of bitter roasted coffee to balance. (It smelled like coffee liqueur to me!) An experimentation in style that lies between the traditional or average stout, and your higher ABV Imperial Stouts. <br />
<br />
<b>White Dog I.P.A. </b>6.7% ABV, IBU-53<br />
Another successful experiment brewed for both hopheads and neophytes alike! A fairly bitter but lighter-bodied IPA with some serious fruity notes. This beer is made with 50% wheat in the mash to lighten the body and bring out the citrus character of the hops. (Made with Sauvin hops from New Zealand, which amazingly taste like White Wine and Grapefruit!)<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">__________</div><br />
This was the first time I had ever tasted anything from El Segundo Brewing, and I was pleased as punch. It was intriguing to hear Thomas Kelley speak about a wide range of topics on opening a brewery. Did you know that hops are a huge commodity? There is basically a Gold Rush, with growers raising prices based on availability of popular strains, so much so that brewers will often have to scratch an entire recipe because the hop is no longer available. <a href="http://thebeerchicks.com/">The Beer Chicks</a> were in attendance, asking questions, drinking beers and cracking jokes along with the rest of us. <br />
<br />
El Segundo strives to become THE hop-centric brewery in Los Angeles. They only opened production in May of 2011, and have found great success in the burgeoning LA Craft Beer Scene. Look out for bottles in stores this summer.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">__________</div>El Segundo's Reserve Citra Pale Ale is on tap along with the 3 tasting beers this month at the <a href="http://213nightlife.com/goldengopher">Golden Gopher</a>, located at 417 W. 8th Street. Downtown Los Angeles, 90014. El Segundo brews can be found all over the Southland, including <a href="http://beerbellyla.com/">Beer Belly</a> in Koreatown, <a href="http://mohawk.la/">Mohawk Bend</a> in Echo Park, <a href="http://citytavernculvercity.com/">City Tavern</a> in Culver City, and of course at the Tap Room at the brewery in El Segundo. <a href="http://elsegundobrewing.com/index.htm">http://elsegundobrewing.com/index.htm</a><br />
<br />
<br />
For more information on Golden Gopher Beer Society, come down to the bar and ask a bartender to hook you up, and stop by the<a href="http://8thstreetbottleshop.com/Welcome.html"> 8th Street Bottle Shop</a> on your way out! <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">felicious</span></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-7838141890360031232012-02-26T21:10:00.003-08:002012-02-26T21:25:34.992-08:00Trial by Curds: Making Cheese<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--iXXTyDhOuk/T0r6qB9CSwI/AAAAAAAAAIk/7gJlrelYeHE/s1600/Photo+on+2-26-12+at+7.36+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--iXXTyDhOuk/T0r6qB9CSwI/AAAAAAAAAIk/7gJlrelYeHE/s320/Photo+on+2-26-12+at+7.36+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a>Before I finish eating all of it, I'm going to write about it. Inspired by the last blog post about things I want to make from scratch, today I spent about an hour making Mozzarella Cheese in my friend Angie's kitchen. I first saw this kit in the little town of Ashfield, MA when I was doing an internship with <a href="http://doubleedgetheatre.org/">Double Edge Theatre</a>. Little known to me there is a<i> cheese genius</i> in this town of dairy farms: Ricki Carroll, who has been running the business with her husband Robert since 1978.</div><br />
<a href="http://www.cheesemaking.com/">http://www.cheesemaking.com/</a><br />
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You can order kits to make Cheddar, Feta, Gouda, Parmesan, and more. You can buy wax,molds, sign up for cheesemaking classes, or by some awesome books on Cheesemaking. The website has an in-depth overview of cheesemaking, including different animal milks to use, pasteurization, raw milk, and an explanation of what the hell rennet is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-el3OzxwkHjA/T0sJuwMVajI/AAAAAAAAAIs/DM7Qho-ulXg/s1600/home_cheese_making_book_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-el3OzxwkHjA/T0sJuwMVajI/AAAAAAAAAIs/DM7Qho-ulXg/s320/home_cheese_making_book_1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>"Rennet <span style="font-size: small;">is an enzyme derived from the stomachs of calves, lambs or goats before they consume anything but milk. It is about 90% pure chymosin." (a chemical coming from the 4th chamber of the cow's stomach) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Good to know I can thank the cow's 4th stomach, because it was certainly magical to watch curds form as we stirred in the rennet. </span><span style="font-size: small;">The 30-Minute Mozzarella and Ricotta Kit includes enough for 30 batches, including the rennet tablets, citric acid, cheese salt, a dairy thermometer, and cheesecloth. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>All you need to supply is a gallon of milk!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">(We used <a href="http://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/?title=cream-top%20milk#j3">Straus Family Creamery Cream-Top Whole Milk</a>. I ate the cream out of the bottle with a knife! YUM!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Whey, the byproduct of the boiling and curdling, is a very interesting substance. It is milk-ish: a white cloud that tastes quite tangy and is packed with protein, enzymes, and the all-important lactose. What to do with it? Dry it out to put in my morning smoothie? Drink it straight up? You can also feed it to your tomatoes or your dog. Either way, it's good to keep around. It will surely enrich the soul. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">What is most interesting is that one gallon of milk does not yield very much cheese. Cow's milk is 88% water, 3-5% protein and 3-5% fat. The rest is minerals and enzymes. My blob of Mozz turned out to be a little smaller than my fist, about 4 inches across. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> No wonder cheese costs so much. (The more you know!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We had a few technical issues: forgot to add salt, and neither of us achieved the 'custard-like' curd that is supposed to form in the pot before moving on to the forming&stretching stage, but in the end it tasted like the full-fat organic cheesy goodness. We had to consult a website for troubleshooting. The directions in the booklet were not as in depth as I would have liked. Our hiccups were from overheating & overstirring. Heat it too quickly or too much then the structure breaks down and you end of with something that is less elastic & shiny. Ah, well. That's what's practice is for. I suppose it is the first pancake rule: this one's going to the dog. Maybe by the 10th time we make it, it will take 30 minutes start to finish. Either way, it was a real thrill to learn to make something from scratch! </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-og3QOBoBC0A/T0ryQH5fnCI/AAAAAAAAAIc/A5OykgbKRsU/s1600/cheesemaking_kit-400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-og3QOBoBC0A/T0ryQH5fnCI/AAAAAAAAAIc/A5OykgbKRsU/s320/cheesemaking_kit-400.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Next up, ricotta! (and more pictures)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Cheers to Cheese,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>felicious </i></span></span><br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-65885149553539431502012-02-22T23:30:00.000-08:002012-02-22T23:49:36.098-08:00Make it From Scratch: A List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TbgvCSscu_E/T0XreNlyllI/AAAAAAAAAIE/eQ-luLYNBiA/s1600/pretzel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TbgvCSscu_E/T0XreNlyllI/AAAAAAAAAIE/eQ-luLYNBiA/s320/pretzel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Cooking from scratch: Making food with fresh, raw ingredients and eating it <i>tout de suite </i>as it was intended!<i> </i>For me it's a chance to say, "Hey! I know how hard it is to make this loaf of bread, this bottle of beer, or this pancake." At one point all real, packaged food was handmade and homemade before it hit an assembly line to be wrapped in cellophane. Cooking from scratch reminds me always of the effort and love behind really good cooking.<br />
<div>(Some of these aren't necessarily artisanal, but I'm including because they're complicated and intimidating and would be <i>awesome </i>to learn how to cook!)</div><div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pretzels</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bagels</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Pasta</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Crackers</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Cheeses-</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Mozzarella, Parmesan, Blue, Cheddar</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Sausage</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Bacon</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Gumbo</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Tortilla Soup</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Potatoes Anna</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Chocolate</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Chocolate Truffles</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Apricot Jam</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Dried Mangoes or Apples</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Buche de Noel</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Pork Rillette</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Pate</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Hot Sauce</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Mole Sauce </div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Dill Pickles</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Honey Wine</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Cider</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Mulled Wine</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">To be continued,</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>felicious</i></span></div></div><div><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-69777237806435532182012-02-07T02:44:00.000-08:002012-02-07T02:46:27.599-08:00I'll admit it: I'm eating Kale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/kale-th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/kale-th.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Kale, Kale, Kale. In light of extolling its nutritional virtues, here is the recipe for my kale salad I had for dinner. Easy and impromptu.<br />
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1 bunch kale<br />
1 small lemon<br />
1 avocado<br />
1 roma tomato<br />
olive oil<br />
balsamic vinegar<br />
salt&pepper<br />
Italian seasoning<br />
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Rinse and dry kale leaves. Chop into thin strips and throw in your bowl, discarding stalks. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon onto kale. Grabbing small handfuls, massage kale between palms until it begins to soften. Drizzle olive oil, add salt, and pepper to taste then toss. Cube avocado meat, then toss. Slice tomato into chunks. Add dash of Italian Seasoning and dash of balsamic. Yum!<br />
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For Christmas I made a version with shaved Parmesan and Fennel. Anyway you do it, lemon and kale make for best friends in a salad.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>felicious</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1xzA-Op1soo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">P.S. For the love of Kale, at about 0:30.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-38331840292293694262012-02-01T13:19:00.001-08:002012-02-01T14:37:13.774-08:00Hot and Salty<a href="http://www.meijer.com/assets/product_images/styles/xlarge/1003855_35217_A_400.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.meijer.com/assets/product_images/styles/xlarge/1003855_35217_A_400.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/images/magazine/2010/01/mare_sriracha_hot_sauce_slideshow_1_h.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 484px; height: 344px;" src="http://www.bonappetit.com/images/magazine/2010/01/mare_sriracha_hot_sauce_slideshow_1_h.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Hot and Salty what?<br /><a href="http://i43.tower.com/images/mm100555253/salt-world-history-mark-kurlansky-paperback-cover-art.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 304px;" src="http://i43.tower.com/images/mm100555253/salt-world-history-mark-kurlansky-paperback-cover-art.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sriracha. The Rooster. Cock Sauce. The good stuff I pour over my pizza and pho. I'm a big fan of their sister sauce, Sambal Oelek. Good to stir in soups.<br /><br />I read an enthusiastic blog post by Joshua Bosel at Serious Eats about <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/02/how-to-make-sriracha-from-scratch-sauces.html">Sriracha from Scratch</a>. I mean, really, just look at those pretty red jalapenos.<br />All it takes is the marvel of fermenting pureed chilies, garlic, sugar, salt, vinegar. That's right, this funky hotness is so easily forgettable as a fermented product that we consume. For me, it's a strange thought. It sends shudders of the taste of kimchi down my spine, the rotting cabbage emerging from clay pots buried in the earth.<br /><br />Articles upon articles do this sauce justice as to its versatility and flavor, and of course, awesomeness. (Even a cookbook, <a href="http://www.thesrirachacookbook.com/">The Sriracha Cookbook</a>.)<br /><br />It made me think about one of my favorite recent nonfiction reads, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Salt-World-History-Mark-Kurlansky/dp/0142001619">Salt: A World History </a>by Mark Kurlansky.<br /><br />It was first recommended to me years ago on a cross country train ride from Chicago to San Francisco. It reads like a series of historical anecdotes, and sometimes very textbooky without preaching themes and summaries. It goes around the world, chronicling the evolution of salt mines and salt works in China, Italy and the like, and how those societies lived and died by their longevity. It covers curing, pickling, and fermented fish pastes and delicacies like kimchi. There's also a short section on the American-made Tabasco Pepper sauce for the patriots in us. It's an interesting read if you'd ever want to get a better idea of what it takes to get Morton's Table Salt or that fancy Pink Himalayan Salt to your kitchen counter.<br /><br />Fun Fact: You know why French Gray Sea Salt tastes so good? Because there's dirt in it. True story.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">felicious</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-39723309576255440162012-01-20T00:02:00.000-08:002012-02-01T14:47:49.095-08:00Think like Wine: an essay<a href="http://www.moviewallpapers.net/images/wallpapers/2004/sideways/sideways-373-3400.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 373px; height: 299px;" src="http://www.moviewallpapers.net/images/wallpapers/2004/sideways/sideways-373-3400.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Awake at 4am, plagued with a fit of existential jitters, I was suddenly reminded of one of my favorite speeches from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0668247/">Alexander Payne</a>'s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/">Sideways</a>.<br /><br />Miles, (the would-be sommelier played by Paul Giamatti), responds to the question "Why are you so into Pinot?" with one of the best speeches of the movie.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0316079/">Miles Raymond</a></b>: Uh, I don't know, I don't know. Um, it's a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right? It's uh, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's, you know, it's not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it's neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression. Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and... ancient on the planet.<br /><br />Any wine lover I know adores this movie, and has put "Have dinner at the <a href="http://www.hitchingpost2.com/">Hit</a><a href="http://www.hitchingpost2.com/">ching Post</a>" on their bucket list. For me at 4am, I flattered myself to think that I was exactly like a Pinot grape, brilliant but temperamental, and I went on to make perhaps the less than original co<a href="http://www.cheapwinefinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/1711200994005.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.cheapwinefinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/1711200994005.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>nclusion that people are complex as wine. Cabernet Sauvignon. Tempranillo. Even a cheap Vin de Table.<br /><br />Miles here is delving into his true inner romantic, and by extension describing himself. He says, "Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression." In this seduction scene, he's telling his love interest Maya (Virgina Madsen) the exact same things about himself. "I'm stubborn baby, but I'm worth it."<br /><br />In the question, "Why Wine?" Maya has this to say:<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000515/">Maya</a></b>: I like to think about the life of wine...How it's a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline. "<br /><br />Here as Maya speaks she delves into her passion for the creation and story of wine. (And I can't help but agree with her historical romanticism.) She says, "it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity" speaking on not only wine, but on what it is to experience life as a human. She's demonstrating to Miles her desire for him. Unfortunately, as intelligent and emotionally fragmented as he is, can't quite complete the seduction in the moment. This scene is so full of the potential passion that their union could have. It is gut-wrenching, eliciting loads of empathy for Miles from our hearts.<br /><br />The idea that human characteristics can be applied to wine is crucial to understanding our relationship with food. As much energy it takes to grow, cultivate and manufacture wine, there is a reciprocal effect on those who consume it. This movie makes clear that the the tradition of consuming and manipulating raw ingredients from the ground is at the heart of survival and evolution on our little Earth.<br /><br />I could get hyperbolic about this movie. Perhaps I already have. Great cast. Great script. It's one of those films that you've just gotta see.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">felicious</span></span><br /><br /><br />P.S. Haven't seen <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/">The Descendants</a> yet. Looking forward to it, Mr. Payne.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-68459741984539140072012-01-04T22:46:00.000-08:002012-01-04T23:37:16.819-08:00My First Cup of Coffee<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_qHk-7B8hI/TwVPWfM8vGI/AAAAAAAAAHE/uN6BDnMRn-w/s1600/1415580684_447b36b6c0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_qHk-7B8hI/TwVPWfM8vGI/AAAAAAAAAHE/uN6BDnMRn-w/s200/1415580684_447b36b6c0.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694044551631387746" /></a><br />After a fantastic dinner at <a href="http://akasharestaurant.com/lunch-menu/">Akasha</a> in Culver City, I am pleasantly full and feeling equally in a romantic mood to make a post. I am a Foursquare addict, and I got a free latte with my meal after checking in tonight. As I was staring into the swirling designs of the crema and milk, I thought back to my strongest memory of drinking coffee.<div><br /></div><div>(Like my beer entry, this was certainly NOT my first cup of coffee in my life. Sure I'd had coffee at home, at shitty diners and my school cafeteria, but this is the ideal memory.)<br /><div><br /></div><div>I'm 16 years old, and it's the summer after my sophomore year of high school. I go on a 3-week trip to France, starting and finishing in Paris. My parents booked a penthouse to rent in the 5th arrondissement near the Sorbonne. Fabulous. Fabulous. It's 6:30 in the morning and I shoot out of bed. Jetlag? My brother and I connect in whispers and decide to go out for a very early breakfast. We take a stroll through the just-washed streets, not yet filled with busy Parisians. My teenage eyes soak in the majesty of the mythical city, so eager and hungry to see what all the fuss is about. We come to a corner, and walk into a cafe as the waitress was busy setting up. We were the first customers.</div><div><br /></div><div>All I order is a <i>pain au chocolat</i> and a <i>cafe au lait.</i> The croissant? It was that angelic combination of flaky butter and semi-sweet chocolate. The coffee arrives in a large white bowl, which warms your hands as you drink. Who knows where this coffee was roasted, or what method they used to prepare it, but coffee was not coffee before this morning. It was the atmosphere, the hunger and anticipation. After we paid the tab and were on our merry way for a day of kitschy tourism, I knew I was hooked.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I sure am. Sometimes on my days off from working at a cafe, I forget to get coffee until after dark. I get the classic headache, and become a moaning, aching addict. In those most desperate of situations, even Coffee Bean will do.</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">felicious</span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">photo: <a href="http://thewanderingeater.com/">the Wandering Eater</a></span></i></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-10784116319492745582011-12-08T18:30:00.002-08:002012-02-26T21:27:46.163-08:00My First Real Beer<a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3259/3224395560_44e433e90b_z.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3259/3224395560_44e433e90b_z.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 347px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 406px;" /></a><br />
<div>A romantic entry for the end of the year...<br />
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<div><div><div><div><div></div><div>Beer. Yes, that's right, the magical brew that warms your belly, dissolves your social inhibitions, and satisfies the soul. It's a big deal for many foodies including myself, and is an equal contender with wine and spirits in the gourmet sprint to pair food and drink (and of course, be merry!). </div><div></div><div>The first beer I tasted was Rolling Rock. The first beer I got drunk to was either Miller or Bud. I don't know for sure, I was drinking Smirnoff Ice at the same time. Watered-down with adjunct grains like rice and corn, it was a tasteless fizzy beverage that I knew was cheap and American. And so went adolescence, with a bit of Corona and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale mixed in.<br />
</div><div></div><div>The first beer I fell in love with (my coup de coeur) was a Samuel Adams Winter Lager. My senior year of college, on a cold February night in Allston, the dirty hip neighborhood in Boston, I went to the local dive The Silhouette. (They serve movie popcorn in baskets and you'd be a sore thumb if you weren't wearing flannel.). It was after a dance performance across town, and a group of us went out to celebrate and discuss. After a few sips it all changed. It was like a spell. It wasn't just "beer" like I'd thought. It turned into adjectives and feelings: warm, happy, spicy, chocolaty, satisfying, smooth. It was the point of no return. From then on, I would never go out of my way to buy PBR and the like. </div><div></div><div>We all have our firsts, that was mine. Since then, the love affair hasn't stopped. With Black Butte Porter, New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale, and most recently Saison DuPont, I am happy to drink chocolaty and dry, fizzy and earthy, or just plain hoppy when I'm in the mood.<br />
</div><div>What to open next? </div><div><i><span style="font-size: 130%;">felicious</span></i></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />
</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-89796031761111485162011-10-25T18:36:00.000-07:002011-10-25T20:32:01.562-07:00Beer Tasting at Home pt 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.stonebrew.com/collab/collablacitrueillebottle.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 85px; height: 322px;" src="http://www.stonebrew.com/collab/collablacitrueillebottle.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />On my way home from work in Silverlake, I always make sure and spend some of my hard-earned cash tips at Cap'n Cork Jr. Market at the corner of Hillhurst and Prospect. I've bought many a beer here, especially for lunch at Best Fish Taco in Ensenada down the block. A wonderful, friendly staff of guys, with a smorsgasbord selection of domestic brews, including a vast Belgian beer fridge.<br /><br />Today I found...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><span id="eow-title" class="long-title" dir="ltr" title="Bruery / Elysian / Stone La Citrueille Céleste de Citracado">Bruery / Elysian / Stone La Citrueille Céleste de Citracado </span></span><br />Check out the promo video from Stone's Youtube channel:<br /><a href="http://youtu.be/C0nBIXXH__w">http://youtu.be/C0nBIXXH__w</a><br /><br />Ruby Brown in color, hoppy, spicy and very lemony, with a low carbonation, and a lingering sweetness on the tongue from the pumpkin and yams.<br /><br />It's a collaboration beer between Stone Brewing Co. in CA, Elysian Brewing in Seattle, and The Bruery of Orange County, CA. Much like its brother Cherry Chocolate Stout which I had a few weeks back, it is a special treat you should spend your extra dollars on. Now that's the spirit. Makes me want to get in the kitchen and start up my wort...<br /><br />beerly yours,<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">felicious</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-82157686287609385402011-10-04T14:59:00.001-07:002011-10-04T15:04:27.231-07:00granola bar desperation<a href="http://sc.cw-usa.com/common/images/products/main/snack-kind-bar-fruit-nut-delight.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://sc.cw-usa.com/common/images/products/main/snack-kind-bar-fruit-nut-delight.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />It's been a while, dear foodies, and I am desperate to update, so much so that sitting at Starbucks I think is the best thing to mention. What did I get today? A grande decaf Americano. Special? Not so much. What was better? This KIND Fruit & Nut Delight Bar. Love em. Ten times better-tasting than anything Nature Valley can grind into a bar. A grownup's granola bar. <div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-27735886036035451242011-03-20T15:11:00.000-07:002011-03-20T15:16:21.923-07:00Sour Cream Cake with Ginger-Lime Glaze<span style="font-size:100%;">So</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">ur Cream Butter Cake</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">from </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">The Everything Vegetarian Cookbook</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">by </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.jayweinstein.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span">Jay Weinstein</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">Back in high</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zS2yUW-qHSA/TYZ6U3zsmhI/AAAAAAAAAEA/KNgdP4gZCgs/s1600/photo%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zS2yUW-qHSA/TYZ6U3zsmhI/AAAAAAAAAEA/KNgdP4gZCgs/s200/photo%25281%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586286886796433938" border="0" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> school, somewhere during my super health-conscious phase, I went on a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">4-month stint of vegetarianism. One night, at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">the end of a casual home dinner of baked chi</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">cken and vegetables, I spent too long staring at the empty carcass, and made too many personal associations with my own flesh and bones to continue eating animal flesh. It was all vim and vigor, with a pledge to do it for health reasons, and learn of slaughterhouse practices, and the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">amount of corn in our beef and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">poultry. That </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">would mean I had to eat spinach and other green vegetables for iron, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">and eat the elusive garbanzo bean as a staple. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">At that point I could count </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">the number of times I had eaten</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> hummus on one hand. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">So my Mom gave me </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">The Everything Vegetarian Cookbook, </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">and I must confess, after only sampling a recipe for salad, it has sat on the shelf all these years. It has a very friendly layout, like the Moosewood Cookbooks, with some health and cooking tips along the way. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">But I was in the mood to bake a cake, and wasn't feeling fancy enough to d</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">o a Meringue pie, but wanted to make a cake other than my go-to dark chocolate and orange. I also wanted an excuse to have a tub of sour cream in my fridge. </span></div><div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-duFIv225Dqs/TYZ6NAWtyPI/AAAAAAAAAD4/wL_E2d5yY-c/s1600/photo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-duFIv225Dqs/TYZ6NAWtyPI/AAAAAAAAAD4/wL_E2d5yY-c/s200/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586286751651842290" border="0" /></a></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span">___________________</span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div></span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">4 egg yolks</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">1/2 tsp vanilla</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">2/3 c sour cream</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">1 cup sugar</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">2 cups sifted cake flour</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">1/2 tsp baking powder</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan, dust it with flour, and line the bottom with waxed paper. In a bowl, whisk together the yolks, ¼ of the sour cream, and the vanilla. In a large, separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">whisk vigorously to combine.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><div><span><i><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uSPE5n0AEr8/TYZ6rpGbf7I/AAAAAAAAAEI/wua0mcWh0ug/s1600/photo%25283%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uSPE5n0AEr8/TYZ6rpGbf7I/AAAAAAAAAEI/wua0mcWh0ug/s200/photo%25283%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586287277985464242" border="0" /></a></span></i></span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Add the butter and remaining sour cream to the flour mixture, and mix well until flour is completely moistened. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture in 3 separate additions, mixing between each addition. Pour into prepared cake pan.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Bake in the middle of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, usually about 35 to 40 minutes. Start checking at 25 minutes, since oven temperatures and ingredient characteristics vary, and it might be done quicker. Cool 10 minutes, then take out of pan and cool completely on a wire rack.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">To frost, cut laterally in half and frost both sections, then stack smooth sides, and refrigerate to set.</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">________________</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Unfortunately I had to break the rules on this one. First of all, I used an 8-inch souffle dish </span><span class="Apple-style-span">because I took one look at my grody old cake pans and said "No cake deserves this pan." Secondly,as I am only now aware, I used 2 oz too much butter, (so a full 2 sticks instead of 1 1/2). I guess I was too happy to throw two sticks of butter into the bowl. The consistency of the batter looked more like a bread dough, and didn't taste very much like sour cream. </span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I increased the baking time by 20 minutes on top of the 35. Because the increased height of the souffle dish, and the amount of butter, my test knife wasn't coming out clean. </span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Despite the slightly crumbly crust, I was quite pleased. Now I have a pseud0-recipe for a good breakfast cake. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span">___________________</span></div></i></span></div></span></span></i></span><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Jay Weinstein suggests serving it with homemade Butter-Cream Frosting, but I couldn't go that far. And since what </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I ended up making was more the consistency of pound cake, the glaze was the way to go. </span></span><i><span><span><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span><span><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span><span><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-deFHMxRvUs0/TYZ6xyx6bzI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/uEd8dY0VO9w/s1600/photo%25284%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-deFHMxRvUs0/TYZ6xyx6bzI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/uEd8dY0VO9w/s200/photo%25284%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586287383662980914" border="0" /></a></span></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Ginger-Lime Glaze</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">6 tbsp lime juice</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">6 tbsp water</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 1/4 c powdered sugar</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">To cut the pungency of the ginger, I decided to let it cook on low heat in 2 tbsp of lime juice and 2 tbsp water for about 15 minutes, stirring as I went until it reduced. Pour glaze evenly over top of the cake, and spread with a knife or spatula and allow to set. Slice and serve with a dollop of sour cream.<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span">___________________</span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Birthday cake: always delicious, especially after spicy Thai Food.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">felicious</span></b></div></span></i></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-5759879874252516452011-01-29T17:40:00.001-08:002011-01-29T17:52:29.439-08:00Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers<span class="street-address">11660 San Vicente Blvd</span><br /><span class="locality">Los Angeles</span>, <span class="region">CA</span> <span class="postal-code">90049</span><br /> Neighborhood: Brentwood<br /><br /><br />Saturday lunch, we concluded after a cup of coffee and a stroll that we were hungry for burgers. We sat outside. After perusing the large menu which includes Starters (Fried veggies, Sweet potato and regular fries, Onion Rings), Salads, and the Multitude of Meats to choose from.<br />Grilled Chicken, Ground Turkey, Beef, and a few Vegetarian options, C went for the Cajun Grilled Chicken and I for the Portabello Mushroom burger. <br /><br />Grilled Chicken is light and clean, just dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion. Mushroom burger includes a whole roasted red pepper, tomato-pesto, swiss cheese and raw spinach leaves. Excellent! The mushroom was perfect, and I need to steal that tomato-pesto sauce. Exactly what I wanted. We split an order of steak fries with fresh minced garlic, and threw on lots of cracked pepper and Dijon mustard. On the tables are little metal caddies with napkins, forks, knives, ketchup, mustard and Salt and Pepper grinders from Trader Joes. I appreciate they don't try and hide the fact that they went to TJ's. <br /><br />A vast menu, but unlike The Counter, they frown upon the build-your-own burger tactic. Classy.<br /><br /><br />a 2nd visit that will most likely turn into a 3rd<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >felicious</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-8224850176278332742010-11-23T17:24:00.000-08:002010-11-23T17:27:14.318-08:00A Pound of ButterAs an homage to the impending holiday, I share with you a poem<br /><br />http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=185537<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Butter</span></span><br /><br />BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER<br /><br />My mother loves butter more than I do,<br />more than anyone. She pulls chunks off<br />the stick and eats it plain, explaining<br />cream spun around into butter! Growing up<br />we ate turkey cutlets sauteed in lemon<br />and butter, butter and cheese on green noodles,<br />butter melting in small pools in the hearts<br />of Yorkshire puddings, butter better<br />than gravy staining white rice yellow,<br />butter glazing corn in slipping squares,<br />butter the lava in white volcanoes<br />of hominy grits, butter softening<br />in a white bowl to be creamed with white<br />sugar, butter disappearing into<br />whipped sweet potatoes, with pineapple,<br />butter melted and curdy to pour<br />over pancakes, butter licked off the plate<br />with warm Alaga syrup. When I picture<br />the good old days I am grinning greasy<br />with my brother, having watched the tiger<br />chase his tail and turn to butter. We are<br />Mumbo and Jumbo’s children despite <br />historical revision, despite<br />our parent’s efforts, glowing from the inside<br />out, one hundred megawatts of butter.<br /><br /><br /><br />“Butter” by Elizabeth Alexander. From Body of Life, published by Tia Chucha Press. Copyright 1996 Elizabeth Alexander. Used by permission of the author.<br /><br />Source: Body of Life (Tia Chucha, 1996)<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Gobbling, felicious.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-6891349073985671622010-09-15T13:13:00.000-07:002010-09-16T00:30:09.581-07:00Dino's Chicken and Burgers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Okay, so I live in Koreatown and I admit I haven't sampled much (if any) Korean restaurants in the area. I had a roommate senior year who had spent some time in Korea, and she stored a jar of Kimchi in the fridge. The odor of fermented vegetables is very particular, and seems a good accompaniment to fishy-smelling fish. So that's out. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I have eaten Pho, and tacos and burritos from the truck around the corner from my apartment. Muy bueno! Last night I even drew up the nerve to order in Spanish. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Un burrito de pollo y un horchata. Para llevar. </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Ay yi yi! They make a cool cilantro-avocado sauce. Pile on the fresh lime and munch on some peppery sliced radishes and you're good to go.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> We found </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Dino's Chicken and Burgers. </span></b></div><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T44r_oOExvc/TJEtSiKgcdI/AAAAAAAAADo/qgAv5J_FRRE/s200/chicken+plate" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517240814937338322" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">2575 W Pico Blvd</span></span></span></div><meta equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="locality" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background- background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Los Angeles</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, </span></span><span class="region" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background- background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">A</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><span class="postal-code" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline- vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background- background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">90006</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">
<br />Neighborhood: South Los Angeles</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">American-sounding. Mexican-run. Highly rated.
<br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">
<br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">For $5.50 you get half a chicken on a bed of French Fries, a side of coleslaw, and a few fresh flour tortillas. So juicy, so spicy, and the fries are completely soggy, but who gives a crap. There's a small white plastic fork in the box, but I'm convinced it's just for show. You'd be a fool not to piece the chicken directly from the bone. I had a regular Coke, perfectly syrupy sweet for lunch on a late summer day.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">This place totally looks like a dump of a burger joint, built in dusty maroon tile and linoleum tables. While ordering I see the grill man, turning some 15 chickens at once, covered in their red sauce, sizzling. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> A guitarist walks in wearing a rasta beanie for a 5-minute serenade; a few Mexican folk songs for our lunchtime entertainment. He seems like a familiar face. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">My favorite part is throwing the trash into a aluminum door built into the wall. It is clandestine, out of the way, perhaps a huge room full of styrofoam, soggy fries and chicken bones. Charming in it's no-nonsense. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Delicious, cheap, and quick. I will go back, after other conquests in the effort to eat at new places in my neighborhood. Korean BBQ still looming.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">felicious</span></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, sans-serif;color:#555555;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:small;">
<br /></span></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-34135258227052115242010-08-04T20:41:00.003-07:002010-08-04T21:42:53.023-07:00Cheddar Beer Soup<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You can make SOUP out of THOSE?</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thi</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">s past winter, I was the busiest I have ever been in my life, working full time and rehearsing 5 nights a week, and I had little time to eat and enjoy myself, much less sleep. C invites me over for a late night surprise dinner, and I arrive to Cheddar-Beer Soup. I had Beer and Cheese soup once before, in a pub-grub in Helena, MT, and back then I thought it was revolutionary. I was only then beginning to drink beer for taste. Like wine, cooking with beer is meant to enhance the food. And it's undeniable. Here's the link to the recipe we used.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T44r_oOExvc/TFo2gmA96iI/AAAAAAAAACw/qkLFUjIqeRo/s200/img_0401.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501769828374800930" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheddar-Beer-Soup-231641"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheddar-Beer-Soup-</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheddar-Beer-Soup-231641"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">231641</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We made it again a few weeks ago, only this time we used Dubliner Irish Cheddar with Whiskey, changed the chicken broth for beef broth, and had to settle for a Leffe ale, instead of Bass. (They were out. Stupid Ralphs.)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The recipe calls for dry mustard, and we thought there was a can of Colman's laying around, but it appeared there had been a mustard powder theft. (Suspect? Former roommate. Motives? Clear. Investigation? Concluded.) So, we used some grainy wet mustard instead. This would also work if you are making homemade mac and cheese as well.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As for the bacon garnish, well, why </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">wouldn't </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">you want </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">extra </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">bacon in your soup? Bacon enthusiasts at your service. Bacon appetizers? Great plan. We will cook more to eat more. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">________________</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ingredients:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2 celery ribs, cut int</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">o 1/4</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-inch dice (1 cup)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1/3 cup al</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">l-purpose flour</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">2 cups whole milk</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 (12-oz) bottle ale such as Bass</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 teaspoon dry musta</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">rd</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 teaspoon salt</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1/4 teaspoon black pepper</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1 lb extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably English; rind removed if necessary), grated (4 cups)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">4 bacon slices (3 1/2 oz total), cooked and cru</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">mbled</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"><p class="instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T44r_oOExvc/TFo3UVIKeyI/AAAAAAAAAC4/rNuYKz_GDMc/s200/img_0403+(Modified).jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501770717194779426" /></span></p><p class="instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Instructi</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ons:</span></span></p><p class="instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wash leeks </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">in a bowl of cold water, agitating water, then lift out leeks and drain in a colander. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Cook </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaf in butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally,</span></span></p><p class="instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low and sprinkle flour over vegetables, then cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add milk, broth, and beer in a stream, whisking, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper.</span></span></p><p class="instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Add cheese by handfuls, stirring constantly, and cook until cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes (do not boil). Discard bay leaf.</span></span></p><p class="instructions" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T44r_oOExvc/TFo4SA2y7tI/AAAAAAAAADA/LD4z61jX1IE/s200/img_0404+(Modified).jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501771776905113298" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Serve sprinkled with bacon.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">_____________</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">T</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">his soup is incredibly rich, and is perfect served with fresh bread and a bottle of beer (preferably the one</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> cooked with). Beer, cheese, and bread are practically cousins, much of their flavor from yeast and fermentation. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T44r_oOExvc/TFo_QUfvCXI/AAAAAAAAADY/TusdIGGDcns/s200/img_0405+(Modified).jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501779444398754162" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To lighten things up, I made a simple Spinach Salad. For dessert we had Balsamic Strawberries with Angel Food Cake.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Cook this soup. You will slip into a cheesy coma,</span></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">felicious</span></span></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534527350701177198.post-8797429928694671942010-07-03T17:35:00.000-07:002010-07-03T18:19:47.457-07:00Yelp -vs- Help<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/6P7FWPB9XPDUZWMkYVEi2w/l"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 533px; height: 400px;" src="http://media1.px.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/6P7FWPB9XPDUZWMkYVEi2w/l" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Because of my most recent job, I have had the opportunity to meticulously read and critique each Yelp post for <a href="http://www.fleurdelyspatisserie.com/">Fleur </a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><a href="http://www.fleurdelyspatisserie.com/">de</a></span><a href="http://www.fleurdelyspatisserie.com/"> </a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><a href="http://www.fleurdelyspatisserie.com/">Lys</a></span><a href="http://www.fleurdelyspatisserie.com/"> Patisserie</a>. Since it's opening in November, we've had a number of reviews, giving us a total average of 3.5 stars. Not a bad rating from what I hear. <div><br /></div><div>Check it out.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/fleur-de-lys-patisserie-monterey-park">http://www.yelp.com/biz/fleur-de-lys-patisserie-monterey-park</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I use Yelp all the time. If I'm hungry in a new neighborhood, I type in my location on my iPhone to see if there are any interesting coffee shops or restaurants worthy of my time. I'm steered correctly 90% of the time. It's a fine resource to discover general information about the quality of the food, employee service, and customer favorites, and the 'thumbs-down' items.</div><div><br /></div><div>It gives us all a chance to try and distinguish our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Latinate</span> grammar structures from one another in the distant hope of a print/paid position as a food critic. The first immediate benefit is marginal <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Internet</span> fame, like having 1,000 friends on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Facebook</span>, or being the girl that wrote the really, really, audaciously nasty review. The second is feeling like your opinion is effective, and that it encourages or discourages future patrons on how to spend their hard earned.</div><div><br /></div><div>As one who takes into account the comments and accusations made by the poorer reviews, I have difficulty in wholly accepting them as good, constructive judgment of the business. Some comments are irrelevant, i.e., 'there is little to no parking', or 'it's a very noisy street'. That is location-based, and to each establishment its own. Others are irrelevant because their information is incorrect, i.e. writing about an ingredient that is not in a particular dish, or about an item we don't even sell.</div><div><br /></div><div>What I dislike is that Yelp reviews are sometimes a coward's way out. You can complain all you want, twisting the actuality of your experience into a hyperbole of what it was. I'm more in favor of constructive criticism as a worker at a new business. How are we going to know what you want if you don't let us know when we've done something wrong? If you think your latte isn't hot enough, let me heat it up for you.</div><div><br /></div><div>To any and all Yelpers out there, the next time you have a complaint that you believe can be corrected, bring it face to face with a person. It takes a little courage to do, (and believe me it takes a little bit to receive), but in the end everyone will be more satisfied. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the immortal words of Jerry Maguire, "Help me help you!"</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">felicious</span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896899359706757871noreply@blogger.com1