Redirect.

So it turns out this may be an interesting summer after all. The Asian market here is amazing. Imagine a Super Wal-mart. And then make everything Asian. And the fishmonger is incredible: fresh prawn, sushi-grade salmon and tuna, all kinds of roe, eels, squid, octopus, LIVE fish. It's really a shame I'm not in my own kitchen.

There's a decent selection of funny drinks and snacks which I'll be poking around, but then there's the alcohol. Oh, the alcohol. Lots of interesting Asian liquors. It may be an expensive summer. And I plan on bringing the good stuff back with me.

Hiatus.

So I'm in the new kitchen now. It's clean and usable and has a gas range (read: AWESOME) but I'm just not in a position to do anything fancy with it. Don't have all of my implements, don't know where everything in the kitchen is, left all my spices at home, etc. Sigh. It's going to be a minimalist summer, unfortunately. I'm thinking I may start stretching Chinese and Indian takeaway out of convenience and thriftiness.

The bright side, I think it might be a nice idea, starting in the fall, to make something nice once a month. The general gist of all of this is to compile things that are simple, cheap, and/or quick, but it would be nice to try out some of the more complicated recipes and more exotic ingredients. So there's that.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

Pic+info here

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I tried a half-pint of this the other day at a local pizza place on a whim. Glad I only got the half-pint. While good in concept, the first thing I thought of was pipe tobacco. I mean, I like to smoke pipe tobacco but not necessarily drink it. Aside from not tasting very good, it did have a nice feel to it, drinking like an un-widgeted Guinness Draught. Meh.

Also, I'm in a different kitchen for the summer, and I forgot my camera dock so...postings will be sparse until I get that new camera I've been stalking.

Sam Adams Summer Ale.

Eh...I expected something a little more interesting from something brewed with "Grains of Paradise". That's not to say it was bad. It's actually quite good, but nothing to write home about.

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat.

I've had this one before, but that was a long time ago so I didn't really remember what it was like. The nose is actually really subtle but lingering (unlike a certain Apricot Wheat) and the cherry really comes through. I'm not really a huge fan of fruit beers, but this one manages to add some variety and, at the end of the day, stay a decent beer (again, unlike a certain Apricot Wheat). Good, but not something I would go out and buy on its own.

Honey Moon.

Summer's here!

This is Blue Moon's (Coors, cough, cough) summer seasonal made with clover honey. It drinks like a much mellower Blue Moon, smooth (filtered) with the slightest touch of sweetness. Again, not bad but not that impressive either. But better than Full Moon. It's supposed to be drank with an orange slice like Blue Moon, but I don't have any oranges. Maybe I can sub in mandarin oranges? We'll try it. I haven't had a Blue Moon garnished in a long time, but that's because I'd rather buy other fruit, and it stands well enough on its own.

I also picked up the Sam Adams Summer Seasonal mixer so look forward to that!

I already miss winter. Mine wasn't cozy enough apparently.

Sam Adams Black Lager.

And here's the Black Lager. My first thought with this was that it tasted like watered down Guinness. But then I thought that wasn't quite right. I guess it's like a Guinness Extra Stout but without the "Extra". Almost full-flavored dark but lighter than what I'm used to which introduces that "almost". Might be good for when you want just the stout taste without feeling like it too.

Sam Adams Brown Ale.

I picked up this and a Black Lager from some leftovers from a catered event a few nights ago. Sam Adams is pretty respectable for being a domestic, mass-marketed beer. (I've decided Sam Adams is now my tap beer when eating out when more interesting options are unavailable.) One thing I've always like about Sam Adams is the sheer number of varieties and their consistency.

The Brown Ale was good and nutty without being too filling. It actually reminded me of a nut brown beer from a brewery local to Nashville that was quite good. Until I figure how to get more of that, the Brown Ale will suffice.

As a side note, I always wondered why Doritos changed their flagship flavors from the clearly comparatively superior "Nacho Cheesier" and "Cooler Ranch" to less competitive sounding names, "Nacho Cheese" and "Cool Ranch", respectively. I had the Nacho Cheese a few weeks ago since the local Wal-mart decided to stop carrying the Smokin' Cheddar BBQ, which was by far one of the more superior flavors of chips on the market today. Meh, Nacho Cheese is still just Nacho Cheese. Cool Ranch, on the other hand, is actually different. Doritos must have revamped their formulas because they seem to be lighter and crispier; the flavor is noticeably punchier, not exactly saltier, but more intense without being as heavy as it used to be. Are they better than Cooler Ranch? Well...maybe. Also, "Garden Salsa" Sun Chips are fantastic. They don't really taste like garden salsa but they taste like something good.

Epiphany Grenache Rose 2006.

To be honest, I don't really know what to look for in non-reds. It's palatable but it doesn't carry as much character. Definitely not a standalone. I might want to try cooking with a little bit of it, but it seems like it's too respectable to be used as cooking wine. Eh.

It's no PS.