Sunday, February 15, 2009

Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA.


Nice nose and dark amber color, extremely rich and creamy body, super bitter but well-balanced and not oversweetened. Leaves a grassy aftertaste though.

I remember seeing Dogfish for $7/bottle at Whole Foods in Chicago. There is no way this is worth $7/bottle. But I would pay $5 every now and then.

Butterscotch Brownies.


Considering the cocoa and the density, brownies takes more sugar relative to the four and butter and less baking powder. Also, using a round baking dish doesn't work that great.

Apple Coffee Cake.


Sourced from Elise. I get the impression that baked goods are more or less equal parts butter and sugar, an egg every half cup or cup of flour. 1.5ish units of flour relative to sugar. This used baking powder. I still don't get it.


This could have used less sugar on top.

Stuffed Chicken Wellington.


Butterflied and flattened chicken rolled with minced mushrooms and asparagus, Wellington-ized and topped with Hollandaise from scratch. Mashed potatoes topped with wine carmelized onions.


In retrospect, the asparagus didn't need to be sauteed beforehand; I should have used actual pastry puff dough; and follow the actual recommended temp. I should also try a Hollandaise mix sometime and see how that is.


Paparrito.


Alternatively, a way to make a burrito much more complicated than it needs to be. Baked potato liner.



Keeps the fillings.



From making the tortilla soggy.



I froze one. We'll see how it goes.

Chilaquiles.


Sourced from Elise. Fried tortillas and then refried in salsa. Sweet.

Il Poggio Sangiovese.


Lower end of characteristic and rather simple. Meh. I remember it being rather cheap.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Chianti Colli Senesi.


I have to say quite unremarkable. Odd, stale-water smell. Thin. Weak tannins. No particular fruit character. Meh. I'd be willing to try a glass at a restaurant sometime but not into buying a bottle anytime soon.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Supreme Pizza.


Mushrooms, green pepper, onions, black olives, Italian sausage. Thin crust was not a good container for all of this. I miss Chicago-style pizza.

Sun Chips and Cider.


I first saw this in a snack size in the checkout. And then I couldn't find it in a normal size for awhile. But then I did. So I bought it. It's not bad. But its got that Sunchips charm.



Saw this and bought it on a whim. Tastes like cider with pomegranate juice and extra tart.

Farmer's Breakfast.


Boiled potatoes, onions, green peppers, sausage, stirred in eggs. Sourced from Elise. This is kind of what I'm looking for.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale.


Wow, I'm blown away by this. Smooth, rich, creamy, but still bitter and complex. I dig. And would do so regularly.

Hashbrown Casserole.


Creme of mushroom, beef, cheese, hashbrowns. I used half a can of milk. It turned out ok. For a casserole. Not great. Not as good as the cafeteria. I think because I didn't add salt. Too much mushroom taste. There is some work to be done.

Baked Beans and Toast.


Random stuff for breakfast. Toast, baked beans, fried egg, toast, baked beans.

Doenjang Chigae.


Woo, Korean food! I don't normally like silken tofu, but it's the only kind that goes well in soups. Potatoes, onion, zucchini boiled in just enough water, then bean paste, sliced pork with garlic, tofu, green onions. Red pepper is good if you have which I didn't.

Delirium Tremens.


I don't remember anything about this actually other than the fact that it was not as great as everyone seems to think.