Michael Pollan Article

Michael Pollan is not exactly the shot-caller in our house, but I do find him to be at the very least interesting and thought-provoking. I especially liked this article he wrote for NY Times Magazine Wednesday. He discusses the influence of Julia Child on the boom of food television programming (and the upcoming movie Julie & Julia). And the surprising contradiction that as we become more informed on cooking, and watch more chefs (and other "personalities") cook, we actually cook less. Very confounding.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

I wanted to make some easy munchies to picnic with when we go to the Newport Folk Festival Saturday. The Boy is making his infamous Curry Chicken Salad, and we got some chips and trail mix to go with. Since I hadn't really dwelled on what to make until kinda late last night, and the summer temperatures made the prospect of baking cookies for 20 minutes in the oven a little less enticing than being mauled by tigers, I fell back on an old classic: the no bake cookie.

These were a staple at tailgates growing up. In fact, I've always just called them Flo's cookies, after our tailgate friend, and surrogate grandmother, who made them. Their ease is part of their brilliance, and a major contributing factor to my satisfaction. Anything that didn't need a massive shopping expedition to Wegmans, turning on the oven, or dirtying more than 4 dishes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies (I can't seem to find the same recipe I used just last night so this is an approximation from Exra Pound Cake, hands down my favorite blog name)
In a medium-to-large saucepan:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter

Melt into boil on high heat. Watch, stirring continually, until the boil has lasted only 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Then remove from heat (boiling longer will make them dry and crumbly).

Add in 3 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (which is pretty much the whole thing)
2 teaspoons of vanilla

Mix together, then plop tablespoon sized drop cookies on wax paper and let set until hardened. This may be difficult on a hot humid day, so place in the refrigerator if necessary.

Belgium Comes to Cooperstown

Has the Beer Summit got you thirsty?

If you're free this weekend, and want to expand your beer connoisseurship beyond Beirut at Park Ave Fest, you should check into "Belgium Comes to Cooperstown" hosted by Ommegang. All day Friday and Saturday, Ommegang is offering tours of their brewery, followed by fun, festivities, "unlimited" beer tastings, live music, a screening of Across the Universe, a bonfire, and of course, Belgian-style beer from Ommegang and Duvel USA. You can even camp there overnight in order to fully enjoy the unlimited beer.

Also, Tap and Mallet is setting up a raffle with prizes including tickets for the event, and a Belgian home bar package. For the unlucky, it's $70 for tickets, $30 for a campsite.

Gatesgate

I'm still pretty glued to Gatesgate. In order to make that relate to a food blog, I am intrigued by the number of discussions that spin off of Obama's offer to have Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates over to White House to have a beer, which is to happen today.

I do remember reading during the election that Obama was not much a beer drinker. This seemed to fit into all the liberal elitist drama that culminated in Dijongate. However, he also got a lot of flak for having a cold one at a Washington Wizards game. They of course serve wine at White House functions, and he ordered wine to be paired with the meal he and MObama had at Blue Hill on their date night in Manhattan.



It is now revealed that Obama is preferential toward Budweiser (go figure). Just when people were sure he was on Team Arugula. Of course the question begs to be asked, why would Obama invite them for a beer? Skip Gates doesn't strike me as a big beer lover (though he's requesting a Red Stripe, which earns him some points with me). And Sgt. Crowley is not bending to the stereotype of a Boston possibly-racist cop, and is at least asking for Blue Moon (which is made by Coors, yes, but is not actually of Coors caliber). And it does seem problematic to intimate that all racially-tinged, gownist fracases can be solved by the consumption of alcohol. Particularly when they may be starting another sexist one by not inviting Lucia Whalen.

NPR attempts to discover the presidential reasoning. And Brooklyn Brewery also weighs in, providing Robert Gibbs' responses to reporters at the White House and his attempts to save Obama's reputation despite being a Bud Lite drinker.

Of course somebody (PETA's equivalent) has to ruin it all by insisting that as the role model for America's young people, Obama should be hosting a lemonade tete-a-tete. You know, Bush was a teetotaler, people. Maybe alcohol is the solution to all of life's problems.

James Oseland Interview

If you are a fan of Top Chef: Masters (and admittedly I am only a quasi-fan), you have to check out this interview with Judge James Oseland. He's pretty hilarious for a foodie, which I guess explains how he's also an editor at Sassy.

Love that they referenced how Jay Rayner's devilishly inappropriate comment that panna cotta should have the texture of a woman's breasts. I actually caught that episode.

And Gael Greene's hat fetish.

The TCM finale continues next Wednesday night on Bravo.

Crazy or Crazy-Awesome?

Rubik's Cube Sandwich?

Cream Ales

Gain a little beer knowledge along with some regional pride. The Accidental Hedonist tackles a surprisingly complicated question: "What is a Cream Ale?"

If you'd like extra credit, visit the UofR's timeline of the Genesee brewing company, makers of Genny Cream, the most popular cream ale available. And if all that science and history becomes a little too much, turn to the Buffalo Beast's article on The Great Genesee Cream Ale Challenge.