Mad Men

In yet another attempt to make my non-food interests relevant to the blog, I am posting this NY Times article on the copious cocktail consumption on Mad Men, which premieres Sunday on AMC. It is my desperate hope that we can set up the TiVo in time to catch the first episode of Season Three, as we'll be in Saratoga to see Phish. Certainly a worthwhile excuse, and there's always the next week.

For those of you that will be glued to your television to witness 1963, there's a drinking game! Just don't try to match Freddy Rumsen.

And that Mad Men themed dinner is in the works, people. Don't think I've forgotten about the cherry ham balls. Now that retro cocktails are back, will the food return too? (Especially with Julia and Julie drawing attention on old school French cooking styles). Any way we can bring back the three martini lunch?

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.

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.

Rudy's

I know you're wondering when I had time to go to Belgium (which I would love, love, love to do), but this is actually a picture from the other night at Rudy's bar in New Haven. They serve frites with all kinds of sauces (too bad they one let you pick one for free). We did the curry ketchup, which was nice, but I could have done quite an extensive sampling!

I'm also super-psyched because I got this Belgian trappist monk beer-- Westmalle. It's from only one of seven trappist monastery breweries in the world. And it was delightful with the frites-- soft and creamy with a little fruity-hoppiness. Proof that beer can really be better at food pairings than wine.

Rudy's is a fantastic dive bar (despite the fact that they only have one ladies' room) so it's not limited to just Belgian-wish-fulfillment.

History of Beer Cans

Found this interesting post about the history of beer cans on Weburbanist. Key points: PBR was the first (of course), a bar in Virginia was the first place to sell cans (the South hearts beer cans), and in the 70s there were briefly push-button opened cans (ah, the kooky seventies).

Since no glass is allowed at Bonnaroo (which is less than 2 weeks away!!), I am glad to see that craft beers have started to make the move to cans. There will definitely be some Dale's Pale Ale in our cooler!

Crazy or Crazy-Awesome?

Michael Jackson?

Well, obviously MJ is both crazy and crazy-awesome. But I think this is decidedly crazy-awesomely bad branding! It's black jello bits and soy milk-- get it?

I've never been a fan of the Asian love for blending creamy with gelatinous. (See bubble tea). But they do have these type of drinks at Chen Garden, and KC Tea and Noodle if that's your thing.

Dr. Pepper's Secret Recipe Found?

Tulsa Man May Have Found Early Version of Dr. Pepper Recipe at Texas Antique Store.

News from Serious Eats. Dr. Pepper denies it, calls it a digestive. Of course they would! Oh hecks yeah!

Green Flash Tasting at Tap and Mallet

Tonight at 5pm, Tap and Mallet is hosting a happy hour with the people from Green Flash out of San Diego County.

No tickets necessary, and West Coast IPA (if you're into that) will be discounted!

Sidenote: Green Flash is named after an atmospheric phenomena at sunset, when the tippy-top of the sun shines green just before setting into the ocean. They are more common around San Diego because the air is clear and there are unobstructed views of the sun at eye level.

It's also the name of a bar in Pacific Beach in San Diego, apparently of no relation to the brewery, which is out in Vista.

Also: Tomorrow Tap and Mallet will have another monthly Beer Social featuring NY's own Sackets Harbor (of 1812 Ale and Thousand Island Pale Ale). Tickets are $12 and include finger foods and beer samples.

Wild Turkey Sold to Campari

Campari announced today it plans to purchase Wild Turkey Bourbon from Pernod Ricard; the French liquer company was drowning in debt from the purchase of Absolut vodka. Pernod also distributes Beefeater gin, Malibu rum, Jameson whisky, Kahlua liquer, Chivas Regal cognac, and pretty much everything you've ever had at a bar. Campari will pay $575 million, in cash, for Wild Turkey.

Gruppo Campari makes the Campari apertif, which is a bitters. It was invented by Gaspare Campari in 1860 and still they still use the secret original recipe (like Jaegermeister, or KFC). I've only ever had Campari in a Negroni -- equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. It was a bartender's recommendation in Cinque Terre one summer. Other popular variations are the Americano and just Campari and club soda.

As for Wild Turkey, well, the proper environs for its consumption is definitely more American. Bourbon is great for mint juleps if you want an Old South vibe (the Kentucky Derby is less than a month away). Or in Manhattans -- which I guess is the Northerner alternative-- and gets a double bonus because it contains bitters. Not sure if Campari could be substituted for Angostura, though. Here's a list of cocktail recipes that call for Wild Turkey.

As for cooking, bourbon must fall a close-second behind wine for the number of recipes call for it. It works in a marinade or sauce for meats, and it plays well with dessert. It even works for breakfast. If you're looking to help boost Campari's profits (and horse-racing season is definitely the peak time for bourbon) but you're lacking inspiration, check here. I'm game to try to make chili chocolate truffles with Wild Turkey (pun very much intended).

Starbucks Is the New McDonalds

The day I have been patiently waiting for has finally arrived... All Starbucks are carrying breakfast sandwiches. There are four choices: sausage, aged cheddar and egg; turkey bacon, cholesterol-free egg and reduced fat cheese; bacon, gouda, & egg frittata; and ham, cheddar and egg frittata.

On particularly rough study days, I used to treat myself to the sausage one at my neighborhood Starb's. When a new one opened near me in San Diego, I was crushed to find out they didn't have the little oven to make these bad boys. Then my morale took a nosedive when I moved to Rochester and found out none of the Starbucks in the area offered the breakfast sandwiches. People cannot live on sugary carbs alone! I patiently waited for Starb's to update all the stores' menus and make my high-caloric dreams come true. And ta-da-- it's today!

Even better, since the recession has only given McDonald's a surge, Starbucks has answered by creating "pairings" (not to be confused with pedestrian "combos"). So now, for $3.95 (which is less than my normal grande soy chai latte) you can get any of the breakfast sandwiches with a tall coffee!

And even bestest, the breakfast sandwiches are available all day!

It's so hard to temper my enthusiasm when it comes to most things Starbucks, but I do feel the need to point out the downside: The sausage breakfast sandwich comes in at 500 cals, 29 fat grams, and 42 carbs. The turkey bacon one clearly is marketed as a healthier option: 390 cals, 12 fat grams, and 46 carbs (the extra carbs are offset by the fact that it is a multi-grain English muffin). Now I used to switch it up sometimes and get the spinach, roasted tomato, feta and egg wrap when I could feel the arteries clogging. It's only 270 cals, 11 fat grams, and 32 carbs. It's definitely smaller, but it tastes really great too. Not sure if they're available at all Starbucks though. But just be patient...

Wherein I try to explain my distaste for IPAs

Lagunitas: (lah-goo-knee-tuss) a town in Marin County in NorCal. Which makes me think of "Hotel California"-- warm smell of Lagunitas, rising up through the air... Also a brewing company that sprung up in the mid-nineties and is one of the fastest growing microbreweries in the US. Purveyors of an IPA this humble blogger sampled (in pitcher-sized samples) at Acme last night.

I was not digging on the IPA. This is no slam on Lagunitas, which I kind of love even more after reading about its rebellious past. I just don't think I like IPAs, and I'm on a quest to further my beer connoisseurship and find out why.

First the history lesson: IPA stands for India Pale Ale. IPAs are actually British, but were popularized by East India Company traders in the late 18th century. Beer History buffs, go here. It was brought to the US by Ballantine (a brewery I only know because I have a BA in Art History). Now the US has tweaked with IPAs to make American IPAs (Anchor's Liberty, Victory's HopDevil, Stone IPA, and the aforementioned Lagunitas). In the mid-90s, San Diego was also the birthplace of the Double IPA (aka Imperial IPA). Go nuts with a Rogue Ale version, 10% ABV.

Now the connoisseur part: IPAs are light amber in color, have a slightly high ABV (over 5%), and have a very hoppy taste. The hops were originally overused to preserve the beer during transit from England to India. The American IPAs tend to be more citric and bitter. If you want to play beer snob, go to BeerAdvocate for ratings, because they have the credentials to say things like: "Moderate to medium bodied with a balancing malt backbone."

And finally, the moment of self-reflection: so yeah, it must be the hops that I'm not lovin'. I guess I'm just more of a malt girl. Back to Brooklyn Brown Ale, Dundee Honey Brown, and Red Stripe for me.

See also Beer-o-vision, a blog from Buffalo, knows way more about beer generally and the WNY beer scene in particular than I ever will.

Smooooth Move

So it's Spring (almost) and my office is doing a challenge to eat 5 cups of fruits & veggies a day. I'm all for veggies, but fruit never really gets my heart racing unless it's in smoothie form. One of the things I miss most since moving to Roch-cha-cha is my regular visit to Jamba Juice. Last summer I just couldn't seem to find a smoothie place. Perhaps you can help me out with that...

Until then, I'm getting my fruit servings in liquid form by making breakfast smoothies (and occasional late-night smoothies) with my own blender. Here are two of my favorites:

EveryBerry Smoothie
1 cup strawberries (I buy the frozen sliced Light kind because I'm lazy)
1 cup Stonyfield Farms Organic Banilla yogurt (I bought the light one, but probably should go regular to keep the sugar lower)
1 cup acai juice with blueberry (I'm just bobo enough to get excited about the magical headiness of acai berries)
1 cup blackberry cider juice (They make this for you at Wegmans, otherwise I would just use frozen blueberries or some other kinds of berry juice)

Blend away and there you go. I am not one to throw ice in, but if you want it to be cooler or chunkier, that's always an option...

Now if you're not of the school that likens smoothies to juicing, you may be of the school that wants a smoothie to be more of a milkshake. And here you go:

Chocobananabutter Smoothie
2 tbsp of peanut butter (but I'm not judging if your tablespoon is more of an ice cream scoop)
1 cup skim milk or vanilla soy milk (or chocolate milk)
1 cup vanilla yogurt (I'm using Wegmans superyogurt because it was on sale)
1 banana
A healthy squeeze of Hershey's Special Dark chocolate syrup

This morning I even threw in a handful of raspberries and some ground flaxseed, which made it a bit gritty, but whythehecknot? Once it's summer, I may go full throttle and add ice cream.