tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327463392011-12-04T17:51:24.951-05:00An exploration of food, wine, spirits and travel.Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.comBlogger2521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-45790944367461708482011-12-04T17:41:00.002-05:002011-12-04T17:51:24.959-05:00<div>What would be better than Laphroaig's fine whiskey aged in bourbon and then quarter casks? A final finish in European oak that formally housed sherry. For those who have savored Laphroaig before in its rawest form (usually ex-bourbon barrel aged), it is a lightly colored, but hefty dram. The Triple Wood, which is now available in the US after a time in duty free stores, is still quite a hefty dram, but it does bring some real elegance to the party. The color is still light, almost golden straw, which indicates that the liquid is not spending tons of time in the sherry casks. The unadulterated nose is richly sherried, with a mix of pungent seaweed, camp fire, and even <a href="http://www.walkers.co.uk/OurRange/Index?pageName=walkerscrisps">Walkers Beef Crisps </a>(sorry for those who don't know these, but it was a clear note on the nose and unmistakable for any other). There are some light floral notes underneath as well. The mouthfeel is full and rich, with a fiery flavor of hot cinnamon and nuts.</div><div> </div><div>Once I added the water, the bourbon influence came forward and sherry-sweetness retreated. I get more vanilla, some smoke (though subtle) and cooked shrimp. I also get cedar box and old ask tray. The taste still has some fire, but a little less heft. The finish is long and somewhat tannic. A wonderful addition to the Laphroaig line.</div><div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4579094436746170848?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-66008376544636228822011-11-24T18:39:00.001-05:002011-11-24T18:39:37.037-05:00<p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_CGh4xlUkqA/Ts7Vt2xW1ZI/AAAAAAAAAL8/W5hAG-otmWY/2011-11-24%25252018.33.46.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_CGh4xlUkqA/Ts7Vt2xW1ZI/AAAAAAAAAL8/W5hAG-otmWY/s400/2011-11-24%25252018.33.46.jpg' /></a></p>We opened two wines for dinner. The Domaine Drouhin was one of the remaining survivors of our 2004 trip to Oregon. It did not disappoint, with rich cherry and cedar and a long finish. I thought it had a port-like nose. The Roger Sabon had a bit more acidity that I thought balanced the heritage turkey well. Both needed a while to open up but were magnificent once they did.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-6600837654463622882?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-56079903079838927812011-11-05T22:38:00.001-04:002011-11-05T22:38:06.328-04:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-g3wmjgRj1wo/TrXzDMP4tpI/AAAAAAAAALs/7ggvnrwCl_4/2011-11-05%25252022.35.21.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-g3wmjgRj1wo/TrXzDMP4tpI/AAAAAAAAALs/7ggvnrwCl_4/s400/2011-11-05%25252022.35.21.jpg' /></a></p>We opened a couple of bottles of Virginia wines for dinner and dessert tonight. Barboursville makes a wide array of excellent wines, as does First Colony.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5607990307983892781?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-14709169261253719072011-10-30T12:58:00.001-04:002011-10-30T12:58:28.549-04:00<p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PJwRh3I-4hw/Tq2CMwtiBeI/AAAAAAAAALk/7vyTe13JZaI/2011-10-30%25252012.53.20.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PJwRh3I-4hw/Tq2CMwtiBeI/AAAAAAAAALk/7vyTe13JZaI/s400/2011-10-30%25252012.53.20.jpg' /></a></p>I conducted a little experiment with my sourdough this week. The small baguette on the left was baked without steam whereas the boule on the right was treated to steam injection (I use a cast iron pan preheated in the oven and add ice cubes after putting in the dough). The difference with comparable baking times is clear. They both taste great by the way.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1470916926125371907?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-68196628668785869972011-10-09T20:57:00.002-04:002011-10-21T13:38:13.068-04:00<div>Glen Grant is an interesting dram -- it's normally seen as a much younger whisky, particularly in Italy where I have heard it is sold as a 5 year old and is the top seller. The 16 year old is a departure from the normal in age, but not in flavor profile. It is very much the typical Glen Grant, with sweet biscuit and orange peel on the nose. Bottled at 43% abv, the mouthfeel is very round and easy drinking. In fact, I would advise against adding water to your glass; it seems perfectly balanced to be consumed at its bottle strength. The finish is long and only slightly tannic, like the aftermath of eating a few almonds. This is a well-crafted, smooth and satisfying dram that would be ideal for those who like a lighter, yet mature scotch.</div><div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-6819662866878586997?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-38605734221456884682011-10-02T17:32:00.001-04:002011-10-02T17:32:12.367-04:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-c2MPf1AZTzk/TojYW4EyorI/AAAAAAAAALg/2PJeh-P-Efo/1317591096051.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-c2MPf1AZTzk/TojYW4EyorI/AAAAAAAAALg/2PJeh-P-Efo/s400/1317591096051.jpg' /></a></p>I love the color on the sourdough I got this time.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3860573422145688468?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-70406729069348041092011-10-01T21:18:00.001-04:002011-10-01T21:18:10.811-04:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XeJJlwa1MyE/Toe70ZiRUuI/AAAAAAAAALc/U6ac41OuXAs/1317518240508.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XeJJlwa1MyE/Toe70ZiRUuI/AAAAAAAAALc/U6ac41OuXAs/s400/1317518240508.jpg' /></a></p>This Bowmore is only available in duty free, which is a shame given how good it is. I can't compare it to the eighteen except to say they are comparable but different. As you can see from the pic, there's not much left in the bottle. There's sea-spray and sea salt alongside the orange peel and taffy. This is a complex but comforting dram worth seeking out on your next trip oveseas.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7040672906934804109?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-1367119407349724452011-09-17T22:42:00.001-04:002011-09-17T22:42:03.998-04:00<p><object width='425' height='355'><param name='movie' value='http://www.youtube.com/v/5ihFpyFMbl0&rel=1'></param><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><embed src='http://www.youtube.com/v/5ihFpyFMbl0&rel=1' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' width='425' height='355'></embed></object></p>Last Sunday was a solemn occasion, but in Scotland it was a day to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the rebirth of Bruichladdich distillery. Here's Mark Gillespie of Whiskycast on this special day.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-136711940734972445?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-21434964503204051632011-09-17T20:45:00.001-04:002011-09-17T20:45:23.386-04:00<p><a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_TSiCmDOx_8/TnU_IQY2caI/AAAAAAAAALY/S3g-S4cZYrA/2011-09-17%25252020.41.29.jpg'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_TSiCmDOx_8/TnU_IQY2caI/AAAAAAAAALY/S3g-S4cZYrA/s400/2011-09-17%25252020.41.29.jpg' /></a></p>My wife is at the party for Chef Black's new restaurant. That means it's just me and the pups for dinner. I am having pan-seared steak with shitaki polenta and cabbage. Yummy!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2143496450320405163?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-50551688265946649462011-09-04T10:51:00.001-04:002011-09-04T10:51:05.186-04:00<p><a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4cGdOX8Smig/TmOQWG2dDBI/AAAAAAAAALU/gLQQOfQSu1I/2011-09-03%25252020.31.55.jpg'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4cGdOX8Smig/TmOQWG2dDBI/AAAAAAAAALU/gLQQOfQSu1I/s400/2011-09-03%25252020.31.55.jpg' /></a></p>Yesterday was dad's birthday so we pulled out all the stops. I made my go-to bbq ribs with maple glaze. The one innovation was adding a little bourbon to the sauce. To my mind, the ribs should have a little chew to them and not completely fall off the bone. We also had roasted plum tomatoes, sauteed corn and potato salad with a mustard vinaigrette. Jessica made a yummy chocolate pudding cake for dessert. We knew that was good when no one spoke for the thirty seconds they spent eating it all up.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5055168826594664946?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-4568097408054847482011-08-21T20:06:00.001-04:002011-08-21T20:06:38.130-04:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-J4kyhVBIJOs/TlGdjYb_UlI/AAAAAAAAALQ/w_ekbBCWU4g/2011-08-21%25252019.51.34.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-J4kyhVBIJOs/TlGdjYb_UlI/AAAAAAAAALQ/w_ekbBCWU4g/s400/2011-08-21%25252019.51.34.jpg' /></a></p>It's what's for dinner. Excellent raised lamb shanks with shallots and garlic. Scrumptious!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-456809740805484748?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-29881112221789764402011-08-21T17:48:00.001-04:002011-08-21T17:48:28.583-04:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GzNPMalsRH8/TlF9K7ilKrI/AAAAAAAAALM/f4hJeolOPw0/2011-08-21%25252017.43.05.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GzNPMalsRH8/TlF9K7ilKrI/AAAAAAAAALM/f4hJeolOPw0/s400/2011-08-21%25252017.43.05.jpg' /></a></p>This bread is a rye sandwich loaf with molasses, brown sugar and a mixture of soaker and starter to add flavor. The molasses is quite in evidence, adding a complexity in top of the rye, but I would have preferred the rye to dominate.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2988111222178976440?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-34068994927946462612011-06-27T10:48:00.000-04:002011-06-27T10:48:55.574-04:00Not all healthy food activists are hemp-clad Vegans. Here's a good short conversation with one of the longest-standing healthy food advocates. <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/05/a-conversation-with-michael-jacobson-food-and-public-health-advocate/239300/">A Conversation With Michael Jacobson, Food and Public Health Advocate - The Atlantic</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3406899492794646261?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-59748063677362670492011-06-25T12:39:00.001-04:002011-06-25T12:39:23.352-04:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-o1SBGKcwqPE/TgYPOcoCcSI/AAAAAAAAALI/b5vkBZ0Rcm0/2011-06-18%25252022.19.24.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-o1SBGKcwqPE/TgYPOcoCcSI/AAAAAAAAALI/b5vkBZ0Rcm0/s400/2011-06-18%25252022.19.24.jpg' /></a></p>This past week i left out the sunflower seeds and instead used wheat germ in my sourdough. The dough ended up being drier than i've been making, which actually made it easier to shape. And the nutty flavor is excellent, giving the finished bread a wonderful depth. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.1</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5974806367736267049?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-17086737541692145342011-05-23T20:37:00.001-04:002011-05-23T20:37:21.069-04:00Check out this series of short films about wheat farmers in Kansas: www.kingarthurflour.com/ourfarmers. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1708673754169214534?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-53749199334362475592011-05-15T16:55:00.002-04:002011-05-15T17:09:03.021-04:00Rye whisky has been emerging from a long dormancy of late. Rye whisky is as American as George Washington and baseball, and even has <a href="http://www.mountvernon.org/visit/plan/index.cfm/pid/1200/">a connection </a>with our first president. I have three different ryes in front of me at the moment, one from Jim Beam, another from <a href="http://www.heaven-hill.com/pr-archives.shtml?article=NTM4NnN1cGVyNTM4M3NlY3JldDUzOTA%3D">Rittenhouse</a>, and finally a Virginia local from <a href="http://www.copperfox.biz/products/#ryewhisky">Copper Fox</a>. They all have a similar coloring, sort of a deep copper, even thought they are very different whiskies. Jim Beam's is 80 proof and has the classic, spicey nose, though it is softer than I expected. Taking it in and holding it on the tongue reveals some sweet notes swimming with a mild spice. Rittenhouse is 100 proof and has some stronger spice on the nose and that carries into the tongue. White pepper notes compete with some light background caramel. Comparing the first two, the Rittenhouse has a bit more roundness and heft to it, but both are quite good. Finally the Copper Fox, which is a middle-weight at 90 proof between the other two and is only aged about 14 months. The other significant difference is that it is only 2/3rd rye and 1/3 hand malted barley, which yields a much fatter nose with some of the rubber smell I get from their <a href="http://epi-q.blogspot.com/2010/10/virginia-single-malt.html">single malt whisky</a>. The trademark spice of a rye is not there, not even on the tongue. I think the apple wood is not doing this whisky any favors.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5374919933436247559?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-50965928686334612032011-05-15T14:33:00.001-04:002011-05-15T14:33:39.275-04:00<p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TdAcgLualHI/AAAAAAAAAK4/ptBnNXHbeIQ/2011-05-15%2014.30.13.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TdAcgLualHI/AAAAAAAAAK4/ptBnNXHbeIQ/s400/2011-05-15%2014.30.13.jpg' /></a></p><a href='standpauke'>standpauke</a> Today I baked off some more sourdough. This time I used ice cubes in the cast iron pan to get a little more steam. The color is a little deeper this time and you can see the slashing made for some nice patterns.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5096592868633461203?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-32860418498334627372011-05-06T09:54:00.003-04:002011-05-06T10:02:36.057-04:00<a href="http://www.farmaid.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=qlI5IhNVJsE&amp;b=6281749&amp;ct=9377651&amp;notoc=1&amp;msource=apr11news&amp;tr=y&amp;auid=8293348">Here's </a>another take (from the folks at <a href="http://www.farmaid.org/">FarmAid</a>) on why supporting local agriculture is not an elitist pursuit. It does seem a bit silly to me that one is considered elitist for supporting the very population (salt of the earth, no-kidding farmers and the like) that many laud and trumpet as "real americans". The knock on the locavore etc movement is that not everyone can afford to buy all those lovely ingredients at farmers' markets. It is generally speaking true that most patrons of farmers' markets are middle class, but I think that is starting to change. We are seeing more markets turn up in urban settings away from the trendy neighborhoods, and the road-side stand is also experiencing an upward trend. The costs at these markets of course must be compared to supermarket prices, but if we really look at <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FoodDeserts/">food deserts</a>, they often don't even have access to decent supermarkets with real produce and the like. On a personal note, if the high price of meat leads to more shifts in diets to vegetables and grains, I can't see that as a bad thing. Far too many Americans still go hungry, but feeding people with cheap, mass-produced, fat-heavy proteins (e.g., burgers) is not the best option. And with the growth in attention to how we eat and where it comes from, it is no longer the only option.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3286041849833462737?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-54714411354239762972011-05-01T12:07:00.007-04:002011-05-01T12:32:09.901-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jOH1rgLZ4nA/Tb2J1kO_4dI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/_eVxunTO_Aw/s1600/P1030088.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jOH1rgLZ4nA/Tb2J1kO_4dI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/_eVxunTO_Aw/s200/P1030088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601785064871420370" border="0" /></a>The final day of our bread course was a whirlwind of activity as we made tons of bread, from finishing our croissants to stuffed rye <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">fougasse</span>, wood-fired oven baked pizza and our sourdoughs. The sourdoughs were the same dough as we had baked off on day 3, but this time with a night in the fridge to help build up acetic acid, and therefore give the final bread more tang. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">fougasse</span> involved building out our dough from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pre</span>-ferment and letting it proof, followed by rolling out and actually stuffing it. The term <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">fougasse</span> comes from the Latin for "focus", which apparently implies the hearth as the focus of the home. I have made plain-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">jane</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">fougasse</span> from bread flour, but never stuffed one before. What makes it a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">fougasse</span> is not so much the dough, but how it is shaped. Once it is shaped into a square or round, but flat dough, various holes and cuts are made into it, which are then pulled apart. We stuffed ours with roasted beets, caramelized onions and goats cheese, folded them over and then made ladder cuts (parallel cuts through the dough) that we pulled apart. It's a bit like a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">calzone</span>, but with holes in it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Lo7mmb3wOQ/Tb2J_GSWTQI/AAAAAAAAAKY/aKi9UlSLFJQ/s1600/P1030096.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Lo7mmb3wOQ/Tb2J_GSWTQI/AAAAAAAAAKY/aKi9UlSLFJQ/s200/P1030096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601785228631100674" border="0" /></a><br />The final work on the croissants involved rolling out to a seven-inch wide piece and then measuring off four-inch lengths to cut and shape. At this point, the dough should be about a quarter inch thick. We were able to get about three or four four-by-seven inch squares out of the dough. I used one slightly irregular end to make a chocolate and marzipan-filled croissant, which is folded over itself, rather than rolled like a traditional croissant. One important note at this point is that the filled croissants should be rolled thinner than a quarter inch, which I forgot to do. Hence, I ended up with a very large croissant (not that I was particularly complaining -- it made a fantastic breakfast sitting on the porch of the Inn the next morning in the cool breeze and with my coffee). Once they had risen one more time (ideally in a proofing box at 80-82 degrees), we brushed them with an egg wash and in the ovens they went. The dough can also be spread thin and used to make a very rich flat-bread pizza or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">sor</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MN3aCNvhbo/Tb2KIgDn6LI/AAAAAAAAAKg/IxGzENqK6t4/s1600/P1030097.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MN3aCNvhbo/Tb2KIgDn6LI/AAAAAAAAAKg/IxGzENqK6t4/s200/P1030097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601785390167484594" border="0" /></a>ts with cooked bacon, onions and cheese.<br /><br />Finally, we made our pizzas and got to use the large wood-fired oven. I tend to think that you can get very credible pizza at home, but the wood-fired flavor is a bit like barbecuing on real coals versus on gas -- there is a difference, though both are good. At the end of the day, we had quite a haul of baked goods. Those in my class who were locals had plenty to share with their families -- I ended up stopping at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/norwich-wine-and-spirits-norwich">Norwich Wine and Spirits</a> for a nice bottle of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Rosso</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">di</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Montalcino</span> to sip <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EgD5aM1ujnI/Tb2KY72XDXI/AAAAAAAAAKo/Uc7glsytbiQ/s1600/P1030099.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EgD5aM1ujnI/Tb2KY72XDXI/AAAAAAAAAKo/Uc7glsytbiQ/s200/P1030099.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601785672505953650" border="0" /></a>with my pizza for dinner. Then I had to triage my bread for what I could reasonably take on board my Southwest flight in a carry-on bag.<br /><br />I really enjoyed the four days at King Arthur Flour and learned a lot. Just by using the preferred dough temperature formula and what I learned about shaping and slashing dough yielded much improved baguettes this weekend. I still would like to learn a lot more about <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3KzKC5fzRk/Tb2KmpAJefI/AAAAAAAAAKw/FdW9YUNL9wM/s1600/P1030098.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3KzKC5fzRk/Tb2KmpAJefI/AAAAAAAAAKw/FdW9YUNL9wM/s200/P1030098.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601785907964901874" border="0" /></a>sourdoughs and baking with whole grains, but this class has given me a great foundation to build upon.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5471441135423976297?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-19262059449802585132011-04-28T10:45:00.005-04:002011-04-28T10:59:07.416-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FEdKAL6IZs4/TbmAG7ffowI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/4yRzOgeLaRU/s1600/P1030076.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FEdKAL6IZs4/TbmAG7ffowI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/4yRzOgeLaRU/s200/P1030076.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600648468149281538" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday was all about sourdough, one of the trickier and unfathomable subjects in bread making. (We also interspersed our work with folds of our croissant dough, which will be ready to bake today). I have tried starters before, and even got a decent one going last summer with rye flour after the <a href="http://epi-q.blogspot.com/2010/08/kneading-conference.html">Kneading Conference</a> lectures. We each received a small dollop of starter on the first day of the course and began feeding and building it out until we had 1 pound four ounces of starter in the morning. We put one pound in a bowl and the rest in small containers for us to take our starter home with us.<br /><br />The bread we made was a sunflower sourdough that was probably about 25% whole wheat and the rest all-purpose flour. I have been a bit surprised at how much we use all-purpose flour in this course -- we have not touched bread flour, and used whole wheat and others sparingly.<br /><br />The big change with the sourdough is how wet and sticky the dough is, which makes handling it tricky at times, but the kneading techniques we have learned and using the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">autolyse</span> method (whereby we mix the starter, flour and water until it is only partially incorporated, then let it sit for 20 minutes to hydrate) actually makes it easy and builds structure without spending forever over the bench, throwing dough around.<br /><br />After some resting and a fold, we were ready to shape the dough and retard them for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">fina</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOw_KO3PXp4/TbmAPHb1JPI/AAAAAAAAAKA/_bG1FBvwJbg/s1600/P1030080.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOw_KO3PXp4/TbmAPHb1JPI/AAAAAAAAAKA/_bG1FBvwJbg/s200/P1030080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600648608794092786" border="0" /></a>l time in some baskets (or couches as they are called). Shaping this dough actually requires a clean, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">un</span>-floured board to create the friction needed to create a nice, tight ball. I have a video that I am working on uploading in the near future (Blogger for Android was not uploading video from my cell phone for some reason).<br /><br />We are baking <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lez1HTBB3Kc/TbmAYmgiwAI/AAAAAAAAAKI/YMitUDfWx2w/s1600/P1030082.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lez1HTBB3Kc/TbmAYmgiwAI/AAAAAAAAAKI/YMitUDfWx2w/s200/P1030082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600648771754180610" border="0" /></a>our dough today after retarding in the refrigerator over night, but we did bake some yesterday that will be an interesting contrast. Retarding in the fridge allows the acetic acids to build up, creating that sharp sourdough tang, but it also slows yeast growth, so should only be used at the end of the process.<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1926205944980258513?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-21597443800479368332011-04-27T21:29:00.001-04:002011-04-27T21:29:08.874-04:00Maybe it's just me, but I expect two things from my chocolate bread pudding. (At least two.) First, it must be served warm. Second, it should not look like beef stew. The other night it was bone cold and definitely looked like it came out of the stew pot. Shudder.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2159744380047936833?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-52020614959111883162011-04-26T17:36:00.006-04:002011-04-26T17:53:26.694-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMwVaSotIG8/Tbc7Gs_pJaI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/zdiKhQ8WbC0/s1600/P1030034.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMwVaSotIG8/Tbc7Gs_pJaI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/zdiKhQ8WbC0/s200/P1030034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600009648001852834" border="0" /></a>Day two was baguette day! We took the poolish from yesterday and added flour, salt, and yeast, followed by mixing, kneading and preshaping the dough. Pre-shaping is basically taking the kneaded dough and making it into a log shape or small round, as you can see at the picture to the left.<br /><br />While we let the baguette dough proof (sit around and feast on sugars in the dough to produce CO2), we started our croissants by creating a dough of approximately the texture of cookie dough and pounding out our butter into a quarter-inch thick square. I think I may have gotten some of the paper wrapper from the butter in there, but I don't think it will hurt the final product. The important thing is to have a standard thickness, and a reasonably standard rectangle, which involves cutting off t<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVTc99RnN3I/Tbc8S5Rj_iI/AAAAAAAAAJY/wjb9qbLzT6U/s1600/P1030040.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVTc99RnN3I/Tbc8S5Rj_iI/AAAAAAAAAJY/wjb9qbLzT6U/s200/P1030040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600010956968295970" border="0" /></a>he edges and laying them on top to re-roll into the square. Once we finished these two pieces, they went into the fridge until tomorrow.<br /><br />Back with the baguettes, we shaped the dough, completed four folds and then put them in a linen couche (cloth) for a final proof, as you can see at right. Then it was off to look at the huge oven the education center has -- steam injection, inward-swinging doors, and fed by what I can only describe as a surgical gurney.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kUa8OpC9w1Q/Tbc84SA7ebI/AAAAAAAAAJg/wPbufbj_7X8/s1600/P1030045.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kUa8OpC9w1Q/Tbc84SA7ebI/AAAAAAAAAJg/wPbufbj_7X8/s200/P1030045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600011599264577970" border="0" /></a>The oven is heated to about what you would use at home -- 450-475 degrees. Then we used our <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/lame-bread-slashing-tool">lame</a> to slash the bread. The lame is basically a straight-edge razor that is either curved or straight. I hadn't realized that you use the two types for different breads. The curved razor is for slashing baguettes and batards to produce an "ear", which is a nice lip of crust that opens up as it bakes. The straight lame is for boules (round loaves) and similar breads to create a more even opening on top of the bread.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TDQll-iv8SQ/Tbc91tZqQGI/AAAAAAAAAJo/CMlaOj96iC4/s1600/P1030048.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TDQll-iv8SQ/Tbc91tZqQGI/AAAAAAAAAJo/CMlaOj96iC4/s200/P1030048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600012654588084322" border="0" /></a>You can see in the picture at the right a couple of examples of slashed dough before going into the oven. The slashes need to be pretty deep (perhaps 3/4 of an inch) to really open up, otherwise there's also no ear.<br />The results of my bread, which is in the picture below, was okay, but I need more practice. My baguette is the lighter-colored one, which probably resulted from being in part of the oven that had less steam injection.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PtWd67bsr8o/Tbc-f-twuNI/AAAAAAAAAJw/yaZrMU7qJCU/s1600/P1030059.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PtWd67bsr8o/Tbc-f-twuNI/AAAAAAAAAJw/yaZrMU7qJCU/s200/P1030059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600013380790302930" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5202061495911188316?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-3630194581241975012011-04-25T18:15:00.006-04:002011-04-25T18:30:53.338-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3NhLEecgA7c/TbXzd7B_efI/AAAAAAAAAJI/_qHjElphShg/s1600/2011-04-25%2B17.36.40.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3NhLEecgA7c/TbXzd7B_efI/AAAAAAAAAJI/_qHjElphShg/s320/2011-04-25%2B17.36.40.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599649407092881906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Today was day one of a four-day bread-making course at <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/baking/">King Arthur Flour's Education Center</a> in Norwich, Vermont. There are eleven of us in the class with two teachers, some students having come from far away (two from Washington State, two originally from Scandinavia, and some from just down the street). Being the first day, we focused on straight breads; that is, breads that can be mixed, kneaded, shaped and baked on the same day. We made a semolina-based dough that we later turned into both a foccacia (below) and a pane siciliano (left picture). We also made an American-style lavash. As opposed to the old world lavash (flat bread), this one had a little bit of sugar and some fat (either butter or oil) in it, whereas the original from places like the Middle East will not have either. We rounded out the day by prepping our poolish (water, flour and yeast) for tomorrow's baguettes and taking a small amount of sourdough starter and "feeding" it with equal parts flour and water. It was a great start to the four-day course, and I headed off to my room at the <a href="http://www.norwichinn.com/">Norwich Inn</a> with far more bread than I should ever eat in one week, let alone a day.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dlMbG0ZHsWs/TbXy76jedbI/AAAAAAAAAIw/xW_RHux8ajo/s1600/2011-04-25%2B17.36.34.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dlMbG0ZHsWs/TbXy76jedbI/AAAAAAAAAIw/xW_RHux8ajo/s320/2011-04-25%2B17.36.34.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599648822849336754" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uHildmFtbN0/TbXzJ10AFiI/AAAAAAAAAJA/HTWFwmGiiRo/s1600/2011-04-25%2B17.37.16.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uHildmFtbN0/TbXzJ10AFiI/AAAAAAAAAJA/HTWFwmGiiRo/s320/2011-04-25%2B17.37.16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599649062094640674" border="0" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-363019458124197501?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-21738568232249695232011-04-11T20:42:00.001-04:002011-04-11T20:42:40.653-04:00In cooking there is the concept of mis en place - pre-measuring your ingredients and having everything set before you start cooking. The same goes for baking. Suffice it to say I have learned a valuable lesson in mis en place this weekend. My less than attentive reading of my bread formula led me to read the amount of yeast for the amount of salt. Not a horrific error but it did mean the bread was about three teaspoons short of salt yielding a fine but bland loaf. So anyone out there on a low sodium diet, I have a couple of spare loaves.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2173856823224969523?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-84228586444458685812011-04-09T12:35:00.002-04:002011-04-09T15:15:51.052-04:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UrU98sRSV0U/TaCwXcne-vI/AAAAAAAAAIo/1wKUgrfVSbc/s1600/2011-04-09_12_20_29.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593664654059436786" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UrU98sRSV0U/TaCwXcne-vI/AAAAAAAAAIo/1wKUgrfVSbc/s320/2011-04-09_12_20_29.jpg" /></a> <br /><p></p>Yeah, it's supposedly spring, so why am i tasting Sam Adams Winter lager? As Normy would say on Cheers, What else are you going to do with it? This one has that gorgeous deep red color. The spices are pretty mild; in fact the nose is a little sweet. Might be the orange peel. This is a lager with some bite but is mild compared to some of the craft brew out there. It's enjoyable but not particularly reminiscent of roaring fires or holly boughs. <br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both; FONT-SIZE: xx-small">Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8422858644445868581?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-63781189468053153252011-04-05T19:12:00.001-04:002011-04-05T19:12:19.975-04:00<p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TZuh0te1C-I/AAAAAAAAAIg/s2waPxsx6Uk/2011-04-05%2019.11.54.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TZuh0te1C-I/AAAAAAAAAIg/s2waPxsx6Uk/s400/2011-04-05%2019.11.54.jpg' /></a></p>This week's bread is a ciabatta made with an overnight poolish. Recipe courtesy of Ciril Hitz. The shaping needs work but the flavor is excellent and internal structure is well developed.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-6378118946805315325?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-30230600843763759422011-03-29T19:43:00.001-04:002011-03-29T19:43:53.428-04:00<a href='NYTimes: Amber Waves to Ivory Bolls <br/> http://nyti.ms/dEEztP'>NYTimes: Amber Waves to Ivory Bolls</a> <br/> This is a good piece on the cycle of chasing prices.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3023060084376375942?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-3193009312672673552011-03-20T16:19:00.001-04:002011-03-20T16:19:59.435-04:00<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TYZhbdgyX1I/AAAAAAAAAIc/Tifv1ckz2rg/2011-03-20%2016.16.39.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TYZhbdgyX1I/AAAAAAAAAIc/Tifv1ckz2rg/s400/2011-03-20%2016.16.39.jpg' /></a></p>Today's bread is a light, airy whole wheat boule made with a biga and a soaker. The bread is meant to be a sandwich bread, which results from the honey and slight bit of oil in the dough.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-319300931267267355?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-80074381182293223562011-03-10T13:27:00.003-05:002011-03-10T13:33:09.439-05:00The temptation when there is a new lucrative market is to rush to that market. Organic food has boomed in recent years as affluent and not-so-affluent consumers have decided that the flavor, ethics, or support to small-scale farmers was worth the extra cost. Predictably, others such as <a href="http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=976759&amp;ic=48_0&amp;Find.x=0&amp;Find.y=0&amp;Find=Find&amp;ta=1&amp;search_query=organic">Walmart</a> and <a href="http://www.target.com/s/ref=sr_related_1?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=organic%20food">Target </a>have gotten into the business. However, whenever profit is involved, there is incentive for some to cheat. Apparently the USDA has actually caught some organic certifiers in the act of, well, not certifying correctly. Read more about it at the <a href="http://www.foodpolitics.com/2011/03/update-on-organics/">Food Politics blog</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8007438118229322356?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-87529357689597205722011-02-25T22:50:00.001-05:002011-02-25T22:52:40.149-05:00I do, I like oatmeal. I make scottish porridge on weekends when I have time (the package says six minutes, but that's after you bring the milk to a simmer). On weekdays, I use a quicker version. I add granola, or raisins, or banana, or whatever strikes my fancy. But I could just go to McDonald's. Or you could read <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/how-to-make-oatmeal-wrong/">Mark Bittman's</a> take on it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8752935768959720572?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-18843427096565911532011-02-19T18:25:00.002-05:002011-02-19T18:45:45.395-05:00I had meant to write about <a href="http://www.ardbeg.com//ardbeg/whisky/ardbeg-supernova">Ardbeg's SN2010</a> last year when it was released, but I have been a bit lazy, and it is also an extraordinarily difficult dram to decipher. SN2010 is the second release of the ultra-peated Supernova, bringing 100 parts per million of peat to the fight (other Islay whiskies, for comparison, will have somewhere between 25 and 50 ppm of peat). The numbers themselves are not terribly meaningful, however, since there are two methods for measuring peatiness, which can yield wildly different results. (For a quick primer on peat, <a href="http://www.whisky-news.com/En/reports/Peat_phenol_ppm.pdf">read this short piece</a>.)<br /><br />Regardless of the method used, there is no mistaking the power of this whisky straight from the bottle. The smell (some might call it stench) is apparent as soon as it hits the glass. The color is very light, closer to a pinot grigio than any other wine you might compare it to. The whisky comes at 60.1% alcohol by volume, but does not have the nose burn you might expect from a whisky this powerful. The seaweed and brine are there, as well as some fruity notes (more like candied fruit than anything fresh). There's a campfire there in the background and maybe some licorice. Undiluted, it is powerful to drink. Not quite fire-water that will leave you gasping and dunking your head in a bucket of water, but it is not far off. That said, it is surprisingly smooth and well rounded.<br /><br />Once the water is added, some spice comes out, but much more like Thai spices and chilies. I get a slight hint of orange peel, grass, and even a little dried pine needle. Taking a sip, I still get quite a bit of fire, but the finish is long and warming. This is a very good whisky for the peat freak, though I don't think it comes across as significantly more peaty than the 10 year old or Uigeadail. If I remember correctly, this was about 65 GBP at the distillery, but in the States I have seen it for as much as $130 a bottle. Is it worth it? Hard to tell, but I don't think you'll be disappointed even at that price.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1884342709656591153?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-17845241921805400582011-02-19T18:17:00.003-05:002011-02-19T18:20:46.339-05:00It's easy to forget that not all the big states are out west. Maine is large. In fact it is huge. Much of the highlands of Maine are owned by paper companies and investment firms. It is also very sparsely populated once you get away from Portland and the southern coast. Which makes it difficult to maintain some businesses when your potential clients are so far away. One such struggling business is MOO Milk, covered recently in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/business/19milk.html">this New York Times story</a>. For those of you lucky enough to live in Massachusetts near a Whole Foods, go out and buy some of this milk and help this family get its business on a sound footing.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1784524192180540058?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-37869415682842786312011-02-12T22:46:00.002-05:002011-02-12T22:56:51.652-05:00A little early, but who wants to go out on a Monday night. Since Leslie is working all weekend, Saturday night was Valentine's Day dinner at home. The menu I devised is below.<br /><br />To start I went simple with some farmhouse stilton and prosciutto di parma, washed down with <a href="http://www.barboursvillewine.net/winery/barboursville-brut-nv">Barboursville's Brut </a>sparkling wine.<br /><br />The main course was pork tenderloing medallions with a cherry-port sauce, accompanied by roasted herbed fingerling potatoes and charred brussels sprouts and broccoli with pancetta. We had a lovely bottle of 2005 Chambolle-Musigny from A. Chopin &amp; Fils, an impulse Burgundy I purchased at <a href="http://www.calvertwoodley.com/">Calvert Woodley </a>this past summer.<br /><br />Dessert was risotto di ciocolato with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockburn">Cockburn's</a> Ten Year Old Tawny Port. <br /><br />As far as a decadent dinner, it was all very good, yet restrained, and certainly didn't leave us feeling like beached whales afterwards. Plus there was not long Metro ride or drive home to deal with. A perfect evening!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3786941568284278631?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-81987865216607425762010-12-31T18:12:00.002-05:002010-12-31T18:23:21.385-05:00This is an unusual dram in that it does not appear on store shelves in an official bottling. The good folks at the <a href="http://www.smwsa.com/">Scotch Malt Whisky Society </a>have bottled quite few of this neighbor to <a href="http://www.glenmorangie.com/"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Glenmorangie</span> </a>and <a href="http://www.thedalmore.com/"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dalmore</span> </a>over the years. Bottling 39 from <a href="http://www.maltmadness.com/whisky/teaninich.html"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Teaninich</span> </a>is given the playful name "Gateway to Narnia," though for the life of me I can't figure out why. This 16 year old from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead is pretty robust, weighing in at 59.7% alcohol by volume. The color is copper gold and it has a strong, but light alcohol smell. The alcohol is hot, hot, hot on the tongue when undiluted, but the nose is less powerful. The nose brings paint thinner, some green <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">vegetal</span> smells, perhaps lighter herbs. With water it gets old cardboard boxes, light charcoal, <a href="http://www.thehersheycompany.com/brands/skor/toffee-bar.aspx?cat=cat#/1983"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Skor</span> bars</a> and a bit of a Canadian whiskey lightness. On the tongue the water turns it to a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">chewy</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">tannic</span> dram with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazelnut">filberts </a>and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">maltiness</span>. An interesting dram, but not a stunner.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8198786521660742576?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-17555801656369941012010-12-24T15:31:00.003-05:002010-12-24T16:44:02.814-05:00I don't use this forum to make a lot of grand pronouncements, but something I was listening to the other day really set me off, so I thought I would share it with you, my thousands (er, tens?) of loyal readers. I was listening to a re-run of the podcast of the Splendid Table, where a certain wine expert (I won't name him here, but you can listen to the episode <a href="http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/listings/101127/">here</a>) was going on about syrah versus shiraz. His basic point was that the Australian style shiraz is a sweet confection barely worthy of the name "wine" and that people of real taste should only drink the "real thing" -- syrah from France. He contended that shiraz and other wines dumb down the drink, and expressed skepticism that it even serves as an easy entree into the wonderful world of wine drinking that leads to further exploration. He talked about shiraz in a derisive, scornful manner, pronouncing the name with spittle on his lips.<br /><br />This set me off, because it is simply one more example of critics being asses and perpetuating a form of class snobbery. This is the equivalent of a Wagner fan looking down on people who listen to Britney Spears as uncultured. My response is that wine is a beverage that we drink to enjoy its taste, its pairing with food and friends, and, yes, even for its effect on our bodies from the alcohol. If I choose to do that with shiraz, or cheap likker, or Klug champagne, it's really none of the critic's business. It is no more right or wrong to be captivated by a complex, austere, and difficult to fathom great wine, than it is to enjoy a bottle of 2009 Yellow Tail. These are the same people who look down on folks who read so-called mass market fiction and claim "I only read the greats, such as Dickens." Um, Dickens was the James Patterson of his day, bub. Get over yourself.<br /><br />I like to drink whiskies, especially single malt scotches. I prefer to drink them with just a little water, but some people enjoy them on the rocks, or even mixed with coke. I wouldn't do that, but if it's your drink, you should drink it how you like it.<br /><br />And by the way, not all of us can afford $50 bottles of syrah -- sometimes the $10 bottle of shiraz is a splurge. You ass.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1755580165636994101?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-58806739170364175022010-12-19T21:58:00.002-05:002010-12-19T22:02:22.248-05:00Tonight's dinner was good old-fashioned comfort food. Roast chicken with potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots. I tried a new recipe for the chicken from James Peterson's new cookbook called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Meat-Kitchen-Education-James-Peterson/dp/1580089925">"Meat." </a> This is a high-temperature chicken -- oven at 500 degrees the whole time. Despite the smoke (and a few roots that got a bit of a char on one side), this was a very good recipe. The chicken was flavorful, well-browned, and cooked through. The breast meat spends the first 15 minutes covered with aluminum foil to protect it, which seems to work well. I used a kosher chicken from Whole Foods, so that may help with moisture (kosher chickens are handled in a way that is less abusive than others and usually require no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">brining</span>).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5880673917036417502?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-8733200521424811172010-12-12T19:24:00.002-05:002010-12-12T19:27:47.313-05:00<div>Today's bread-baking was a multi-grain bread called Struan. It has pre-cooked brown rice, wheat bran, corn meal, and some sweeteners (brown sugar and honey) to give this a light, sweet texture. I used<a href="http://peterreinhart.typepad.com/"> Peter Reinhart's </a>overnight cold fermentation technique.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549956940763495522" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TQVobsTr_GI/AAAAAAAAAII/_d7busUnmBQ/s320/127.JPG" /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-873320052142481117?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-38047668690686247572010-12-03T11:55:00.002-05:002010-12-03T11:58:02.494-05:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TPkhfDIYwaI/AAAAAAAAAIA/jY6jXB3uwDE/s1600/Sugar-popup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546501233383621026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TPkhfDIYwaI/AAAAAAAAAIA/jY6jXB3uwDE/s400/Sugar-popup.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>You have to see this picture in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/business/energy-environment/03sugar.html?_r=1&amp;scp=2&amp;sq=sugar&amp;st=Search">New York Times </a>today that talks about the potential for a sugar shortage if genetically-modified sugar beets are not allowed to be planted. That's one heck of a pile!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3804766869068624757?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-89658993778817385592010-12-03T11:48:00.002-05:002010-12-03T11:52:33.653-05:00There has been quite a <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food">bit of discussion </a>of the new food safety bill, particularly about the requirements' potential impacts on small-scale food producers. Jon Stewart covered the bill in his inimitable way, though he did not mention this issue. See the clip <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-december-1-2010/the-food--the-bad-and-the-ugly">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8965899377881738559?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-31476446389472461502010-11-21T20:51:00.002-05:002010-11-21T20:56:35.466-05:00Highland Park, like many distilleries, has ventured into duty-free exclusive releases. In HP's case, they have taken a page from the Glenrothes and gone for vintage releases. On a recent trip I picked up the <a href="http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/the-tasting-room/core-duty-free-exclusives/1994">1994 </a>(a sixteen year old bottled at 40% alcohol by volume). Other options include a 1973, 1990 and a 1998. The color is a deep straw, bordering on apple juice (!) and it has a surprisingly light nose. If tasted blind, I might have mistaken this for a Canadian whiskey (like 40 Creek) or an Irish. It smells like it came from a refill bourbon barrel -- I detect no sherry influence. There is a hint of perhaps bubble gum, defintely some floral notes, biscuit and cereal. It has a chewy, but light texture on the palate. With water there is more honey, but it's still a bit anti-septic. This is a very clean and light Highland Park; a bit of a lightweight if you ask me.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3147644638947246150?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-3339841655539733362010-11-15T21:04:00.003-05:002010-11-15T21:09:45.611-05:00I mentioned this <a href="http://epi-q.blogspot.com/2010/10/fannies-last-supper.html">new book </a>from Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen fame, Fannie Farmer's Last Supper, not that long ago. I've since seen Mr. Kimball talk about his adventures in researching the Victorian-era twelve-course meal and the final, grand adventure in bringing the whole thing together, including the severe fire hazard of a wood-burning stove at maximum heat in an old, wood-frame house. And I have read the book, which is a fun, informative, and quick read. If you are at all interested in how people prepared and ate food in the 19th and early 20th century, then this book is for you. My only gripe is that many of the recipes are not reproduced in the book, but are kept on the <a href="http://www.fannieslastsupper.com/">website</a>. That's fine for now, though it means that the whole experience is not available in one source (unless you print out the recipes and fold them for storage in the book), but in the future when the website is defunct? The book no doubt will survive long after the website -- or am I just a luddite tilting at windmills?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-333984165553973336?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-77475158074541491382010-11-14T22:27:00.002-05:002010-11-14T22:36:01.457-05:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TOCqdVYg7_I/AAAAAAAAAH4/lcWpPQzUVEA/s1600/bowmore-maltmans-bottlecase.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 304px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539614962598604786" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TOCqdVYg7_I/AAAAAAAAAH4/lcWpPQzUVEA/s400/bowmore-maltmans-bottlecase.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Sometimes you have a dram that makes you recognize why you fell in love with whiskey in the first place. Many whiskies are good, some even excellent, but only a few are so sublime, so wonderful, that they transport you to another place. Purple prose? Perhaps. But when it comes to the Bowmore Maltmen's Selection, it is true. We brought back bottle 1555 of 3000 from Islay this summer - a 13 year old sherry butt matured scotch distilled in 1995 and bottled at 54.6% abv in 2008. The color is copper or dark cider. The nose is deeply rich, nutty (hazel, Brazil). The sherry is a beautiful addition, not over-powering. There is some fine peat that works well with the sherry, unlike some overly sherried scotch I have had (Highland Park single casks, for instance). There is also cereal biscuit, orange peal and burned-down fire coals after they've been doused with water. Honey. The taste has some bite, plum sauce. With water,I get caramel sugar, molasses, balsa wood, and muscavado sugar. It has a deep, rich, long-lasting flavor. The water brings out a few floral notes and a bit of the sea, as well as citrus on the tongue. A dram to be savored, ever-so slowly, with undivided attention.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7747515807454149138?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-70450620669745160102010-11-12T12:55:00.002-05:002010-11-12T12:57:55.369-05:00There's a new (at least I think it's new) whisky event coming next spring. For a modest $500+, you get a ticket that includes a sampling of a 40 year old whisky such as Highland Park 40. Early bird price is $375. Here's the webpage for information on the <a href="http://www.universalwhiskyexperience.com/">Universal Whisky Experience</a>, which still has a lot of information to be provided at a future date.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7045062066974516010?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-10012329885647402322010-11-09T20:32:00.002-05:002010-11-09T20:44:26.284-05:00I have mused in the past on whether a pricey bottle of name-your-drink was proportionally better than a more modestly priced product. I doubt I will be able to ever tell you whether the <a href="http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/mortlach70/">70 year old Mortlach </a>or the <a href="http://www.whisky.com/vip/macallan_55year.html">55 year old Macallan </a>are, or perhaps even some of the celebrated Bordeaux vintages (1945, 1961 and 1982 come to mind). I did get to try a more moderately priced, yet well-regarded wine from the Napa Valley recently, though, that got me thinking on this topic again. The wine in question is the <a href="http://www.duckhorn.com/wines/dv-cab-sau/dv-cs-eg/2006/">2006 Cabernet Sauvignon </a>from <a href="http://www.duckhorn.com/">Duckhorn Vineyards</a>. A glass of this stuff would get you halfway to a subscription to <a href="https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/M5/WNE/WS-Sub-PocketGuide.jsp?cds_page_id=72490&amp;cds_mag_code=WNE&amp;id=1289353435164&amp;lsid=33131943551044180&amp;vid=1">Wine Spectator</a>. It was indeed a satisfying and layered drink. The tasting notes that came on my coaster said it would have black raspberry and oaken cocoa. I don't know about oaken, but cocoa was certainly in evidence and it had a carbonated, almost Dr. Pepperish/cola taste at the tip of the tongue. The tannins were barely present. It was a mild cab, not the monsters that one might get at a steakhouse. Was it better than a $10 bottle? Certainly. How about some $30 bottles? Maybe, but not all. So, at $95 a bottle it might be pricey, but if you are offered a glass, don't turn up your nose at it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1001232988564740232?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-8190614037772607172010-11-07T11:24:00.002-05:002010-11-07T11:30:21.741-05:00The French have a special relationship with their food, something that has often been praised and celebrated by many foodies. One town takes it to another level by celebrating the many culinary exploits associated with offal. I meant to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/world/europe/27limoges.html">link to this</a> when it first came out -- better late than never. The town of Limoges, home to many butchers even to this day, holds a festival called the Brotherhood of the Small Bellies (it must sound better in French). Book your tickets for next year's festival now, so you too can try the sheep testicles.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-819061403777260717?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-18940132410906310882010-11-07T11:22:00.002-05:002010-11-07T11:24:25.851-05:00The NYTimes has a<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/us/07fat.html"> front-page piece </a>in the Sunday paper about the two sides of USDA -- one pushing for less saturated fat in American diets, and the other (through a semi-private organization largely funded by the private sector, but with some funding from the USDA) that is pushing the use of more cheese in food.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1894013241090631088?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-30382906082140355902010-11-07T11:05:00.003-05:002010-11-07T11:20:31.700-05:00Most hotel restaurants are not known for having the greatest food in the world, especially those associated with a chain. On a recent trip to Brussels, I had lunch in the hotel on the day I arrived because I was too tired to venture forth to discover the neighborhood. I will refrain from identifying the hotel in particular, but it's origins are connected with Washington DC and has an eponymous founder. I would not normally write about it, but the contrast between the pasta I had at this restaurant and another one I had at a place down-town is instructive.<br /><br />First, I should have known better than to order a dish in November that features asparagus and morel mushrooms. Asparagus's season by the time November rolls around is a good six months gone in the Northern Hemisphere. Morels are also a spring and early summer harvest. So, I should have known better, but even setting aside the lack of freshness in the ingredient that would indicate less than flavorful results, basic seasoning was missing as well. The slivers of Parmesan cheese were waxy and tasteless, the cream sauce lacked salt, pepper, or anything to liven it up. I made it through about one quarter of the dish before giving up (why waste calories on tasteless food?).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kwintbrussels.com/">Kwint</a>, on the other hand, had a rich home-made pasta dish with pan-seared foie gras (okay, this makes having lots of flavor kinda easy) and truffle shavings, well-seasoned and served in a perfect portion. Matched with an opening course of smoked Scottish salmon with lemon pearls (that look like caviar) and fresh pepper, the meal was a wonderful way to cap off an afternoon of tramping about down-town Brussels in the rain. The restaurant has the added benefit of sitting atop a small rise overlooking the city center. <br /><br />Now the comparison of these two pastas may seem a bit unfair, but given that the price of the two was comparable (22 Euro for the asparagus paste, 25 Euro for the foie gras), the difference in flavor, execution and presentation was astounding.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3038290608214035590?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-62888113579015581532010-10-23T19:11:00.002-04:002010-10-23T19:17:23.608-04:00This is not a formal tasting of <a href="http://www.chathamimports.com/michters_family.php">Michter's </a>Straight Rye Whiskey as I partook under less than, ahem, laboratory conditions. That is, I sampled this fine whiskey while sitting with a friend at a bar in DC's West End. But, I felt I had to convey my impressions of the drink. It is a dark, deeply coppery rye and has the expected spicy, sweet, lively notes on the nose. This experience grows as one tastes it, demonstrating a surprisingly smooth and fully round taste on the tongue. It is a long-lasting, satisfying rye; the furthest from <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rotgut">rotgut</a> one can get with rye whiskey. Definitely seek this one out!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-6288811357901558153?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-23808142654481666842010-10-06T16:48:00.003-04:002010-10-06T17:04:57.316-04:00Yes, there really is such a thing as Virginia Single Malt whisky. <a href="http://www.copperfox.biz/products/">Wasmund's </a>comes from Copper Fox distillery in Sperryville. I have heard a lot over the last year or so about this distillery and was excited to try out their products. I will try the rye whisky at a later date, but I couldn't resist trying the single malt, which comes from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_still">pot still</a>. The whisky is bottled at 48% abv, and my bottle came from batch number 41, a 19 month old whisky that is aged in applewood, cherrywood and oak casks with chips. That probably explains the dark color after less than two years, which is pretty coppery. The main thing was the nose, which is quite powerful. And powerful not in the best way. I found it off-putting, like a piece of hard rubber that just overwhelmed anything else in the whisky. Even after more than 30 minutes in the glass, it was still pretty strong. The taste is all right, but that smell, oh that smell!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2380814265448166684?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-16341858988584432022010-10-06T15:08:00.002-04:002010-10-06T15:14:09.471-04:00There's a pretty caustic review of the new biography of Spanish <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">avant</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">garde</span> chef <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ferran</span> Adria in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/books/06book.html">New York Times today</a>. It's actually quite amusing to read, in fact. The latest issue of <a href="http://www.winespectator.com/magazine/show/id/43606">Wine Spectator </a>is more charitable, but still finds the descriptions of the dining experience lacklustre -- which they kindly put down to the impossibility of describing "genius", they say. I don't know if the review is fair to the book or not, though I have found the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">NYT</span> pretty reliable, but it is nice to have a more definitive statement from a reviewer on whether a book is worth my time, money and effort to read.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1634185898858443202?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-66920652312817306752010-10-02T21:05:00.003-04:002010-10-02T21:11:55.886-04:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TKfXz34WTkI/AAAAAAAAAHw/w1idEwzPx4E/s1600/036.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523620754166795842" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TKfXz34WTkI/AAAAAAAAAHw/w1idEwzPx4E/s400/036.JPG" /></a><br /><div>From Giorgio Locatelli's wonderful (and heafty) <a href="http://www.locandalocatelli.com/web/books.aspx">cookbook</a>, a great fish dish that goes well with red wine. Cod on a bed of lentils and a parsley sauce to add some extra depth. The lentils are simmered in veggie stock with herbs (garden-grown sage and rosemary, and some store-bought bay leaves), pancetta, onion, carrot, leak and celery. The cod is simply cooked with some light oil in a non-stick skillet and finished with butter. The lentils are supposed to mimic a risotto in a way, providing a nice bed to set the lentils into without being too soupy. That puddle you see around the edge is a bit of the butter sauce from the pan I cooked the fish in. I was a little disappointed with having so much come out, but that may have been from having a tad too much vegetable oil in the skillet to start.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-6692065231281730675?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-84051588185509806132010-10-01T11:37:00.001-04:002010-10-01T11:40:04.599-04:00It's probably appropriate that one of the more pretentious single malts would end up at one of the more pretentious food and wine expos. Not that I am poo-poohing the two, but there is some logic in the pairing the two of them. It would be an interesting juxtaposition (clash?) if Bruichladdich, for example, showed up at Aspen -- particularly Jim McEwan! You can see a short video about it at the Macallan's US website: <a href="http://www.usamacallan.com/?p=111">&lt;a id="art6" name="art6"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Food &amp; Wine Classic in Aspen</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8405158818550980613?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-55968988515890899442010-10-01T11:27:00.001-04:002010-10-01T11:29:31.105-04:00Chris Kimball of <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/">America's Test Kitchen </a>fame has a new project that is really cool -- making a 12 course Victorian era meal with period instruments so to speak. You can see a preview and pre-order the book <a href="http://www.fannieslastsupper.com/">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5596898851589089944?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-11277649872829733782010-09-11T21:58:00.003-04:002010-09-11T22:00:03.767-04:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TIwz_pBbXlI/AAAAAAAAAHo/eFvrjJJyN3I/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515840812058631762" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TIwz_pBbXlI/AAAAAAAAAHo/eFvrjJJyN3I/s400/003.JPG" /></a><br /><div>The maltings at Port Ellen, taken from the ferry between the mainland and Islay.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1127764987282973378?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-850506328495810982010-09-08T21:50:00.002-04:002010-09-08T22:01:28.176-04:00<a href="http://www.glenfarclas.co.uk/">Glenfarclas </a>is a giant of the whisky industry, at least for a family-run distillery, now on its sixth generation. It has a very loyal following, which stands to reason as it continues to produce fine whisky at a very affordable price. Glenfarclas recently<a href="http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/product.asp?pf_id=1000000000737"> released a 40 year old at a price </a>that many other distilleries would think twice about for their 25 year olds. The 21 year old is an accomplished, refined whisky that has a lot to offer to those willing to take the time to enjoy, savor, and explore this deceptive dram. I say deceptive, because it is an easy single malt to throw back and enjoy without really understanding its depth. But taking the time to explore its many smells and flavors will pay real dividends. It is bottled at a respectable 43%, and has a greeny-copper color. The undiluted nose has some smoke, old leather, shoebox and books from the back of the used book shop. I also get baked apple with crumble. The mouth is lighter and smooth with just a little burn. Once a little water goes in, it really opens up and displays its varied colors. The nose develops sweet candy, clover honey, sticky sap on a maple tree, and pine tar. None of these are overpowering, and they alternate coming to the fore. The body is still smooth and enjoyable, the finish long. An excellent dram.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-85050632849581098?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-6780191992667536752010-09-06T16:57:00.003-04:002010-09-11T21:31:49.675-04:00Another tasting from the<a href="http://www.smwsa.com/"> Scotch Malt Whisky Society</a>, this time a 21 year old Glen Grant from a refill hogshead, ex bourbon, bottled at 49.3% abv. This is the 45th bottling of Glen Grant for the good folks from the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=leith,+scotland&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=45.063105,78.662109&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Leith,+City+of+Edinburgh,+United+Kingdom&amp;z=15&amp;iwloc=A">Leith</a> Vaults. The color is quite light, perhaps straw. The nose has a nice chocolate note followed by sweet digestive biscuits, some vegetal notes, though sweet as well. Not at all off-putting, but also very similar to some younger bourbon-barrel Bowmores. There's some citrus in there, and I think I get the vanilla from the bourbon as well as nougat. On the tongue, it is tart and milderly tannic, but not a lot going on at first. With water bananas come to the front, with a rich smell. There is an ineffable quality about it, enjoyable indeed.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-678019199266753675?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-45021523162343175282010-09-06T16:49:00.002-04:002010-09-06T16:57:22.487-04:00The good folks at the <a href="http://www.smwsa.com/">Scotch Malt Whisky Society</a> called their 137th bottling of Highland Park "Oooh! Ouch! Aaah!", which is pretty close to an apt description, particularly the middle of the three. Bottled at 58.7% abv, this refill sherry butt gave its all and then some to a rough and tumble single malt. The color is a copper-red, deep and luscious. The nose is powerful with notes of <a href="http://www.marmite.com/">Marmite</a>, organe peel, lemon rind (not the zest, though, which would be more pungent), and even sweet twizzler (not quite strawberry, but perhaps some cherry or grape juice like <a href="http://www.welchs.com/">Welchs</a>.) At the first taste, it is firey with some tannic qualities, and just a bit of sweetness like a fresh white grape off the vine. With time in the glass, it calms down quite a bit, but is still robust. The sherry notes come more to the front even without water, but some added water calms it more and the oloroso comes out. This is a brute of a whisky and needs some time in the glass, water, and a strong tongue with a smooth coating of teflon.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4502152316234317528?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-51764464027117599372010-08-19T16:39:00.000-04:002010-08-19T16:39:17.761-04:00Some folks at the Atlantic are afraid of what the future of craft brews are, especially as larger conglomerates get in the game (er, Killians is actually a Coors product, so they are already in the game). You can see the commentary here: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/08/are-craft-breweries-selling-out/61720/">Are Craft Breweries Selling Out? - Food - The Atlantic</a>. My take? Let's only worry about this when the quality of the beer suffers. And I don't think this is going to happen, because the conglomerates know there is a market here that is willing to pay more for quality and is not the Bud or Coors Light kind of crowd. If we look at the whisky industry, especially in Scotland, we can see that there is significant room for optimism. On the one hand, a number of small producers and non-conglomerate partnerships are around and doing well (Glenfarclas is still family owned, Bruichladdich is doing well under independent ownership) and the conglomerates (Diageo, Suntory) know they mess with a good thing at their peril, especially these days when a much broader consumer market is sophisticated and well-informed.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-5176446402711759937?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-76567001992747598042010-08-08T21:34:00.004-04:002010-08-11T11:45:21.080-04:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9cF3T13FI/AAAAAAAAAHY/wNatFQu1VvA/s1600/127.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503218525486308434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9cF3T13FI/AAAAAAAAAHY/wNatFQu1VvA/s400/127.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Inspired by the Kneading conference, I started my own rye sourdough this past week using <a href="http://www.breadalone.com/index.html">Daniel Leader's </a>recipe ("formula" in the trade). This is a transitional bread in the sense that it uses some commercial yeast in addition to the sourdough starter, which I think is a good way to test the waters. It turned out quite well, as you can see. Hopefully as the starter matures more I can get stronger flavors and some more rise out of it.</div><br /><br /><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7656700199274759804?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-20103006228827197912010-08-08T21:10:00.007-04:002010-08-08T21:34:07.638-04:00<div>Picking a favorite is often an arbitrary thing. Why is that your favorite book or movie or place to go on vacation? And favorites are fickle things -- they can change so often, though some are fanatical in their choices and hold onto them like rabid dogs. My favorite Scotch is Bowmore, though why it is so is a difficult thing to explain. I often find myself reaching for another whisky. Ardbeg is bolder. Aberlour is often more refined. Highland Park's saltiness is heightened. But Bowmore somehow speaks to me in ways that others do not. It is not as peaty as Ardbeg, but it is not as mild as Bunnahabhain. But being in the middle does not make Bowmore boring by any stretch.<br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503213455988025234" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9Xex9Q55I/AAAAAAAAAGw/f_7XOiUVkl8/s200/009.JPG" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>When we took our recent vacation to Scotland, number one on my list was a visit to this "favorite" of distilleries on School Street in downtown Bowmore on the island of Islay. I signed us up for the exclusive tour, which originally was designed for corporate clients, but has now been opened up to the general public to choose. This is no ordinary distillery tour, and the price tag is the first to tell you this. I gladly signed Leslie and I up for 40 GBP per person to spend what ended up being more than three glorious hours touring the distillery on a bright, sunny day, tasting two Bowmores straight from the barrel in the famous warehouse number 1, and relaxing with almost the full range (up to the 25 year old) overlooking the bay.</div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503213663442439714" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9Xq2yQDiI/AAAAAAAAAG4/0c0tqksM92M/s200/054.JPG" /></div>The highlight of the tour for me, though, was indeed trying two Bowmores straight from the cask (see picture below of the two drams). One was an 11 year old bourbon matured in Heaven Hill barrels, the other a 15 year old oloroso sherry butt matured Bowmore. The color difference is striking and shows the influence of the wood on not just the taste. As the warehouse manager, Ginger Willie, said -- it just tastes better straight from the barrel (and I don't think that's because it is pre-tax whisky!).<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503213946651818450" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9X7V0oOdI/AAAAAAAAAHI/gYkH3Vou9Ag/s200/060.JPG" />The Bowmore line-up is more than the standard Legend, 12, 15 and 18 year old one sees in most stores. Also available to taste were the Feis Isle bottlings from the last two years (an 8 year old Bordeaux-finished Bowmore that was very pleasant and sweet and a 9 year old bourbon and wine matured whisky that was not my favorite, respectively), a 16 year old wine-finish (a bit strange) a 21 year old port-pipe matured whisky that was phenomenal, the maltman's selection (also fantastic) and the 25 year old. Sadly (but not surprisingly), the Bowmore gold, white and black were not available for tasting.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503217035745232562" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9avJl5BrI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/OfuaRfvQFtY/s200/051.JPG" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2010300622882719791?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-24743646861588527182010-08-08T20:08:00.005-04:002010-08-08T20:24:18.958-04:00<div>A few months ago I received an email from King Arthur Flour announcing they were a sponsor of this year's <a href="http://www.kneadingconference.com/">Kneading Conference </a>in Maine. I thought "that looks interesting" and promptly moved on to other things. After casually mentioning this conference, geared towards a diverse audience of home bakers, small businesses and farmers interested in raising artisanal wheats and other grains, to my wife, she encouraged me to go, and I am glad I did.</div><br /><div align="left">The conference probably had 100 to 150 participants of diverse backgrounds and interests, though my unscientific calculation estimated the majority were home bakers (very advanced ones, though). It combined keynote addresses (one on each day), lectures, and demonstrations. And there were some minor celebraties (bakers are not quite in the Mario Battali celebrity chef orbit, but everyone knows <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Bakers-Book-Techniques-Recipes/dp/0471168572/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1281312958&amp;sr=8-1">Jeffery Hamelman </a>and <a href="http://breadhitz.com/">Ciril Hitz </a>who is truly interested in baking.</div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503197857278580338" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9JS0PH1nI/AAAAAAAAAGY/MyA9fqtzjVY/s320/056.JPG" /></div><br /><div align="center">Jeffery Hamelman delivers a keynote address</div><br /><div><br /> </div><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503198268857216818" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9JqxfHbzI/AAAAAAAAAGg/JvVWukM55mc/s320/087.JPG" /><br /></div><br /><div align="center">Ciril Hitz demonstrates how to use a cooling wood-fired oven<br /></div><br /><div align="center"></div><div>I came away from the conference inspired to try new things, with some good tips on a variety of issues, such as what to do with all that sourdough starter rather than throw it away (thanks Dusty -- the pancakes were awesome!) and how to calculate to achieve the proper dough temperature.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503198748606248898" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TF9KGssMt8I/AAAAAAAAAGo/pqJJVz-Cn6g/s320/014.JPG" /></div><br /><p align="center">Dusty Downs explains sourdough starters</p><p align="center"> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2474364686158852718?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-3882964477043635002010-07-22T17:09:00.002-04:002010-07-22T17:27:09.926-04:00I realized after my recent <a href="http://epi-q.blogspot.com/2010/07/three-blends.html">post</a> on a few blended scotches that I probably needed to lay out more explicitly and coherently my take on blended scotch. Let's start with the purpose of a blend. You might think that it is obvious -- to be drunk. And you would be right, but only to a limited extent. The nature of a blend is to reflect its original purpose -- to provide a consistent and balanced product with a broad appeal. When <a href="http://www.johnniewalker.com/en-us/timeline">Mr. Walker </a>took over from his father in the grocery business, he realized that customers wanted a product that was consistent, not variable, from week to week. As the business of blends took off in the 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> century, and drinks like gin were seen as inconsistent and, potentially, lethal, the idea of a beverage accessible to a broad drinking public took hold. Hence the use of grain whiskies to provide a back-bone for blends that helps even out the fiery malts.<br /><br />All of this is to say that blends create an enjoyable, drinkable beverage that can contain complex flavors and aromas, but generally are prized for the melding of flavors, not allowing them to stand out or dominate. But unique flavors and aromas are what draw me to a single malt. The smoky <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">peatiness</span> of an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Islay</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Talisker's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pepperiness</span>, which even the new make spirit has, announcing to the world exactly where it came from. The floral and honey notes of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Speysider</span>. All of these announce a unique character and provide a medium to enjoy a slower pace of life contemplating its richness. Or just enjoying it with a good book. Blends, on the other hand, strike me as an "after work" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">de-stressor</span>, something to be drunk neat or on the rocks or with water or soda, but to be drunk as an enjoyable, but often quickly consumed (not that I am advocating quick consumption) transition from the work-day to the after-hours, or to get things going at a dinner. And finally, they often just seem tad, well, boring.<br /><br />So, take this all with a grain of salt and enjoy what you want to enjoy, when you want to enjoy it. These opinions are mine own, and therefore subject to reflect all my personal <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">predilections</span> and foibles.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-388296447704363500?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-72053618680664397692010-07-22T13:46:00.000-04:002010-07-22T13:46:53.250-04:00I am bad at making pie crusts, and deeply suspicious of people who claim to have fool-proof methods. Here's another attempt to give us ham-handed cooks a means to create the perfect crust: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/07/two-methods-for-winning-a-pie-crust-bake-off/59167/">Two Methods for Winning a Pie Crust Bake-Off - Food - The Atlantic</a>.<br /><br />One other secret that I have heard works well to create a light, flaky crust is to add about a tablespoon or so of Vodka to the dough. When the crust bakes the alcohol evaporates, lifting the crust and causing flaking. No idea if this is true, but I think I got it from Cook's Illustrated, who are usually reliable (because they actually test their recipes... over, and over, and over again).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7205361868066439769?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-32696506667756293592010-07-03T22:57:00.004-04:002010-07-03T23:46:26.589-04:00As a general rule, I tend not to drink blended whiskies all that often, the reason being traceable to the very reason blends gained their popularity in the first place. Since Ayrshire's John Walker developed the eponymous blend in the 19th century, blended whiskies have dominated the market-place, accounting for 90% of Scotch whisky sales by most reckoning. The advantage of blends is their consistency, and their smoothness next to the often fiery and volatile single casks. In fact, the popularity of single malts and single casks is a relatively recent phenomenon. All this is introduction, of course, to the tasting of three blended whiskies, which still dominate the marketplace. If you are looking for a good, quality drink that will consistently delivery the goods, then a blend is for you. (Which one is a different question all-together). The reason I tend not to drink them is that I find it difficult to pick out striking flavors and smells in them, which shows how well the different characteristics have been brought into balance.<br /><br />The three blends I am writing about today, unfortunately, are not available in the US to my knowledge. First up is the <a href="http://www.black-grouse.com/home.asp">Black Grouse</a>, a peated version of the Famous Grouse that I picked up a few months ago in the duty free in the Netherlands. Bottled at 40% ABV, the Black Grouse is a peated version of this blend. It has a some phenolic qualities on the nose, wisps of smoke, green veg, and perhaps some mint? This is definitely Grouse, though, no doubt about it. It is sweet tasting, with light spice, oranges and marmalade. With water it dies a little bit (at 40% ABV to start, one should be careful when adding water). The spice kicks in a bit and there are more jams and marmalade. Quite a good drink; one to rival Johnnie Walker Black Label.<br /><br />Next up is the famous (in some quarters) <a href="http://www.blackbottle.com/">Black Bottle</a>, which is apparently a blend of the Islay whiskies, and claims Bunnahabhain as its spiritual home. Also bottled at 40% ABV, this one has a buttery chardonnay color. The nose is yeasty, and masculine. There's some savory candy, but it seems a little watery and washed out (might be because of its 40% bottling strength). On the tongue it is round, with a lighter body, smokey and drying flavor. It is quite nice; a warming dram in which I can definitely detect the Bunnahabhain (it's at this point that someone is supposed to pop up and tell me that the bottle I have is a mistake that contains no Bunnahabhain... no one? Okay, on we go.)<br /><br />Finally we have a smaller-scale blend from<a href="http://www.lfw.co.uk/"> Loch Fyne </a>whiskies in Inverary, Scotland. Own-label whiskies are quite common across the pond, and this one in particular was surprisingly good. Surprisingly? Well, perhaps I wrote too soon, because this small shop in the middle of the <a href="http://www.inveraray-argyll.com/">Inverary</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59806068@N00/1393061196/in/set-72157602035461442/">high street </a>(which is a bit garish and touristy) is a gem in its own right and a serious place to buy whisky (not least demonstrated by the 20cl bottle of 70 year old Mortlach on sale in a locked, glass case). The Loch Fyne blend is a darker whisky than the Black Bottle, more a golden-copper. It has a light floral nose, with more alcohol, even though it is also bottled at 40%. There's some honey, and it is much thicker on the tongue than the Black Bottle, and chewy. I think there might be some young Bowmore in here because I get some chewy, bourbon-aged Bowmore with plastic and rubber hose. This is lovely stuff actually that I dare not dilute, because it is so drinkable straight from the bottle. It leaves just a bit of fire and spice on the roof of my mouth. With water it gets more honey and smoke on the nose. This one is very close to being like the Johnnie Walker Black -- it's the smoke that does it, see?<br /><br />Each of these is an enjoyable blend in its own right, and would find a welcome place in my glass at the end of a long, hard day.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3269650666775629359?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-70286844562629519412010-06-29T16:18:00.000-04:002010-06-29T16:18:38.975-04:00The old adage says that good fat is what makes a steak good. It turns out that the famous marbling that we look for in a steak (and that the USDA uses to grade meat) is not in fact the best indicator for flavor (but was the only one that seemed to correlate well when the system was developed decades ago). Read this article -- <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/06/why-fat-doesnt-make-for-flavorful-steak/58863/">Why Fat Doesn't Make for Flavorful Steak - Food - The Atlantic</a> -- to find out about the latest research on it. Turns out it's fat you can't see that matters, and (not a big shocker) the way the animal is raised that impacts flavor.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7028684456262951941?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-6824168714855642292010-06-27T22:05:00.002-04:002010-06-27T22:08:31.152-04:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TCgDwmKIf5I/AAAAAAAAAGI/5K_xyazSITg/s1600/047.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487640279362600850" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TCgDwmKIf5I/AAAAAAAAAGI/5K_xyazSITg/s320/047.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Seen on our recent trip... a 52 year old Bowmore cask. It turns out this belongs to a family that bought the whiskey from Bowmore many decades ago and paid to have it cellared in the famous vaults, but then disappeared and Bowmore has not been able to contact the family in many years.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-682416871485564229?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-14588304229586815032010-06-27T20:51:00.003-04:002010-06-27T21:02:12.488-04:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TCf0O9AuDsI/AAAAAAAAAGA/mub7M1bzBvg/s1600/180.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487623208707165890" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TCf0O9AuDsI/AAAAAAAAAGA/mub7M1bzBvg/s320/180.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://www.kilchomandistillery.com/">Kilchoman</a>, the youngest (distillery founded 2005) of the Islay whiskies, is not yet available in the US, but should be arriving on these shores in the fall. Meanwhile, I picked up a bottle of the Spring 2010 release while on Islay on our recent vacation. This release was aged three years in bourbon barrels and finished for 3 and a half months in oloroso sherry. The color, as one would expect, is a light gold. On the nose I get grain, smoke and a slight hint of sherry. There is a cloying sweetness there. The taste is round, spicy, drying smokiness with a touch of heat. Once I added water the nose calmed a bit, coming across as a softer, light smoke. There's dry sherry, perhaps candy? (Later in the week I swear it started to have a Dr. Pepper flavor to it). The taste is still spicy, with a long finish and a round mouth-feel. For a young whisky it is quite good, but I would love to see this with a bit more age on it to see how it rounds out. I don't think it has the depth and complexity of flavor yet that it really needs to be an outstanding whisky. This one is worth seeking out, however, when it comes to the States.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1458830422958681503?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-47521405656132226182010-06-11T18:40:00.002-04:002010-06-11T19:00:20.622-04:00I have been saving this one for a while, and since I will shortly be visiting this famed distillery (the oldest on Islay), I thought I should put my notes up on three darned good whiskies produced on the shores of Loch Indaal. Two of these are independant bottlings -- one from the great <a href="http://www.bbr.com/">Berry Bros and Rudd </a>(which I purchased <a href="http://epi-q.blogspot.com/2009/05/blue-hanger.html">last year</a> while in London along with their Blue Hanger) and the other from the <a href="http://www.smwsa.org/">Scotch Malt Whisky Society</a>. The third is an official bottling in the limited edition series.<br /><br />The first up is the Berry Bros bottling of a 1989 vintage Bowmore at 19 years old. This was one of four bottlings from Bowmore they had last year (a 9 year old, I think, a 14, this one and a 21 year old) and the one that impressed me the most. It's bottled at 53.5% and has a very light color like pinot grigio. The nose is medicinal with light smoke and varnished wood. Without water the whiskey is wonderfully smokey and pungent. With water it becomes a beautiful, sweet-smelling whiskey with floral notes, brown sugar, vanila, orange peel and candied peel. It is rounder and smoother on the tongue with a smokey, long finish. Of the three Bowmores here, this one was the sweetest, but not in a sickly way.<br /><br />Next up is the<a href="http://www.smwsa.org/index.php?page=shop.product_details&amp;flypage=flypage-ask-2.tpl&amp;product_id=37&amp;category_id=1&amp;option=com_virtuemart&amp;Itemid=45"> Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling </a>of a 21 year old distilled in December 1987 and aged in a refill bourbon hogshead (I believe all three here are bourbon aged). This one is slightly lower in alcohol (50.8%) and has a similar pinot grigio color. The nose is a little deeper than the BBR bottle, with plastic, light smoke and a rounder, meatier mouthfeel. With water the smoke becomes more prominent and I get more ocean smells. The taste reminds me a bit of fish sauce (not in a bad way) and it is still quite meaty with fine kippers and beach smells.<br /><br />Finally there is the official Bowmore 16 year old, distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2005 at 51.8% alcohol. The color is the lightest of the bunch and comes from predominantly bourbon casks, but is not a single-cask like the other two. Is that marmite on the nose? Wait a moment, give it some time. It has a lighter mouthfeel than the others, but is still quite meaty and explosive on the tongue when taken full strength. With water... oh what sweet nectar this is! I get apricots, pears, all sorts of nice fruit and light smoke on the nose. The taste is round, with a bit of plastic and quite chewey. A very satisfying dram.<br /><br />All in all, these three demonstrate how great Bowmore can be. I can't pick a favorite (and I have subsequent to making these notes finished the BBR -- which I first opened at Christmas -- and the SMSW bottlings).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4752140565613222618?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-23185575890264372010-06-04T20:11:00.005-04:002010-06-04T20:31:16.453-04:00<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TAmaJ3sRKHI/AAAAAAAAAFw/dH2n_QwJA9E/s1600/2010-06-04+225.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479079916032043122" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TAmaJ3sRKHI/AAAAAAAAAFw/dH2n_QwJA9E/s200/2010-06-04+225.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>Last weekend I embarked on a couple of experiments in the kitchen in addition to a good old stand-by. First, on the baking front I made soft pretzels for the first time, using a recipe from <a href="http://peterreinhart.typepad.com/">Peter Reinhart's </a>latest book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Artisan-Breads-Every/dp/1580089984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1275696854&amp;sr=8-1">Artisan Breads Every Day</a>. The pretzel dough is mixed and kneaded the night before and then cold ferments in the fridge. Shaping them was pretty easy, actually, though I did not get a consistent thickness across the 17-19 inches of dough after I rolled them out. They are dipped in a baking soda and water bath before baking, which I think did make for a distinctive flavor, I think, that I did not find off-putting, but was slightly on the odd side. The pretzels developed better the next day, but I think I will try mixing in some whole wheat flour next time (the recipe calls for bread flour only) to add a layer of flavor to the mix. The recipe also calls for an optional egg white mixed in with the water and baking soda to add shine, which I will also try next time. Overall, though, they were pretty good for home-made pretzels. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>In addition to the pretzels, I also made a basic bread loaf with a similar recipe that is really easy and quite flavorful -- mix up all the ingredients (all four -- flour, salt, yeast, and water) the night before, cold ferment and then shape and retard the next day. Bung in the oven on a stone and 30-40 minutes later you have a great loaf of bread (see the picture for both the pretzels and the bread with a piece already sawn off!)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Finally, I made BBQ spare ribs for Memorial Day. I am normally a smoker of baby backs, but these spare ribs were from<a href="http://www.groffscontentfarm.com/"> Groff's Content Farm </a>and I decided I did not want to spend the 7 hours probably required to smoke them properly. So, I went with BBQ instead, which involves putting a restaurant pan with the charcoal in the center of my smoking chamber and arranging the ribs on either side to enjoy some indirect heat. It's actually a very easy way to make them, and takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to get done. The meat won't be falling off the bone; some chewing is required, but they were good none-the-less. I used a rub from <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=279">Cook's Illustrated's grilling book</a>, which I think had too much cumin in it for my taste, but the BBQ sauce was excellent, especially with chipotle chile powder in place of regular chile powder (I leave the cayenne pepper out because of family members who have a sensitivity to it). <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479080212547686098" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/TAmabITGztI/AAAAAAAAAF4/CqjoEv4C3fE/s200/2010-06-04+228.JPG" /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2318557589026437?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-63500544007043105262010-06-02T12:07:00.001-04:002010-06-02T12:08:37.160-04:00Excellent article in Fortune this month on the patent issues surrounding Monsanto's Round-up Ready seeds and other agri-tech. You can read the full article <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/06/news/companies/monsanto_patent_full.fortune/index.htm">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-6350054400704310526?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-86929504427561507232010-06-01T14:51:00.000-04:002010-06-01T14:51:42.129-04:00In this posting on The Atlantic's food blog (<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/05/what-if-local-food-isnt-actually-best/57445/">What if Local Food Isn't Actually Best? - Food - The Atlantic</a>), I think the thought falls into the no duh category, but I could be missing something. The central idea is that we should not become obsessed with being locavores to the extreme that we are not supporting a regional approach -- as if the only choices were either national (and international) distribution or eating foods produced only within 100 (or 150 or 200) miles from our homes. I tend to distrust such binary choices to begin with, but it is worth at least explicitly and constantly challenging the idea that we only have two choices.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8692950442756150723?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-82067246426397882852010-06-01T14:42:00.000-04:002010-06-01T14:42:40.009-04:00Check out this new series over the next week, called <a href="http://www.blog.themacallan.com/2010/05/on-the-road-with-masters-of-photography-albert-watson-and-our-director-of-malts-ken-grier/">On the road with Masters of Photography, Albert Watson and our Director of Malts Ken Grier</a>, which starts with a trip to Jerez, Spain to see how sherry barrels are put together. The Macallan actually pays for making many sherry barrels themselves and then loans them to the sherry producers in order to guarantee they will have a secure supply for aging the whisky.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8206724642639788285?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-80424192108725589052010-05-31T17:33:00.002-04:002010-05-31T17:41:43.472-04:00<a href="http://www.isleofjura.com/home.aspx"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jura</span> </a>is the only whisky on this island just a stone's throw from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Islay</span>. The distillery has a long history, though its working has been <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">interrupted</span> at various points. The modern incarnation dates to 1963 when the rebuilt distillery began production. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jura's</span> Superstition is advertised as the smokey version of the classic malt, but to be honest I got very little smoke from my tasting. The color is a deep copper and the nose is quite closed at first. There are some light sherry notes, not the peat or smoke I expected. Without water (it's bottled at 43% <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">ABV</span>), the whisky is round and smooth, with some spice and a drying aftertaste like the tannins from nuts (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Brazil</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">filberts</span>). With water the scotch releases some woody notes, still the light sherry, and maybe peach fuzz. After 45 minutes or so in the glass it gets sweeter and smoother, but overall I found it an underwhelming drink.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8042419210872558905?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-70286891824347335512010-05-23T18:28:00.002-04:002010-05-23T18:37:12.440-04:00On a recent trip to the local liquor store, I overheard someone explain to his friend that older whiskies/wines/whatever are better than younger ones. This eight year old <a href="http://www.laphroaig.com/">Laphroaig </a>from the <a href="http://www.smwsa.org/">Scotch Malt Whisky Society </a>proves this is wrong. Despite its short time in the barrel, this is vintage Lapgroaig -- it has a light pinot grigio-like color and weighs in at 58.2% ABV (it comes from a refill hogshead ex-bourbon cask). The nose has the trademark smoke and iodine of Laphroaig, but also biscuits, wet stones on a cold beach, weather-beaten leather (I kid you not!), citrus peel and just a faint whiff of sea-weed. With water it develops an unlit cigarette smell and sweet maple, with an undertone of campfire smoke. It is a powerful, yet sweet whisky that explodes on the tongue without water (as you would expect at this alcohol level), but calms down considerably without losing the complex flavors as you add water. This is one of those whiskies that you will never find exactly the same profile for again, but wish you had bought a case of when you had the chance.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7028689182434733551?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-24159438335005978072010-05-23T18:09:00.002-04:002010-05-23T18:16:20.313-04:00<a href="http://www.suntory.com/yamazaki/main.html">Yamazaki </a>is one of the very few Japanese whiskies you can buy in the United States, which is a shame, given the growing reputation Japan has for producing many and varied whiskies of quality. The Yamazaki comes from Suntory (of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_saLrADKqNM&amp;feature=related">Lost in Translation </a>fame, yes) and is bottled at 43% alcohol by volume. It is a light straw-gold color and has a sweet, biscuity nose with some floral notes. Before adding water, the whisky has some spice, but is very smooth and easily drinkable without further dilution. Once I added water, the biscuits were still there, but the floral notes die down to be replaced by some more honey notes, and hints of smoke. It seems like a Canadian whisky with more backbone and character (sorry, Canada). A very pleasant drink, if simple and unchallenging to the palate.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2415943833500597807?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-42716260216973073472010-05-19T16:11:00.002-04:002010-05-19T16:15:09.815-04:00Today's New York Times has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/dining/19pour.html">a piece</a> about the falling popularity of Bordeaux wines. I think Bordeaux does suffer from a reputation set by the big boys (Ch. Margaux and all them), the bewildering array of below classification wines (i.e., not first or fifth growths) -- quite a few of them not very good and more expensive than wines from other regions -- and a stodgy image. After all, who wants to put down $35 for a bottle that turns out to be just average (or even$70), when some Yellow Tail is $8 and goes down a treat?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4271626021697307347?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-85283104761614121342010-05-19T16:07:00.002-04:002010-05-19T16:10:34.300-04:00I noticed that most of my recent posts have been about food safety, sustainable agriculture, and the like. These are all very important issues and ones I continue to follow, but fear not, I will have some real whisky reviews and other things for you shortly. In fact, I have a flight of Bowmores that I will put up shortly, the Yamazaki 12 year old and a 23 year old Mortlach for you to ponder soon. I have made a pledge, though, to reduce my consumption of alcohol to one night during the week, so there may be gaps between tastings in the future again.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8528310476161412134?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-44209627962966164022010-05-19T15:51:00.000-04:002010-05-19T15:51:24.537-04:00A response to a previous posting at the Atlantic on the relative safety of pastured versus confined animals. Good read: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/05/for-animals-grass-each-day-keeps-doctors-away/56967/">For Animals, Grass Each Day Keeps Doctors Away - Food - The Atlantic</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4420962796296616402?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-65180830312257461642010-05-10T15:37:00.000-04:002010-05-10T15:37:39.190-04:00It is worthwhile asking whether alternatives to industrial farming also carry risks for consumers, as this post from the Atlantic does: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/05/is-free-range-meat-making-us-sick/56333/">Is Free-Range Meat Making Us Sick?.</a> Some of the comments are interesting and (semi-) informative. I suppose that vegetarianism is one answer, but as one commenter pointed out, even veggies can carry diseases. When it comes to pork, though, there is a relatively easy way to deal with trichinosis (cook the heck out of your meat, or at least to a suitable temperature to kill the bug).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-6518083031225746164?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-91967681775889034032010-05-07T15:36:00.002-04:002010-05-07T15:39:03.625-04:00I meant to link to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/energy-environment/04weed.html">this article </a>in the NYT about new "Super weeds" that are resistant to the most common pesticides. The NYT also has a running commentary on it <a href="http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/invasion-of-the-superweeds/?scp=3&amp;sq=monsanto%20company&amp;st=cse">here</a>. I think it only takes a rudimentary knowledge of evolutionary theory to realize this was bound to happen -- weeds adapting to withstand pesticides we develop.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-9196768177588903403?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-31924282704670554622010-05-07T15:29:00.000-04:002010-05-07T15:29:36.482-04:00I liked this article about the farmer in Sonoma valley who deliberately plants and grows vines that cannot be picked by machine. Read it the article here: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/05/a-shepherd-of-the-vines/56375/">A Shepherd of the Vines - Food - The Atlantic</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3192428270467055462?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-87100527286400184482010-04-20T19:13:00.003-04:002010-04-20T19:37:03.380-04:00<a href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/">Michael Pollan</a> is probably one of the most widely known writers on food, sustainability and farming, but he is by no means the first (and maybe not the best). I've recently read two books that highlight that there is much more out there to read on the subjects. The first actually has Michael Pollan writing the preface, noting his intellectual debt to Wendell Berry, a Kentucky-based farmer and writer. His collection of essays, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Table-Farming-Wendell-Berry/dp/158243543X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1271806300&amp;sr=8-1">Bringing it to the Table: On Farming and Food</a>, spans some three decades of writing and acknowledges along the way his debt to another writer before him, Sir Albert Hayward, revealing how a long line of writing and debate has occured over at least the last seventy years demonstrating that our current debate over organic versus conventional, agribusiness versus sustainability is nothing new. We have been lamenting the demise of the family farm since the 1950s, at least, and wondering whether the method of farming we have migrated towards is sustainable economically, ecologically, and socially for at least as long.<br /><br />Which makes me wonder whether the renewed interest is sustainable itself, or is it a passing fad that will remain of interest to only a few, while the bulk of the population continues to remain (often blissfully) ignorant of the true state of agriculture and food production in America. And yet the other book I read, Lisa Hamilton's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deeply-Rooted-Unconventional-Farmers-Agribusiness/dp/1582435863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1271806355&amp;sr=1-1">Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmers in the Age Agribusiness</a>, somehow gives me hope, because she shows that life is tough, but manageable on farms that are outside the mainstream. I found it particularly attractive in her book that she is not as romantic about the family farm or the iconoclast. It strikes me that we can too easily romanticize the small-scale, family farmer who refuses to use GMO seeds or fertilize their fields with thousands of pounds of industrial nitrogen while collecting tons of cow manure in a concrete basin that poisons water tables. These are not tales from Hollywood movies, but real people who have made real choices about what their lives mean. The choices farmers make are not easy, and there are broader questions of the ability of a growing population to feed itself over the long term if all agriculture were to migrate back to a former paradigm or continue on its current path of "get big or get out."<br /><br />The best part of these books is that they are deeply human stories that don't glorify the independent farmer as a white knight or a David seeking to fell agribusiness's Goliath with one blow. Rather, the books show that it is possible to go one's own way and maintain a sustainable life on a farm; it just takes choosing that lifestyle and ignoring the idea that well-being only comes from seeing the farm as factory, as opposed to the complex social system it should be recognized to be.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8710052728640018448?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-78745454921799781352010-04-15T12:48:00.002-04:002010-04-15T12:49:41.099-04:00Our summer vacation is shaping up nicely, and will include a trip to Islay with tours of Bowmore and Ardbeg distilleries (we will also stop by Laphroiag, I imagine, since it's very close to Ardbeg). Then it's off to the Grampians and other parts of the Highlands for some hiking. I can hardly wait!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7874545492179978135?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-86324287224057768172010-04-15T12:47:00.000-04:002010-04-15T12:47:52.944-04:00Nicolette Niman (of Niman Ranch fame) defends grass-fed beef. Key passage: "zeroing in on a single environmental consequence is nonsensical. (Since rice farming contributes as much as 29 percent of the world's anthropogenic methane, one may well wonder why she is not urging us to cut back our rice consumption.) As with all foods, the environmental impact of beef varies widely, depending on many factors." Hail, hail! Let's stop using one data point to make sweeping conclusions. Her post is at the Atlantic: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/04/defending-grass-fed-beef-a-rancher-weighs-in/38931/">Defending Grass-Fed Beef: A Rancher Weighs in - Food - The Atlantic</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8632428722405776817?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-38299559346033724822010-04-14T16:05:00.003-04:002010-04-14T16:07:41.731-04:00The US farming industry has fallen in love with genetically modified crops, in part because they have developed strains that are resistant to one of the most common pesticides (kill the bugs, keep the plant) and some can even produce their own resistance to pests. The National Research Council has issued a <a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12804">new report </a>on this, as reported in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/business/energy-environment/14crop.html">today's New York Times</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-3829955934603372482?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-65649657804113578912010-04-12T18:09:00.000-04:002010-04-12T18:09:23.322-04:00Most people probably haven't heard much about the debate surrounding raw milk, but it is an interesting one that pits those who think the less-refined a product is the better it is, and those who advocate a safety-first mindset. I would be curious to try raw milk (unhomogenized, unpasteurized), but it is illegal in Maryland in any form. I'd have to go to Pennsylvania to get it, if I even knew where, and the key issue is to find a supplier you trust. The modern market-place is founded on the principle that we don't have to know the producer of individual agricultural products well enough to establish trust -- we've replaced it for the sake of economy and scale with a regulatory system overseen by the USDA and FDA. The Atlantic has a good piece on it at the following link: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/04/the-raw-milk-debate-dont-have-a-cow/38730/">The Raw Milk Debate: Don't Have a Cow - Food - The Atlantic</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-6564965780411357891?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-16267301582114337372010-04-03T20:52:00.002-04:002010-04-03T20:54:15.699-04:00Fascinating <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/dining/31tomato.html">article </a>on the New York Times this past week on greenhouse tomatoes that provide ripe, flavorful tomatoes year-round. Despite all the efforts to make it as green as possible, the energy required for the lamps is an eye-opener.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1626730158211433737?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-17430771374627266002010-04-03T20:30:00.002-04:002010-04-03T20:39:26.974-04:00I forget whether the new Corryvreckan is supposed to replace the Airigh Nam Beist or the <a href="http://www.ardbeg.com/shop/product/whisky/ardbeg-uigeadail.html">Uigeadail</a>, but in either case, this is certainly something different from the beefiest of Islay whiskies. The Corryvreckan has a light nose with some slight floral notes. Without water it is sweet on the tongue, with notes of menthol and charcoal. With water it has notes of burnt fruitcake and mild peat. This is a younger, fresher smelling Ardbeg. It gets smoother with water. It's powerful like other Ardbegs, but slightly tamer in some ways. It reminds me a bit of some young Bowmores, just without the plastic.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1743077137462726600?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-78785073807706983282010-04-03T20:26:00.001-04:002010-04-03T20:29:34.457-04:00I made a quick pasta dish for dinner tonight. From the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Spoon-Pasta-Book/dp/0714857262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1270340936&amp;sr=8-1">Silver Spoon's pasta cookbook</a>, this one is a simple meat sauce with small macaroni that basically is a quick bolognese sauce that takes less than thirty minutes to make. Make sure to reserve some pasta water to add volume to the sauce. I also added more milk than the recipe called for in order to ensure I had enough to coat the pasta.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-7878507380770698328?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-4774733000811153182010-04-02T08:43:00.002-04:002010-04-02T08:45:47.336-04:00The good folks (thanks Patrick!) at the <a href="http://www.winespecialist.com/">Wine Specialist </a>have secured me a bottle of Ardbeg Corryvrecken. Now the problem is when do I open these great whiskies, given how difficult it is to secure a bottle? Should I do an Ardbeg tasting? (The ten, Rollercoaster, and Corryvrecken?) Or one at a time. Truly a conundrum (and luckily one of the few I have to wrestle with these days!)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-477473300081115318?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-24175795338893795532010-04-02T08:41:00.000-04:002010-04-02T08:41:57.357-04:00The Atlantic has an opinion piece about the new agricultural trade negotiator in the Office of the Trade Representative. The nub of the piece is the disappointment with Obama using a recess appointment to put a former pesticide lobbyist in the job. Read the piece on <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/04/how-obama-sold-the-farm/38288/">How Obama Sold the Farm - Food - The Atlantic</a>, if only to get one opinion on the issue.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-2417579533889379553?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-3157821751165994552010-03-25T20:47:00.003-04:002010-03-25T20:54:39.762-04:00John Hansell recently asked what is Irish whiskey on his <a href="http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/2010/03/12/what-is-irish-whiskey/">blog</a>. It's a good question in some respects, because supposedly everyone "knows" what Scotch is or Bourbon (never mind that there can be quite a bit of variation within those categories). A generalization is that Irish whiskey is triple distilled, while scotch is double distilled (actually, several scotches are triple distilled, including Auchentoshan), and a much lighter, fruitier drink. Actually, Irish whiskey can have quite a bit of variation, including the Connemara from <a href="http://www.cooleywhiskey.com/">Cooley</a>.<br /><br />Connemara is a peated single malt that looks a bit like a rich chardonnay in the glass. I found it had an incredibly fresh, sweet nose like fresh apples and just a light undertone of smoke. It bursts on the tongue with a little spice and lots of fruit, maybe pear. At 40% abv, this is quite drinkable without any water added, but a little water does release some more floral notes in the background. The sweetness dominates, though, coming closer to a vidal blanc or similar white wine with some residual sugar. This whiskey is light and elegant, despite a short finish. Although peated, it is not anywhere near the levels of an Ardbeg, Bowmore or Laphroaig. That said, the peat is definitely there -- just enough to tease and please.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-315782175116599455?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-82925249266197796142010-03-25T13:43:00.001-04:002010-03-25T13:44:44.520-04:00For those who haven't heard about the potential crisis in bee colony collapses, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/opinion/25harder.html">here's an op-ed </a>in today's New York Times that discusses the problem and its impact.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8292524926619779614?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-43867771920682998462010-03-24T14:37:00.000-04:002010-03-24T14:37:53.476-04:00I have to admit that I could probably happily spend most of my time reading about the culinary and agricultural revolution that is in the offing. Here's one on a small town in rural Vermont that a very reliable source tells me is the butt of many a joke.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/03/in-rural-vermont-from-famine-to-fork/37858/">In Rural Vermont, From Famine to Fork - Food - The Atlantic</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4386777192068299846?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-5798746211080782322010-03-19T09:42:00.001-04:002010-03-19T09:43:35.334-04:00I do, I do! So excited to snag a bottle of the new Ardbeg Committee bottling called <a href="http://www.ardbeg.com/shop//ardbeg-rollercoaster.html">Rollercoaster</a>. I can't wait to try it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-579874621108078232?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-15399448316295458022010-03-04T16:04:00.000-05:002010-03-04T16:16:22.067-05:00You spend enough money on something, you expect to be blown away, or at least to be suitably impressed. Blue Label is one of those whiskies. Geared towards the high-end market, you can spend upwards of $200 a bottle for this blend of "finest rare whiskies." (It's actually not since the Blue Label George V edition has older and rarer whiskies). So inevitably perhaps, Blue Label disappoints. I have tried tiny samples before and not gotten much out of it, but I figured it was worth another go with a bottle sold at close to a bargain price (and earning 10 to 1 frequent flier miles in duty free!). <br /><br />Blue is quite smooth as one would expect, but the promised smoke is much subtler than promised and the spice goes in and out. It would be unfair to compare it to a single malt, so I take the other concoctions from Hiram Walker and sons as a bench-mark instead, especially the ubiquitous black label and the refined gold (12 and 18 year old blends, respectively). The 12 is livelier, as one would expect, but also well balanced, whereas the gold's smoothness is indistinguishable (to this amateur's palate) from the blue. So, although Blue is a fine whisky, it's nothing to rave about. I would suggest investing your money in three bottles of gold or five to six bottles of black (or some combination thereof) instead.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-1539944831629545802?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-46998779994770770522010-02-22T13:06:00.000-05:002010-02-22T13:06:46.468-05:00Sanity prevails over vested interests. See the link below for the latest on USDA guidelines for organic raising of cows. Now if we can only get the same logic applied to "pasture access provided" chicken eggs...<br /><br /><a href="http://food.theatlantic.com/sustainability/cows-need-grass-and-usda-agrees.php">Cows Need Grass, and USDA Agrees</a>: "How consumers, farmers, and advocates teamed up to convince the government to change the rules...."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4699877999477077052?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-49254361562361380032010-02-21T11:37:00.002-05:002010-02-21T11:45:29.339-05:00<a href="http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/category/canadian-whisky/">Canadian whiskeys</a> used to be the number one consumed whiskies in the US, particularly during Prohibition, but in the latest whisky boom, they have fallen a bit behind their US, Scottish, and even Japanese counterparts. I am not a seven and seven guy, so I have had little exposure to the tender liquid of the north. I tried two Canadians recently -- the Canadian Club six year old and the much heralded 40 Creek Premium Barrel Select. The Canadian Club was not my favorite, to say the least. Both whiskies have similar copper coloring, but Canadian Club's nose is almost pure rubbing alcohol. When I smell it, I think cotton swabs and doctors' offices. Not a good thing. The 40 Creek also has an slight alcoholic smell like rubbing alcohol, but much subtler and rounded. On the tongue it is oily, viscous and has some malty sweetness. Not a robust whisky, but a decent dram. The Canadian Club, on the other hand, is sharper, with a little spice, but not pleasant. All in all, I didn't find either one especially to my liking, but I can see the attraction that the 40 Creek holds for fans of lighter Canadian whiskeys.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4925436156236138003?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-48016227602404223242010-02-21T11:34:00.002-05:002010-02-21T11:37:08.385-05:00Made brisket last night. I find that BBQ brisket is usually dry and uninteresting. Dull, listless, and lacking in flavor. So I go with a braising technique that includes equal weight of brisket and onions that turns out sweet and savory at the same time (hat tip: <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/search/results.asp?filters=&amp;query=brisket&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">Cooks Illustrated</a>). Over a bed of rice and with some nice broccoli on the side? Heaven, pure heaven (helps to uncork a good bottle of wine or some hoppy beer).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-4801622760240422324?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32746339.post-88912720945148431602010-02-08T10:41:00.002-05:002010-02-08T10:45:47.015-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/S3Axgihv_wI/AAAAAAAAAFo/yiI3JeR3w-8/s1600-h/P1000881.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cCNesxFbAUQ/S3Axgihv_wI/AAAAAAAAAFo/yiI3JeR3w-8/s200/P1000881.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435899185330126594" border="0" /></a><br />Yeah, so I am a little behind on my blogging about various things, including showing you how my heritage bird turned out on Thanksgiving. Quite well, thank you very much. A ten pound bird from <a href="http://www.groffscontentfarm.com/">Groff's Content Farm</a> in Maryland with a citrus-herb rub turned out moist, delicious and (most importantly) evenly cooked between white and dark meat, which is not a simple thing on a turkey.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/32746339-8891272094514843160?l=epi-q.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Quentinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11914205997345496161noreply@blogger.com0