Seasonal Eating?

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Recently, I came across a recipe for Corn & Cheese Chowder on Pinterest.  With corn, bacon, onions, bell peppers, and two kinds of cheese in a creamy base, I remarked to my friend, Dani, this would be a good soup for Fall.  She looked at me as if I'd announced my candidacy for President of Mars.  The idea of "seasonal food" was a foreign concept to her.

Historically, people ate what was accessible during certain times of year.  However, now that we have grocery stores, I wonder if people still eat seasonally.

Before I write a full blog about this I'd like input from my readers.  Please use the survey below and let me know if you eat seasonally.

Does the season influence what you eat?

Yes, I only eat what's in season.

I try to eat what's in season, but it's not a strict rule.

No, I can buy whatever food I want all year.

pollcode.com free polls

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Cascadia Creamery's Sleeping Beauty Cheese - Micro Blog

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Cascadia Creamery's Sleeping Beauty is a smooth buttery grassy tasting cow's milk cheese with a slightly sharp bite to it.  Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of this off white semi-hard cheese in its natural  rind, but Sleeping Beauty's color, taste, and texture remind me of a Gouda, only a bit earthier.

Just in time for fall, this cheese would pair nicely with crisp apples and/or pears.  Beverage wise, I'd suggest a hard cider, pilsner, or hefeweizen.  Plus,I found a tempting looking recipe, I admittedly haven't tried it yet, for Sleeping Beauty Mac n Cheese. Enjoy.

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Penzeys' Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle - Micro Blog

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Subject: Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle 2 oz. jar | Source: Penzeys.com |

All my friends know I'm a foodie and popcorn junkie.  With this in mind, one good friend gave me a 2 ounce jar of Penzeys' Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle (a $10.59 value) for Christmas this year.  Named for a popular Italian street in Milwaukee, WI, Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle is a blend of Romano cheese salt, garlic, green peppercorn, basil and parsley.

I sprinkled some on a batch of popcorn.  The blend gave the snack a cheesy salty kick, with a hint of pepper and an herbaceous undertone.  It was one delicious bowl of popcorn.

Whether on popcorn, or added to sour cream (1 TB. sprinkle to 1 cup sour cream) to make a dip, I can't help thinking Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle would liven up any New Year's Eve party.


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Atlas Hard Blackberry Cider Review - Micro Blog

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Subject: Atlas Hard Blackberry Cider | Date: 11/25/2014 | Photographers:
James Kiester & Dani Cogswell This picture was taken by the author of this blog.

Today I'm enjoying an Atlas Hard Blackberry Cider from North West Hard Ciders in Bend Oregon.  Atlas Hard Blackberry Cider has a deep hue of purple and rich berry aroma produced by  blend of blackberries and elderberries.

When consumed cold, it has a nice berry flavor with a clean dry vinegar rich finish.  It's a complex and tasty alternative to hoppy beers. 

Gluten free. No sorbate preservatives. Fruit grown by Northwest farms. 6.2% ABV. 22 oz. - See more at: http://www.madeinoregon.com/Atlas-Hard-Blackberry-Cider-22-oz..html#sthash.qLGwunip.dpuf

 Made from fruit grown by Northwest Farms, Atlas Hard Blackberry Cider comes in a 22 oz. bottle, for around $7.00, and is gluten free with no *sorbate preservatives with 6.2% **ABV. 

*Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, chemical formula CH3CH=CH-CH=CH-CO2K. It is a white salt that is very soluble in water (58.2% at 20 °C). It is primarily used as a food preservative (E number 202). It is a skin, eye and respiratory irritant. Although some research implies it has a long term safety record, in vitro studies have shown that it is both genotoxic and mutagenic to human blood cells.
**ABV = Alcohol By Volume
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Butlers Blacksticks Blue Cheese - Micro Blog

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Subject: Butlers Blacksticks Blue | Source: Picture kindly provided by courtesy of the Butlers Specialty Cheeses.

Having a sister-in-law who sells wholesale gourmet goodies to Portland's finer restaurants allows me to sample the occasional treat.  Most recently, she brought a wedge of Butlers Blacksticks Blue to a weekend get together, and I fell in love.

Located in the pasture lands of Lancashire, England, Butlers Farmhouse makes this soft, blue-veined cheese from the pasteurized milk of the family's own cows.  The cheese is matured for eight weeks, allowing it to develop a bright orange color, reminiscent of Huntsman & Cotswald.

Streaked with yummy blue mold, Butlers Blacksticks Blue delivers a salty tangy bold flavor.  Keeping in mind the punch of flavor this cheese brings to the table, I'd pair it with a nice dark stout beer such as Young's Double Chocolate Stout or McMenamins Terminator Stout, which can stand up against the cheese's strong taste.

With nothing bad to say about Butlers Blacksticks Blue, I give this cheese 10 out of 10 stars.

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Redd's Strawberry Ale - Micro Blog

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Subject: Redd's Strawberry Ale | Date: 07/08/2014 | Photographers:
James Kiester & Dani Cogswell This picture was taken by the author of this blog.

I was in the bar part of Red Robin, reading their beer list, when I came across a listing for Redd's Strawberry Ale (*ABV: 5%).  I tend not to shy away from fruit based brews, Sam Adams' Cherry Wheat and Shock Top's Raspberry Wheat already being among my favorite beers.

This offering from Miller Brewing Co. pours as a blonde ale with a reddish tint.  Unlike my aforementioned favorites, which taste like beer with a touch of fruit, Redd's tastes purely of strawberries.  While I see this sweetness as a plus, many "serious beer drinkers" would list it as a deficit.

I must also report that while the alcohol content is listed at 5%, I felt a major buzz after a single bottle.  Still, from a guy who likes sweet, rather than hoppy, beers, I give Redd's Strawberry Ale 8 out of 10 stars.

*ABV = Alcohol By Volume
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Fonzy Melon - Micro Blog

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Title: Fonzy Melon | Date: 05/27/2014 | Photographers: James Kiester & Dani Cogswell |
This picture was taken by the author of this blog.

Yesterday, the produce section at New Seasons (a North West version of Whole Foods) was featuring something called a Fonzy Melon labeled with a tongue-in-cheek sign reading, "Approved by Henry Winkler."  Partly for reasons of nostalgia, yes I had a Happy Days lunch box, I added a melon to my cart.

When I got home, I tried to research the origin and history of my find online.  I found some growing instructions, and a few brief tasting notes from fellow food bloggers, but nothing to indicate which fruits were spliced to create the melon, or how it got its name.

Nevertheless, I cut open the round pumpkin-orange Fonzy Melon, which is about the size of a Honeydew, for breakfast  this morning.  Inside was a juicy white semi-firm fruit flesh surround a core of seeds.  The flavor tasted like a cross between a Bartlet Pear and a Muskmelon (Cantaloupe), which may, or may not, be a clue to its breeding.

In any case, the Fonzy Melon offers a distinctive flavor, and can be used as one would use any small melon.
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Asiago Cheese with Rosemary and Olive Oil - Micro Blog

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Being a cheese lover, I was jonesing for something I hadn't had before when I came across a wedge of Asiago Cheese with Rosemary and Olive Oil.  I ate it alongside smoked oysters and a lager.

Plymoth, Wisconsin's version of Asiago is produced with skimmed cow's milk and is infused with rosemary and olive oil, creating a pale yellow cheese with a rosemary/olive oil soaked rind and a semi-hard, slightly crumbly, texture.  The cheese's combination of rosemary and oil, and slow maturation process, gives it a slightly herbaceous sharp flavor.

Asiago Cheese with Rosemary and Olive Oil is excellent in small doses alongside other bold tasting foods (smoked meats, garlicky dishes, full bodied beers, etc...).  However, it can be overpowering if consumed in large quantities, or when eaten against mild flavors.  All things considered, I give Asiago Cheese with Rosemary and Olive Oil 7 out of 10 stars.
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Picture courtesy of Amazon.com.

Domino Moscato 2010 - Micro Blog

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Image provided by
Delicato Family
   Vineyards

To celebrate the holiday meant for lovers, I was treated to dinner at Nonna Emilia Ristoranté Italiano. Alongside my tortellini (Bite-sized pasta rings stuffed with meat in a rich cream sauce), I drank a glass of Domino Moscato 2010 from Delicato Family Vineyards.  

While the official tasting notes brag, "waxy honeycomb, potpourri and peach aromas with silky fruity light-to-medium body and a tart citrus and green apple finish," I tasted sweet lemon flavors on the majority of my tongue.  The green apple was definitely present on the finish though, coupled with some welcome herbaceous notes.

Domino Moscato 2010 is a sweet wine.  Yet, it's not too sweet to compliment a savory meal, offering enough acidity to cut through a buttery rich sauce.

I'd give Domino Moscato 2010 9.1 out of 10 points on the Parker scale.

Technical Notes - Alcohol: 13% | Residual Sugar: 5.15 g/100ml |
| Total Acidity: 0.55 g/100mlpH: 3.42 |


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The Low Salt Vodka Vehicle - Micro Blog

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I'm a fan of Dirty (with olive brine) Vodka Martinis and Blood Marys.  Both drinks are satisfying vehicles for vodka, largely due to their delicious salt content.  What's a fellah to do though, when his doctor orders him onto a low salt regimen?

Luckily, in contrast to the salty Dirty Vodka Martini & Bloody Mary, the Cosmopolitan is a low salt way to drink vodka.  The sweet cranberry juice is complimented by the citric triple sec, tart lime juice, and dry vodka, producing a cocktail that's sweet, but balanced.
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Title: Cosmopolitan | Date: 02/27/13 | Photographer: John Sullivan | This 
file is in public domain, not copyrighted, 
no rights reserved, free for any use.

Cosmopolitan

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 ounces vodka
3/4 ounce cranberry juice
1/2 ounce triple sec
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Ice

INSTRUCTIONS:
Place a cocktail glass in the freezer to chill.  Combine the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau or triple sec, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker and fill it halfway with ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted. Strain into the chilled glass and serve cold.

For an even sweeter cocktail, use Cran/Raspberry Juice.
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Shutdown Impacts Beer Industry - Micro Blog

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Various beers | Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify 
this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

This week, the media has run multiple stories describing the federal shutdown's effects on average American citizens, military personnel, federal parks, craft beer...  Wait, craft beer?

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has the duty to approve new breweries, recipes, and labels. According to Eater National, due to the government shutdown, these duties aren't being performed, which is delaying the marketing debuts of new brews such as Fall seasonal beers & ales.

Odds are that the shutdown won't effect big beer companies such as MillerCoors or Anheuser-Busch, but Burnside Brewing, Bridgeport, Fort George, Widmer, Rogue, and other craft beer producers are preparing for a savere economic pinch.

Theoretically, the loss of seasonal sales could force small breweries to lay employees off, or close their doors completely.  Such closures would narrow the selection of brews available to consumers, marking an abrupt end to the craft beer boom.
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Honeywood's Raspberry Wine - Micro Blog

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Like most drinkers, when I think of "good wine" I typically think of grape varietals, and dismiss fruit wines as the cheap stuff hillbillies and high school kids gulp down in order achieve quick buzz.  However, I was at Primrose & Tumbleweeds a while back, when I came across Honeywood's line of fruit wines.  Since I was at a shop/bar which seemed to pride itself as being a peddler of fine wines, my curiosity was peaked.  Being a raspberry fan, I took home a $12.00 bottle of Honeywood's Raspberry Wine.

Honeywood's Raspberry Wine boasts seven pounds of raspberries make up every gallon of their premium wine.

Not being a regular dessert eater, it took me a few weeks to find an appropriate food to pair with the wine.  I finally drank it with a creamy chocolate mousse.  The wine tasted very much like raspberries, but the sweet fruit was balanced with a welcome tartness, reminding me of an alcoholic version of Ocean Spray's Cran/Raspberry.   The sweet & sour raspberry flavor was delicious against the rich dark chocolate.

All things considered, I'd drink Honeywood's Raspberry Wine again, giving it 89/100 points.
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Taleggio - Micro Blog

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I was at Whole Foods on Sunday looking for some Triple Creme Brie.  The Brie wasn't in its typical spot.  I found another soft cheese, decided to try it instead, and bought just over 5 ounces for $7.95.

Taleggio  is, possibly, one of the oldest Italian produced soft cheeses. Its name has been found in the caverns of the Alpine Valley dating back before the tenth century.

Named for the Alpine Valley (the Val Taleggio) in the Lombardy region of Italy, where it's produced, this cows' milk cheese is only made during fall and winter months.  Unlike most cheeses, Taleggio is both smear-ripened (bacteria, often the bacteria called "Brevibacterium linens", is smeared onto the rind of the cheese to strengthen the cheese's flavor during aging) and rind-washed (the cheese is washed during aging, usually with a saltwater brine, but more flavorful liquids such as beer, brandy, or wine can be used).  Taleggio undergoes this duel process anywhere from six to ten weeks to give the cheese ample time to reach maturity and optimum flavor.

The result is a soft Italian cheese with a buttery nutty salty flavor and creamy smooth texture.  I ate a healthy portion of it that night along with a green summer salad of spinach & Granny Smith Apples, and a loaf of fresh bakery bread.  When served at room temperature, Taleggio spread across my bread as easily as butter, providing a rich fatty contrast to the crisp green salad.

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Taleggio Cheese (Italy), image by Dominik Hundhammer 2004, {{GFDL}}  This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
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Egg & Anchovy Sandwich - Micro Blog

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I'm a mystery buff, and a fan of Rex Stout's culinary minded sleuth, Nero Wolfe.  In The Father Hunt sidekick Archie Goodwin snacked on an egg & anchovy sandwich while awaiting instructions from Wolfe.  Having a thing for anchovies, I wanted to try one of these sandwiches.

I found an egg and anchovy sandwich recipe, resembling what was described in the story, on the Australian Women's Weekly's site, of all places.  Their recipe feeds six people.  I altered it for one person.  My ingredient amounts aren't precisely 1/6 of their totals though, because my recipe doesn't have the sandwich maker leave an empty 1 inch margin between the fillings and the edges of the bread.   I also mixed a few teaspoons of yellow mustard with my mayo for an extra tang without the sharp vinegary bite straight mustard, sometimes, delivers.
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Egg & Anchovy Sandwich

INGREDIENTS 

3 tsp. mayonnaise
2 tsp. yellow mustard
2 thick bread slices
1.5 large hard-boiled eggs
4 anchovy fillets

PROCEDURE

Mix the mayonnaise & mustard together in a ramekin, or small bowl, until the mixture is pale yellow in color.  Spread some mayonnaise mixture generously over one side of each slice of bread. Place half the egg slices in mounds on one bread slice. Top with the anchovy fillets, then the remaining egg slices. Cover with the second piece of bread and press firmly on the edges to seal the sandwich. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

The result is a tangy salty sandwich, with a nice umami undertone from the egg.  Served with a cold beer, this sandwich is perfect for any bar's menu or at home poker night.

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Scrambled Eggs with Brie & Black Truffle - Micro Blog

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One thing I got for Christmas was a whole black truffle, kept fresh in a little jar of rice.  Last night I realized I still have most of it left, so this morning I was going to have Scrambled Eggs with Cream Cheese and shave some truffle over the top. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I awoke to find no cream cheese in the house.  Not to be defeated, I shifted gears a bit, put some Brie out to soften, and made the following for lunch.
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Scrambled Eggs with Brie & Black Truffle

Ingredients:
2 Large Eggs,
0.5 cups Milk (skim will do),
1.5 oz Triple Creme Brie - cut into uniform cubes and left at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to soften,
Salt & Pepper - to taste,
1 tablespoon Butter,
1 Black Truffle

Procedure:
Combine first four line items in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Melt butter in large heavy skillet over medium heat, add egg mixture. Cook over low heat until eggs are partially set, lifting edges gently to allow uncooked eggs to flow underneath. Cook until eggs are set but still moist, 9 to 12 minutes. Pour onto plate, shave black truffle across the top, and serve alongside your favorite breakfast meat.

Note: There's enough fat in the Brie to let you use skim milk without sacrificing the creamy texture of the dish.
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The Brie gives the scrambled eggs a smooth creaminess which really brings the "run o' the mill" dish to life.  This luxurious texture was accompanied by a rich flavor cream cheese simply can't deliver.  Likewise, the black truffle shavings added an extra salty/savory quality I highly recommend.

Considering the price of black truffles & good cheese, this is definitely a special occasion/comfort breakfast.  Given the general blah-ness of the recent weather though, a little comfort food may be just what the doctor ordered.
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ChocoVine: Raspberry - Micro Blog

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It's hard to review wines without eventually repeating yourself.  "This white has hints of grass & citrus," "That red has some nice cherry notes," etc..  I'd become slightly bored with wines in general, when I came across something I'd hadn't expected at, of all places, my local WinCo Grocry Store.

Admittedly, I was skeptical when I found this bottle for only $8.00.  Yet, I try to live by the rule to try everything at least once, so I allowed curiosity to take over and took the bottle home.

ChocoVine: Raspberry is made from NV French Cabernet Sauvignon combined with rich dark chocolate from Holland and Raspberries to produce a unique dessert time cocktail at 14% ABV.

The wine begins with a creamy texture on the tongue and delivers a good initial hit of chocolate & raspberry flavor, akin to a raspberry mocha.  As it slides down the throat though, the drinker will feel a slight burn, reminding them of the presence of the alcohol.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit I'm the only member of my household to like ChocoVine: Raspberry.  While I give it 3.8 out of 5 stars, other members of my household report a "medicine flavor" which I personally don't taste. Nevertheless, at such a low price point, ChocoVine: Raspberry may be something you want to experiment with this holiday season.
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Tiny Amounts Defined - Micro Blog

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I was looking at an online recipe for Guacamole, when I noticed the recipe called for "1/8 teaspoon of hot sauce." I thought it was funny to see it worded that way; that amount is typically referred to as "a dash." After clicking through the site for a bit, I noticed instructions for 1/8 teaspoon of this and 1/16 teaspoon, more commonly known as a pinch, of that. I wondered why the writers of the site veered from the common cooking vernacular. I did some research, and discovered articles, such as the one at EHOW.COM, which refer to dashes & pinches as subjective measurements. It may be that the site's writers used the teaspoon fraction because many people think dashes & pinches are subjective measurements. They're not.

Terms Defined:
1 dash = 1/8 tsp
1 pinch = 1/16 tsp (1/2 dash)
1 smidgen = 1/32 tsp (1/4 dash)
1 nip = 1/64 tsp (1/8 dash)

I'm not sure how much flavor a single dash of hot sauce will add to a dip, personally. Yet, if you do need to add a dash, or less, of something to a recipe, most measuring spoon sets come with a 1/8 teaspoon measure. There are also special measuring spoons made if you need to accurately measure anything less than a dash.
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The Recipe Project - Micro Blog

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The world of food is crowded with cookbooks, cooking shows, and food blogs. Even Gwyneth Paltrow, who's not necessarily a food celebrity, has a cookbook on the market. After awhile, the newest cookbook, cooking show, and food blog looks like every other cookbook, cooking show, and food blog out there. Monday's Fresh Air broadcast though, signed off with a fun song from a group called One Ring Zero. The song, "Brains and Eggs" is a lyrical version of a recipe for just that, calves brains and eggs.


"Brains and Eggs" by One Ring Zero
The song is a single from One Ring Zero's The Recipe Project. The Recipe Project is a cookbook with recipes from; Mario Batali, Michael Symon, John Besh, and other chefs; which have been set to music on an accompanying CD. If all the songs are as catchy and upbeat as "Brains and Eggs," this will be a fun cookbook to own, when it's released on October, 15th 2011.

Question: What's your favorite food related song? Leave your answer in the comment section.
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Woolwich Dairy's Triple Creme Goat Brie - Micro Blog

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I love Goat Cheese. I love, love, love Triple Creme Brie. Thus, when I came across Triple Creme Goat Brie, from Woolwich Dairy, at New Seasons Market I had to snatch up a helping of the delicacy.

The seller explained to me, that Woolwich Dairy pumps butter fat into their Triple Creme Goat Brie to give it that rich Triple Creme texture, which eaters expect. Served at room temperature, this cheese is butter soft a spreadable. The goats' milk gives the product a slightly stronger and tangier flavor than typical Brie, without being overpowering.

I paid $9.00 for the 6.5oz (180g) wheel of Triple Creme Goat Brie, which may be considered, by some, to be slightly on the spendy side. However, as I enjoyed it on flatbread, alongside a salad and a good glass of wine, I found it to be worth the price.

I give Triple Creme Goat Brie 9 out of 10 stars.
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Sweet Cheeks 2010 Vintage Riesling - Micro Blog

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I was at Renaissance: Wine & Cigars on Saturday, and wanted a light sweet white wine with notes of green apple. The charming proprietor steered me toward Sweet Cheeks 2010 Vintage Riesling from Crow, Oregon in the Southern Willamette Valley. I took it home and drank a glass with a lunch of Huntsman, Fromager d'Affinois, Smoked Maple Leaf Gouda, 'Buffalo Wing/Blue Cheese spread' (made from a dry mix, sour cream, and mayo), grilled flat bread, and dark plumbs.

The official description of the wine speaks of honeysuckle, apricot, and peach flavors. Yet, I agree with seller I bought it from; crisp green apple is the dominant flavor in this wine. Hints of apricot and peach do lie just underneath the apple, though. The combination of flavors, and just the right level of acidity, made Sweet Cheeks 2010 Vintage Riesling pleasant to drink against the salty blue veins of the Huntsman, the creaminess of the d'Affinois, the smokiness of the Gouda, and the spice of the spread.

At a $14.00 price point, this is a real bargain. I give Sweet Cheeks 2010 Vintage Riesling 8 out of 10 stars.
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