Try this fun combination: crushed graham crackers, Trader Joe’s pumpkin ice cream, Trader Joe’s caramel sauce, some whipped cream and a few peanuts. I’ve eaten it 3 days in a row and it hasn’t gotten old yet.
Archive for the ‘food’ Category
Dinner’s Bookends: Sherry and Port
2011 -
01.06
In my continued exploration of the pseudo-finer-things, the time has arrived to try Sherry and Port. Luckily, my entry fee has been minor: Trader Joe’s offers Pastora Fino Pale Dry Sherry for $4.99 a bottle, and Porto Morgado Ruby Port for $6.99.
I’ve always been interested in these fortified wines, but never tried either drink, all I knew is that Sherry is a “before dinner” aperitif and Port an “after dinner” digestif, the the first should be dry and the second sweet. I then made a choice based primarily on price, but also asked my local TJ’s Wine Dude if I should pick Ruby or Tawny Port, and he said Ruby is sweeter and richer, Tawny is more mellow and subtle. After he gave me 2 Glencairn glasses
The Sherry is crisp with a quick finish. It has a more pronounced grape flavor than most wines, and after 2 sips I recognized the flavor of my least-favorite liquor: grappa (pomace brandy). We served it very cold – right out of the fridge – but initially served it with turkey cabbage rolls, and we really couldn’t taste it. I had it a few days later as an aperitif and didn’t like it. It has a trashy-grapey finish that grappa has, just a little more muted than straight grappa.
The Port got tasted on Christmas day at room temperature and it’s great. It’s rich, warm-finishing, and sweet, but it doesn’t leave sugariness on the tongue and teeth. It’s perfect as dessert, while talking after a meal, and about 3 oz seems to be just the right amount.
Both the Port and Sherry have the scent of brandy as you lift the glass to your mouth. Once the Porto Morgado is sipped, you cannot taste brandy, though, only the sweet rich frutiness of the drink. The Pastora Fino Sherry has a bit more of the lingering alcohol (grappa) taste, finishes strong and tangy.
Ultimately, I’ll buy the Port again, but may need to look into cream or sweeter Sherries to find something I like.
Wine Review: Toasted Head Chardonnay
2010 -
12.13
As I write my first wine review, it is essential that I point out that I am a novice. I love wine, but have tried comparatively few because of the limitations of poverty on a connoisseur’s tongue. I generally drink sub-five-dollar wine. Now that I’ve said that, I do appreciate wine very much and love the flavors I’ve encountered, which means I’m not an expert, but so what?
Toasted Head Chardonnay is a $13 bottle of wine which I got on sale for $4. I had my first drink after smoking a mild cigar and before sitting down to eat ground-turkey tacos.
It has an amazingly rich flavor. “Buttery” is the top of the list in descriptive words, along with woody, rich, and smooth. I would not characterize it as sweet, but it is certainly not dry. As I ate, and afterward, the wine’s richness was eventually overpowering. I found it was quite a stomachful once I got the the end of the second glass, and while I still liked the flavor, it was too rich at that point.
My wife initially did not like the flavor at all, and though she got used to it, it was too rich to go with the meal we had. It’s a very good wine, but because of its richness, it may be difficult to pair with foods. Sipped on it’s own or with a cigar may be the best way to enjoy this wine, and I plan on chilling a bottle next time it’s warm enough to go outside for a stogie.
Keep the Cocktail List Simple
2010 -
11.18
In planning a list of cocktails for a party, the key is not to overextend yourself. Keep the list short, make it work with the food, and make sure the ingredients are not too complex.
Here’s a recipe list I developed that I call “Strong-Sweet-Soda.” It’s 6 recipes, 2 in each category. That’s a pretty long list, but the “soda” section I know without referring to the recipes, so it’s only 4 that I’ll have to refer to.
The Strong Drinks:
Manhattan
2 1/2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes bitters
cherry garnish
Lemon Drop
2 oz vodka
1 oz lemon juice
2 tsp simple syrup
sugar rim, lemon wedge garnish
The Sweet Drinks:
Melon Ball
2 oz melon liqueur
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
on the rocks, lemon wheel or cherry garnish
White Russian
2 oz vodka
1 oz coffee liqueur
1/2 oz cream
on the rocks, cherry garnish
Note: I prefer Starbucks or Patron liqueur to Kahlua, they’re not as sugary.
The Soda Drinks:
Gin and Tonic
1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz lime juice
top with natural tonic water
on the rocks, lime wedge garnish
Note: I get the natural tonic water at Whole Foods. No HFCS!
Cube Libre
1 1/2 oz rum
1/2 oz lime juice
top with Mexican Coke or Pepsi Throwback (no HFCS)
on the rocks, lime wedge garnish
So, the simple list of ingredients I’ll need: lemons, limes, simple syrup (which I’ll make that day from raw sugar), tonic water, Mexican Coke, and cream. Of course the 5 base spirits should be in your cabinet already: vodka, rum, gin, bourbon, and tequila. The only unusual one in this list is the melon liqueur, which you could always substitute Amaretto for. Good luck!
Albuquerque’s best sushi is in Rio Rancho.
2010 -
06.25
I recently expressed frustration with poor-quality sushi joints which have infested Albuquerque. My favorite sushi place in town has been Shogun on Central, but I don’t love it, it was just the best I’d found.
On a recent date night, Lisa and I decided to have sushi, and I literally Googled “best sushi in Albuquerque.” All the usual spots were there, like I Love Sushi, Sushi King, or Azuma. By the way, those are not the best in Albuquerque. I saw another one nestled in there that I had never heard of: Noda’s. Billed as “authentic Japanese cuisine,” and up on Southern in Rio Rancho, Urban Spoon and Yelp! are filled with rave reviews, some dating back 10 years.
We went. Noda’s quickly became our favorite sushi restaurant yet. You see, sushi isn’t a kitch thing there, it’s just part of the menu and has been for over a decade. It’s not a sushi restaurant, it’s a Japanese restaurant. The sushi was unique and incredibly tasty – there was no Gryffindor Roll, thank goodness. There was a very limited amount of cream cheese in the rolls, too (I recall seeing only 1 that had it) and almost no tempura-based rolls.
A unique thing they do was make the sushi rolls, then pile some more fish on the tops. I tried the “green mustard roll,” and the salmon roll (pictured below) and they had a lot more flavor than I’m used to in sushi. They were filling without being heavy.
The rolls were well-built and the service was pleasant. The fish tasted amazing and they used some wonderful ingredients in the rolls like the sprouts in that salmon roll. So my current favorite sushi place in Albuquerque? Noda’s. Without a doubt.
