January 30, 2009

A while back, I spent a week in San Antonio. Loved the Alamo
and River Walk. I also consumed a lot of Shiner Bock. I only
mention this because I asked for it at Hill Country. They said no
because of Licensing. Shiner Bock is only sold in 41 states
and New York is not one of them. Too bad, because this is
the Shiner brewery's 100th Anniversary and they are making some cool beers this year.



I spent quite a bit of time in the Menger Hotel Bar.
The Menger Bar was built in 1887 as a replica of the
House of Lords Pub in London. It is across the street from the
Alamo. Teddy Roosevelt recruited some of his Rough Riders in
the pub, and its walls are covered with Rough Rider photos as well
as those showing old San Antonio. There is a large photo of
Roosevelt in Rough Rider gear on the mirror in the middle of the
lavish back bar. The bar itself isn’t long, with seating for a
half dozen. The draft choices are Pilsner Urquell, Guinness,
Harp, Dos Equis and two Shiner beers.

January 29, 2009

The Brisket at Hill Country was great.



Excellent sides washed down with Lone Star Beer.






Picked this up in Barnes and Noble.



Bought this one.It has five versions of Roadhouse Blues.
Musicians include harmonica whiz G. Puglese
(aka John Sebastian) and blues master Lonnie Mack
on bass.Some interesting SongFacts.



Also did not know that Hard Rock Cafe took their name
from this photo on the back, an alternate name for the album.

January 27, 2009

R.I.P. John Updike.

Ex-Basketball Player

by John Updike

Pearl Avenue runs past the high-school lot,

Bends with the trolley tracks, and stops, cut off

Before it has a chance to go two blocks,

At Colonel McComsky Plaza. Berth’s Garage

Is on the corner facing west, and there,

Most days, you'll find Flick Webb, who helps Berth out.

Flick stands tall among the idiot pumps—

Five on a side, the old bubble-head style,

Their rubber elbows hanging loose and low.

One’s nostrils are two S’s, and his eyes

An E and O. And one is squat, without

A head at all—more of a football type.

Once Flick played for the high-school team, the Wizards.

He was good: in fact, the best. In ’46

He bucketed three hundred ninety points,

A county record still. The ball loved Flick.

I saw him rack up thirty-eight or forty

In one home game. His hands were like wild birds.

He never learned a trade, he just sells gas,

Checks oil, and changes flats. Once in a while,

As a gag, he dribbles an inner tube,

But most of us remember anyway.

His hands are fine and nervous on the lug wrench.

It makes no difference to the lug wrench, though.

Off work, he hangs around Mae’s Luncheonette.

Grease-gray and kind of coiled, he plays pinball,

Smokes those thin cigars, nurses lemon phosphates.

Flick seldom says a word to Mae, just nods

Beyond her face toward bright applauding tiers

Of Necco Wafers, Nibs, and Juju Beads.

Source: Collected Poems, 1953-1993 (1993).

January 25, 2009

Part of the Christmas beer was this Czech Pilsner.
Quite good, better than Beck's or Heineken.



This week will be the redemption of the $50 Gift
Certificate. It will go fast based on my reading of the
Take-out Menu.



Can't stop listening to this.




Happy Year of the Ox.

January 24, 2009

My latest toy from work: Blackberry Curve 8350i.
I now have a cooler phone than my children.
How many parents can say that ? Saves me lots of time
communicating with multiple parties and during off-hours.
The President went to great lengths to keep his:
OMG! POTUS keeps his BB.




Tonight's dinner is Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
One version is Hunts BBQ sauce with oven drippings.
The other is East Carolina Style. Recipe from
Jurassic Pork.

East Carolina Sauce

Serves: 1 Servings

Ingredients:
1 c Vinegar
2 tb Brown sugar
2 tb Red pepper flakes
1 ts Cayenne
1 ts Black pepper
1 ts Salt
1/2 c Water (optional)




Served with an old favorite. Bass Ale.

Today's acrostic made me think of this:

January 20, 2009

President Obama. It was a good speech.



Rosa Mexicano was great. Nice atmosphere, terrific food.
Pricey drinks but had a real good Cadillac Margarita. The picture
above is one of the cliff divers on a spectacular Water-Wall,
designed by David Rockwell.

January 19, 2009 -- MLK Day

This is a great read and topical for today. A novel about Music,
prejudice and little Physics thrown in. A description:

"On Easter day, 1939, at Marian Anderson’s epochal concert on the Washington Mall, David Strom, a German Jewish émigré scientist, meets Delia Daley, a young Philadelphia Negro studying to be a singer. Their mutual love of music draws them together, and—against all odds and better judgment—they marry. They vow to raise their children beyond time, beyond identity, steeped only in song. Jonah, Joseph, and Ruth grow up, however, during the Civil Rights era, coming of age in the violent 1960s, and living out adulthood in the racially retrenched late century. Jonah, the eldest, “whose voice could make heads of state repent,” follows a life in his parents’ beloved classical music. Ruth, the youngest, devotes herself to community activism and repudiates the white culture her brother represents. Joseph, the middle child and the narrator of this generation-bridging tale, struggles to find himself and remain connected to them both."

As for the concert, from Wikipedia: "The Roosevelts, with Walter White, then-executive secretary of the NAACP, and Anderson's manager, impresario Sol Hurok, then persuaded Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes to arrange an open air Marian Anderson concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.The concert, commencing with a dignified and stirring rendition of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" attracted a crowd of more 75,000 of all colors and was a sensation with a national radio audience of millions."

"My Country, 'Tis of Thee" , of course, time-travelling to the
I Have a Dream speech at the same location(15:40 mark.)
Let freedom ring!


Happy 200th Birthday Edgar Allan Poe.

Lots of good stuff at this web site:
The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore . I know he was
born in Boston and raised in Richmond, Va.,but I always associate
him with Baltimore. He is buried there. He also spent three
years in the The Bronx.

From The Cask of Amontillado.
"It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given
Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was
my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that
my smile now was at the thought of his immolation."



This is another good Ale. Lots of flavor and bite.

From the Brewery Web site:

"Tröegs Brewery’s Flagship beer, HopBack Amber Ale derives its name from a vessel in the brewhouse called a hopback. As the ‘wort’ is being transferred from the brewhouse to fermentation it passes through the hopback vessel. Packed full of fresh whole flower hops,the wort slowly circulates through this vessel extracting the essence of the aromatic hops. This vessel adds more time and more hop character that creates a fresh, spicy taste and rich caramel note that defines this signature ale."



Yeah, I like wine too. This was a gift and it is comprehensive.
Will be poking around and seeing if it helps. My usual tastes
run in Red.

January 18, 2009

The choice for Restaurant Week is
Rosa Mexicano at Union Square. Been there before and
liked it. Their Lunch Menu looks great.
City Crab down the block has a good menu too,
as does Angelo and Maxies.



Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat.
"Have yourself a Leine."
Leinenkugel Brewing Company (Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin)
is now owned by Miller Brewing.
The taste is sort of like Coor's Blue Moon
which is a Belgian White. Both garnished with a slice of Orange.
This was a good tasting, clean, well-made ale.

From Wikipedia: "On March 28,2006, the company introduced
Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat also known to some as
"liquid fruity pebbles",which is brewed with wheat, hops,
and coriander. The coriander is claimed to give the beer a
citrus flavor, although it has also been compared to
blueberry. Soon after its introduction, it was made available
throughout much of the US."



Thanks to the NY Post, I saw this:
$6 Guinness Floats at Southern Hospitality,
1460 2nd Ave New York, NY 10075-2203.
To quote Will Smith in Independence Day:
"I gotta get me one of these."

3 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 bottle Guinness® stout

Put the ice cream in first, then add the Guinness carefully. Wait for the head to go down then fill to top. Blend if you want a milkshake.



Erie Brewing Company, American Pale Ale.
Same company as Railbender Ale. This one
has more flavor and is better.

January 17, 2009

Way too cold to do anything but watch TV , read and cook.

Beef Stew:
1 1/2 pounds Top Round Sirloin
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon Black pepper
1 Tablespoon Goya Adobe
2 Tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil
3 carrots
5 Potatoes
4 Mushrooms
1 Sweet potato
1 Green Pepper
2 Red Peppers
1 cup Peas
7 cloves garlic
1 Shallot
1 cup beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 teaspoon Oregeno
2 teaspoons Lime Juice
1 packet Turbinado Brown Sugar
1 28 oz Marinara Sauce
1 8 oz Tomato Sauce
1 16 oz Diced Tomatoes
3 Tomatoes

Cut Beef into small cubes. Put cubes in Gallon Storage bag with flour, pepper and Adobe. Mix well to cover cubes completely
Add cubes to hot oil and saute for six to seven minutes.
In a large pot add the chopped garlic, onion , shallot, mushrooms and peppers until soft. Add carrots, potatoes (cubed), tomatoes, Sauce, peas, broth, wine, Oregano; Add cooked Beef cubes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover , cook until all is tender, about two hours. Serve with Dark Beer.



Patrick McGoohan died last Tuesday. R.I.P.
Secret Agent and The Prisoner were two of my favorite
shows. Amctv.com has all seventeen of The Prisoner episodes
on-line.

January 16, 2009

R.I.P. Andrew Wyeth.

January 12, 2009

R.I.P. Alan S. Geisler, the man behind
Sabrett's Red Onion Sauce.

The recipe:
Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin and chopped
4 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vinegar
Directions
1
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2
Sauté the onion in the oil for 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft, but not brown.
3
Add the water, tomato paste, corn syrup, cornstarch, salt, and red pepper flakes, and stir together.
4
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
5
Add the vinegar and continue simmering for an additiona1 30-45 minutes, or until most of the liquid is reduced and the sauce is thickened.
6
Makes about 1 cup.





The next book on the list. I hear it is
fascinating.

January 11, 2009

R.I.P Giants Season. Plaxico, we needed you.



This was OK, sort of a beer you want to drink during the Summer
on a dock with the Sun beating down. Reminded me of Genny Cream Ale.



I went to College in Ohio. Genesee Cream Ale was worshiped
by many Mid-Westeners.



Dogfish Head continues to hit them out of the park.
This one had a ton of flavor and might be the best I've had yet.



New 24 season starts tonight. Too many commercials but
this is great TV.

January 10, 2009

Basketball used to be my passion. Now, since I've lost
my explosive first step and age has taken a toll, I only play
once or twice a year. Tonight, I play in a fund-raiser for my
old grammar school. Class of 65.
I still coach CYO Basketball and today my team was down by
14 at half-time and pulled out a five point victory.




Philly still rules for making Cheesesteaks.
Above is a picture of Pat's.
New York City has finally started to make
decent Philly-Style Cheesesteaks. Here
is NYC Cheesesteak Crawl results.



Tonight's meal is Chili. Just in time
for snow and NFL Playoffs.
My recipe:
1 1/2 pounds Top Round Sirloin
cut into ½ inch cubes
1 Pound Chuck Chop
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon Black pepper
2 Tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil
10 Mushrooms
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1 Large Onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Cumin
3 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp. Cocoa
7 cloves garlic
1 cup beef broth
1 cup Dark Beer
2 Bay Leaves
1 ½ tsp. Tabasco Sauce
2 tsp. Lime Juice
1 28 oz Marinara Sauce
2 (16 oz.) cans Red Pinto Beans
1 8 oz Tomato Sauce
1 16 oz Diced Tomatoes

Cut Beef into small cubes. Put cubes in Gallon Storage bag
with flour, pepper. Mix well to cover cubes completely.
Add cubes to hot oil and saute for six to seven minutes.
In a large pot add the chopped garlic, onion , mushrooms and peppers until soft. Add Sauce, broth, wine, Beer. Add cooked Beef cubes, Chuck Chop, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover , cook until all is tender, about two hours. Serve with Dark Beer.

January 5, 2009

New York City Restaurant Week- Winter 2009 has
arrived. From January 18 to 23 and January 25 to 30,
choose from over 250 of NYC’s best restaurants and enjoy
$24.07 lunch and $35 dinner. Check out NYCGO.Com.
Wildwood and Blue Smoke are on the list.



New York Magazine's current issue is devoted
to restaurants. Here is the BBQ SECTION.

January 4, 2009

I am now into the IPA section of my Holiday Beers.
60 Minute IPA, Dogfish Head. This is one great India Pale Ale.

This English Old Ale Style was OK, not great.

January 1, 2009 - Yup That's a nine

New Year's Eve Tastings. Dark to brown.
A little Champagne, and Mimosas in the a.m.



This was good.



Not quite as tasty as Sierra Nevada.



A real nice package.




Crisp and clean.


Upcoming Anniversaries: 50th - Twilight Zone, first aired 10/02/1959,
and Woodstock : 40th - August 15,16,17 1969.