Category Archives: Food

Three Years, Two Months and Twelve Days

On August 6th, I announced that I was changing the rules of the challenge that launched this blog.

A week ago, I bought my first cookbook since the challenge launched. (Let’s not discuss how many cookbooks I’ve gotten rid of, because I don’t know.)

No one is surprised by this purchase, I suspect. The book screams that it belongs in my kitchen. Even so, before subjecting myself to being anywhere near it (and thus potentially buying it), I made sure to consider if it was simply an impulse purchase. Basically, did it fill a hole in my collection? If not, was this a really strongly wanted cookbook, or just a passing fancy? Did it keep me under 50 total cookbooks?

The last question is the easiest to answer, because it does.… Continue reading →

The MetaCookbook Challenge

Yesterday, my friend Corrine said to me, “So, you’re not a foodie anymore?” It was only half a question. When I asked what in the world she was talking about, she pointed out that the posts on this blog these days are often about beer, less so about food. She’s not wrong, but the food stuff isn’t going away entirely.

Bill and I launched this blog back in June 2010 to be a mutual project of cooking out of our many[1] cookbooks. After a great start in 2010 for cooking and blogging, this space nearly died in 2011 and in 2012 came back sputtering, then roaring, back, but with a rather different focus. We launched a new (and substantially more attractive) design, by Angelique Weger, showcasing this new focus in 0ctober 2012.… Continue reading →

Finger Limes

Last night, Bill made me a couple of very delicious margaritas. They’re really so simple. Tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, ice. It doesn’t get a lot easier than that.

We also had, for dinner, what we call “date night food”. It means we splurged on some fancy cheeses, crackers and meats, and then laid out a spread on the table and nibbled and chatted through dinner. We’d love for it to look something like what you see in the first page of Google image results for “cheese and charcuterie board”, but we’re not that good yet. Mostly, it just looks like some giant slabs of cheese on a board, with slices of meat.

One of the the things I’ve been fascinated with since I got into beer is the play of different flavors with each other.… Continue reading →

Talk to Bill, Will You?

Man!

So, it’s been a bit since my awesome post about awesome lions. This is largely because I wasn’t sure what to say to you all for a bit, and then my lovely mother came for a visit.

Then, when she left, so did I. Bill had already left. My mom went home. Bill and I went to California. We spent some time in Los Angeles, California with Bill’s uncle (also Bill), before heading up to the Bay Area (San Jose and Santa Clara, mostly, but some San Franscisco, Oakland and Berkley in there).

And LA is what I want to talk to you guys about. Briefly! Very briefly.

And maybe “talk” isn’t the right answer. “Request”, really.

See, Bill left a day before my mother and I did.… Continue reading →

Rosa’s Avocado Mousse

Read this quick little post about a weirdly delicious dessert, then consider moseying on over here to my giveaway that closes in about 7 hours. No one’s entered yet, so your odds are really good. So good it might be worth coming all the way to Chicago for. If you like beer & want to learn to make it.

Awhile back, Bill mentioned that his mother, Rosa, used to make an avocado pie when he was growing up, and that it might be his favorite dessert of all time.

Me, I was like, “Pie… made from… avocados? Really?”

Turns out, yes, really. And it’s really good. Even when, like me, you forget to make the crust fairly regularly and turn it into mousse instead. It’s good either way, but it’s best when you have a crowd to feed it to.… Continue reading →