Pour Me: Knob Creek 9 Year Single Barrel Reserve

I have been a fan of Knob Creek since the first time I tried it. That was many, many years ago, and the reason for picking it up way back when was the lyrics of a song by Atmosphere. The song, God Hates Ugly: "I'm hobble down the street till I reach Knob Creek." So, when I had enough money in college to afford some really good (remember, broke college kid) whiskey, I would pick up the Knob Creek. It was a good stepping stone into the wide world of bourbons. After Knob Creek, I moved on to much, much better stuff, but the Creek still holds a decent place in my heart.

This Knob Creek 9 Year - Single Barrel Reserve is pretty damn good. Let's start with the vitals: 60% ABV, 120 proof, ~$35.00. Regular Knob is right at 50%, and is one of the stronger bourbons out there at the under $35 price range (while still being drinkable). The Reserve is good, and this is something that you could keep in your liquor cabinet and break out for guests. Not that you would want to do anything like that. 

The way I try most new bourbons is to have the first sip straight, then move on to what I believe best suits the whiskey, whether it be on ice or mixed with a little water. This Reserve is best on ice because it helps dilute the strong alcohol notes. Unlike regular Knob, there is not a whole lot of rye present, so that is aces in my book. Reserve is very smooth, and has a nice bite on the end. 

All in all, if you have tried Knob Creek and liked it, this Single Barrel Reserve will blow you away. If, however, you have had Knob, but didn't especially care for it, you best stick to other bourbons you are more fond of. Unless you are adventurous. Reserve is high octane.

Google Recipe Search

Often, I am stuck for ideas while in the kitchen. I have stuff, but am not sure how to maximize the potential of this stuff. Google has just released a new search for recipes. You enter your search terms, and Google searches the web and brings you the results. It looks cool, but I have yet to use it (they are slowly releasing it. Check it out on Wired: Google Recipe Search Cooks Up Next Gen of Search

Reblog: Beer-Battered Fish

I just saw this recipe on Seriouseats.com, and man, it sounds good. Maybe my quest should take a detour to my own kitchen.

Via Seriouseats.com

• For the Batter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• one 12-ounce can beer (ale, larger)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• For the Fish
• 6 cups peanut or canola oil
• 1 ½ pounds skinless fillets (cod, flounder, fluke, or haddock), cut into four pieces, less than ¾-inch thick
• salt and pepper
• malt vinegar, or lemon 

For the Batter: Whisk together flour, cornstarch, beer, egg, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Make sure there are no lumps. Cover bowl and place in fridge for at least 20 minutes, and up to 3 hours. 

 

For the Fish: Pour oil into a large dutch oven. Turn heat to medium and bring to a temperature of 375°F.

 

Dry fish fillets with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Drop each piece into the bowl of batter. 

 

When oil is at 375°F., remove one piece of fish out with a pair of tongs, letting the excess batter drip back into the bowl. Then lower it into the oil, holding on to it for a few seconds to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Repeat process with other fillets. Adjust heat to medium-high to keep temperature at about 350°F. Cook until fillets are golden brown, about five minutes. 

 

Drain fish fillets on a baking sheet covered with paper towels. Serve with cole slaw, malt vinegar, lemon, or whatever you like best.

Bon Appétit menu review: Chicken Cutlets wth Warm Olive and Shallot Vinaigrette

Having a Bon Appetite subscription is pretty neat. There are some amazing menu ideas in addition to all the other content the magazine provides. There are interesting editorials, very cool product recommendations and informative how-to's. Of all the magazine subscriptions I have ever had, Bon Appetit is the most useful.

I plan on bringing various "menu reviews" from Bon Appetit, so, to kick things off, I will start with this amazing chicken cutlet recipe.
 

Please note: I have made some changes, just for the sake of easiness. I used full chicken breasts and Spanish olives with pementos (I could not find the awesome Lindsey Green Olives). Also, I seasoned my chicken a little bit more generously than listed. Golden raisins and radicchio were unavailable, so I chose not to use raisins, and used baby spinach. Lastly, I just used regular balsamic, not the white. It turned out damn tasty, and I plan on making it again, soon.

Recipe Via: Bon Appetit (Also awesome is that they list health info)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup halved pitted green olives
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 8 Treviso radicchio leaves

Preparation

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in extra-large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken; Brown until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate; tent with foil.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet over medium heat; add shallots and garlic. Sauté until shallots soften slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add olives; stir until heated, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil, golden raisins, vinegar, parsley, and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place 2 radicchio leaves on each of 4 plates. Place chicken atop radicchio. Spoon warm vinaigrette over chicken and serve.

Fish & Chips @ Baker St. Pub & Grill

Still carrying on my silly quest to find the best fish and chips in Austin, I decided to give Baker St. Pub and Grill a try. There had been a "Coming Soon" sign up for the better part of 2 months where The Alligator Grill used to be. The name sounded familiar, and I was unsure if this was part of a chain, or if it was related to the Sherlock's Baker St. Pub up north. So, we gave it a try. I was hankering for a pint, and some decent food.

Upon entering, rather, walking around the complex, due to lack of parking, we got to see all the patio, and it was actually really nice. We walked in, and were seated outside immediately on a Saturday night. Our server came over fairly quickly (much faster than at Red's Porch) and got our drink orders down. There was a bit of complain, though, because I glanced through the draft beer section, and saw nothing really appealing, I asked the waitress what kind of dark beers they had on tap. "Uh, Guinness. We also have the Coffee Porter, and that's about it." Well, I was saddened by the lack of decent dark beers, so I settled with the Coffee Porter. My compatriot ordered an Anchor Porter (in the bottle). I also decided, to Hell with it, let me try a Scotch Egg. Our waitress was giddy as a school girl that I ordered it. Uh oh.

Let me tell you something. One needs to approach the idea of eating an entire scotch egg with caution. It is, after all, a hard boiled egg, wrapped in sausage, then breaded and deep fried. This is not onion rings. A scotch egg is not jalapeno poppers. By choosing to have a scotch egg, I pretty much sealed my fate for the entire rest of the evening.

When the egg arrived, I dove right in. The egg was split into halves, and came with 2 dipping sauces. Our waitress was unsure about which sauce was which, so I tried to figure it out for myself. First I took one plain bite... Rich, I believe does not even get to the heart of the matter. A scotch egg is bad for you, and I knew that after the first pieces went down my gullet. So, being the brave man I am, for you, dear reader, I finished off the entire egg, dipping in the different sauces. One was a strong horseradish sauce, and the other tasted like caramelized onions with a balsamic glaze. Or something. Anyway, I killed that egg, single handed, and washed it down with some decent porter. Just in time for my fish and chips.

Baker St. has fish and chips. Those fish and chips are passable as fried fish and french fries. The fish and chips here are by far the worst I have had on my quest. The chips are of the hand-cut and frozen variety, with very little seasoning. The fish is Atlantic Cod, and it was decent, but the batter was more of a breading that battering, something that I do not especially care for. The tartar sauce was, quite surprisingly, amazing. The tartar sauce had the proper amount of pickle and mayo, and was just perfect for the fish. Sadly, amazing tartar sauce is not a great reason to go anyplace, except maybe the Tartar Emporium, and even then that is a stretch.

I am glad I gave Baker St. Pub and Grill a shot, for the sake of finally trying a scotch egg, but the fish and chips are not worth going for. Alas, the quest continues.

Pour Me: Lucky Bastard Ale

Stone Brewing is badass. They make one of my all time favorite beers, Arrogant Bastard. Arrogant Bastard pretty much changed my perspectives on what a beer could be. I liked it then, and I still like it to this day. Some of the other Stone beers I have tried have been alright, but nothing quite on par with how much I care for Arrogant Bastard. Lucky Bastard comes quite close.

Arrogant Bastard runs about $3.99 for a 22oz bomber. This is a damn good deal for a damn good beer. At about $8.50, Lucky Bastard holds a fair premium over Arrogant Bastard. That is perfectly okay. Lucky Bastard is what happens to Arrogant Bastard when it grows up, and get married. Sure, it may have lost it's abrasive edge, but is much better for it. The personality blooms, and makes it a livable beer. I do believe I have over analogized.


Lucky Bastard is a very good ale. It is pretty hoppy, and pretty stout. This is a beer drinkers beer. There is a slight tang at the end that just lets you know that you are a mere mortal. In my experience, I have found that beer favors the bold. Sure, ones favorites are favorites for a reason, but that is no excuse not to go out and try something brand new. I am pleased I tried Lucky Bastard, and it has affirmed my decision to keep trying new beers. 

Pour Me: Jefferson's Bourbon

The $30USD bourbon range is quite full of good and even great bourbons. Jefferson's is no exception. There is value in this bourbon, to be sure, but there are superior bourbons out there at this price range. However, Jefferson's Bourbon is good.

Jefferson's is a very drinkable bourbon. There is no discernible rye "bite" to this, so it earns a gold star for that. The body is mellow, and to be honest, somewhat dull. There are very few interesting things happening, so it is best served straight, so as to get the maximum amount of flavor.

All in all, I would recommend this bourbon at $25USD, but at $30, it's pretty spendy for the quality and value.

Pour Me: Hirsch Select

After a bad bourbon experience, it is difficult to put faith in ones blind choices. "But the last one looked good" I told myself. "Should I just get something I know and like?" No. Go forward, young man. So forward I went, and encountered this splendid bourbon.

Hirsch Select is everything that my Basil Hayden's; namely, drink-ability Hirsch is not loaded with strong rye tones, but uses them subtly. This bourbon is not over-powered by any one particular flavor. It doesn't get everything right, but it is a good, solid bourbon.


I highly recommend this on ice; straight up is just too much to handle. As the ice melts, the bourbon is slightly diluted, and it stretches the bourbon in interesting ways. There are complex flavors abound, but none of them are entirely discernible. A whiff of coffee, a slight sweetness and a ping of rye are all to be found, but not consistently. There is a strong bite on the end, and it makes pacing very easy. It is a good bourbon for rocks, but at $30, it is not a great value. Still, it is better than almost any $25 whiskey out there, but at $30, the competition is stiff.

Pour Me: Sierra Nevada Hoptimum

Sierra Nevada always has good beers. There Pale Ale is by far, one of the best of the species. Their seasonals are also usually pretty good, give or take. Since Sierra Nevada has a pretty good track record with me, I am usually willing to give their new concoctions a try.

"The ultimate whole-cone hop experience" the bottle declares. And so it is. 

Hoptimum is a clever name, and I like it. The nose is light, and there is a very, very light smell of hops. The beer itself is very good, if you are a fan of the hops. I am, so this clicked with me. When I first tipped this bad boy back, my tongue felt as though it was being washed away with hops, and it was delightful. Hoptimum goes down smooth. Now, when I think hops, I usually think bitter, but that is not the case. Yes, there is a tinge of bitterness at the end, but its a good tinge. There is a bit of bite from the alcohol (this is a huge beer @ 10.4% ABV), but just slightly. It is interesting. However, there are some issues with Hoptimum, namely, the price. For the bomber, the price at my local grocer was $9.49USD. I would pay that in an instant if this was in a six-pack, but it is unreasonable for just a 22oz.

Hoptimum is a solid beer, and a high price. I would buy it again, and again, and again if I was flush, but I am not, so maybe just twice before this seasonal disappears.

Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet potatoes are fantastic, are they not? When I was growing up, we only had sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving, and only topped with brown sugar and marshmallows. Since those days, I have grown to appreciate them a tremendous amount more. From sweet potato fries to baked sweet potatoes, I have really "awakened." I now would rather have a sweet potato over a regular Idaho in any instance. Mashed? Oh Hell yes. Au Gratin? Sure, Sure. Soup? Definitely!*

This is a really tasty soup, and before I got the immersion blender, I just used our regular blender. The immersion blender worked, but not really well. I should have cut the sweet potatoes into much smaller chunks. I was under the impression that the blender could handle it. Regardless, it worked much better than dumping a batch into the blender, then trying to find something to put it in to load up the next batch. Plus, it's so fun using new culinary tools.

Please note that this is a very basic recipe, and that if you desire a certain seasoning, to add it. Personally, I added some smoked cumin and cayenne to the recipe. 

Sweet Potato Soup

4 medium sized sweet potatoes (I used 2 extremely large and 2 small)
2 leeks
1 red bell pepper
2 carrots
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to season
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
Olive oil

Start off my heating up the oven to 400. Poke the sweet potatoes with a sharp knife a few times to help them vent. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over them, and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned and poked potatoes on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and bake for 30 minutes.

While the potatoes are going, chop up the leeks, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic. The best way I found to clean a leek is to chop the roots then run the knife symmetrically down the leeks flatter side. Once done, remove a few outer layers, then run the core under the sink. They often hide a lot of dirt, so wash thoroughly, unless you like True Grit in your soup. The garlic should be minced, and the carrots split then chopped. The bell pepper can be halved, then halved, then lightly chopped.

At this point, you can stop and wait for the sweet potatoes to finish, or you can proceed, and have the soup started while you wait for the sweet potatoes to cool for a bit. 

Heat up 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot (the one you will use for the soup) to medium heat. Once bubbling, add all the veggies, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the peppers are soft, or about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low while you work with the potatoes.

Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, split them in half. Next, cut them into thin chunks, and toss into pot.

Pour the chicken stock over the veggies and sweet potatoes until they are covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper, and let simmer, or thereabouts for 5 minutes.

Now, if you have an immersion blender, go crazy, and blend this concoction until fairly smooth. If not, pour a batch into your blender, and blend until fairly smooth, taking the plastic lid off and using a tea towel to cover. Once the soup is completely blended, it is ready to eat. Just let it cool, and serve with a good chunk of crusty bread.

*Unless it is potato and leek soup made my 1 Paul Franco.

Pour Me: Dark Truth Stout

Coming down from the Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout was tough. It is just such a fantastic stout. However, I decided to give this Dark Truth Stout a whirl. Boulevard has its hits and misses, and I figured, what the hell. So, here is what I wrote about it shortly after having one:

"Roasted English malts provide a deep, rich texture, Belgian yeast bestows plum-like fruitiness, and German hops add spicy aromas as Dark Truth Stout mellows to a smooth, dry, smokey finish." - The Bottle

Lord, someone in the PR department went a little wild with this blurb on the bottle. Do not get me wrong, Dark Truth is pretty good, but the words used to describe it are pretty, uh, generous. Lets start with the malts. Yep, roasted. Yep, deep, rich texture. Just like a good stout. I cannot attest to the Englishness of the malts, but malty this is. As to the sugar plum fairies dancing around my glass, I can assuredly say that they must have died in transit. There is a very, very taste of a dark fruit, but it is only for a second, and it is overwhelmed by the malts. Spicy? I love spicy? Sadly, there is no discernible spiciness to the nose with Dark Truth. The aroma wafting from the top is alcohol. Alcohol pretty much masks all other scents there may be. Dark Truth is a pretty good stout, and if you drink the entire shebang, you will be lit. However, so far in my stout journey, I still prefer Convict Hill. That is, in fact, the Dark Truth.  Clever, right?

Pour Me: Basil Hayden's Bourbon

This whiskey is not very good. Great way to start off a post, but, man, I gotta say that this was some pretty bad bourbon. The thing about Basil Hayden's is that I was expecting something a lot better. Well, I did not get what I expected, and that made me really, really sad about this bourbon.

Let me start by saying that I am 100% to blame for picking this one out. I was looking around, and did not see anything that really struck me. The Whiskey Rebel, as I like to call him, was not around at the time I was at the local liquor emporium, so I had to wing it. I picked up this bottle, looked at the clarity, the proof and decided to give it a whirl. When I got home, I took off the little, tiny booklet that is sometimes attached to bourbons. I looked it over, and when I read the section about Basil Hayden's I knew I had made a pour poor choice.You see, I strongly dislike rye. Rye is part of the mash that distillers use when creating whiskeys. The other two grains usually used are malted barely and corn. Jim Beam is a good example of a standard rye. Anyway, Basil Hayden's uses rye extensively, and there is just something about the flavor of rye that I cannot stomach. I usually notice things like "rye" on the labels of the bourbon I buy, but I completely missed it on this one. I would not recommend this to anyone, unless they were making a bourbon based cocktail, but even then, there are cheaper and tastier whiskeys out there. Plus, it doesn't photograph very well.

Steaks! With Onions

Sometimes, do you just feel like you need a healthy dose of protein? I do. Often. That is when I demand satisfaction steaks. I know, I could just eat a plate of scrambled eggs or something, but there is something super special about a slab of cow on a grill. Sorry vegetarians, but its true. My local grocer has pretty good ribeyes, and good deals on them to boot. So, last Sunday was steak night.

Sadly, my grill is in terrible repair, and the steaks came out fairly charred but undercooked. I tossed them in a pan on high for a few moments, depending on the persons taste for juiciness. It worked out alright, and in a pinch I would do it again.

2 1lb Bone-in Ribeyes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to season

1 sweet yellow onion, cut into rings
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons butter, in 2 pads
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Olive Oil

Start off by opening up the steaks, and seasoning them generously with salt and pepper. Put them back in the fridge until you feel your stomach demanding satisfaction steaks. Set the steaks out, and season them with paprika and cayenne, or whatever spices you like. Heat the grill, if that is your desired mode of transportation on the steak highway. Once the grill is hot, toss on the steaks, and cook at medium-low heat for about twenty minutes, checking in on them at fifteen.

After you have the steaks on, heat a pan that will fit the onions to medium heat. Toss in 1 tablespoon butter, and add the onions. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Stir frequently. After about 5 minutes, the onions should start to become translucent, and had sucked up the butter. Add the next pad of butter, and let melt. Add half of the vinegar and let it boil for a bit, then turn the heat down to low.

Check the steaks while the onions are soaking in the balsamic. They should be ready to flip over, and cook for another 5-10, depending on how you like them done.

At this point, the onions will take the rest of the balsamic and maybe a bit more salt and pepper. The onions should look purplish-black, and be super soft.

Top the steaks with these onions, and you are set to enjoy steak night.