Happy 4th of July everyone!
Blueberry Zinfandel Ice Cream Topping
This luscious ice cream topping only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and catapults plain-jane vanilla ice cream into a dessert worthy of a deluxe honeymoon suite with ocean view. We added walnuts which added crunch and some nuttiness to balance the sweetness of the topping and the ice cream itself.
Ingredients:
- 1 - 11 ounce package of bluberries
- 1/4 cup zinfandel wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Combine everything in a pan over low-medium heat and allow everything to cook down into a syrup-like consistency, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before pouring over the ice cream unless you want ice cream soup. Just kidding, don't do that, you don't want ice cream soup. Add nuts.
If anyone out there can tell me why my blueberries come in 11 ounce boxes, I'd love to know. What an odd quantity.
Bow-ties with Roasted Cauliflower, Arugula, and Prosciutto
An amazing dish, we utilize roasting here to concentrate the flavors of the cauliflower and tomatoes and combine it with the richness of prosciutto. Bold flavors make this relatively light meal taste indulgent even though it could be frozen and called a Lean Cuisine.
If you haven't had roasted cauliflower lately, you have been missing out; it becomes sweet and nutty. The sage rounds out the dish by adding a counterpoint to the saltiness of the prosciutto and the earthiness of the vegetables.
Although this is an easy dish to make, preparation takes about an hour so make enough for leftovers because they warm great in the microwave.
Ingredients:
- One head of cauliflower with the stem removed, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes
- 12 leaves of fresh sage
- 4-5 large cloves of garlic, peeled
- 6 slices of prosciutto, about 4 ounces
- 1 pound of dried pasta bow-ties
- 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 ounces of baby arugula
- olive oil
- salt & black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, blend the sage and garlic together for 6-7 pulses. Add the prosciutto and blend a few more times until the mixture is uniformly chopped. Set aside.
Toss the cauliflower in 3 tablespoons of olive oil on a sheet pan along with with salt and pepper, and place in the hot oven. After the cauliflower has been roasting for 5 minutes, removed from the oven, add the tomatoes to the sheet pan, stir well, and place back into oven.
After another 5 minutes in the oven, remove the cauliflower and tomatoes and toss them with the sage, garlic, and prosciutto mix. Place the cauliflower and tomatoes back into the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Once the cauliflower and tomatoes are done, remove them from the oven. Place the pasta back into the pot and add the vegetable and prosciutto mixture.
Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the arugula, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, stir to combine. Add additional pasta water if too dry. Check for salt and pepper, add as needed.
Spoon into bowls and top with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.
Serves 4
We made some "Joe's Specials" a la Joe Jost. Joe Jost's is the likely the oldest and definitely the most iconic bar in Long Beach California. The place has been around since 1924 and about they only thing they serve besides beer are peanuts, pickled eggs, and Joe's Specials - A Polish Sausage, a slice of Swiss cheese a pickle, and mustard on rye bread.
We also made a trip to Stone Brewery, one day we'll do the tour, but this time we just ate and Amy did a tasting flight. Their duck tacos are pretty good.
A trip to the farmer's market yielded some fresh vegetables especially some amazing red bell peppers. We made a curry and we put some turnip greens in with the rice. This is a technique I will be sticking with, they came out magnificent.
I was tipped off to Antonelli's Deli in El Cajon where I fell in love with an Italian sandwich, the #1. I also caved once and got a McMuffin at McDonalds, although I could have easily eaten two.
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Brunch Sausage Casserole
As a working mom with a stay at home dad hubby, I don't get to cook too often... I know, I know, I have it pretty good BUT I like to cook...
...sometimes, on the weekends.
So, for father's day, because our daughter is two years old, and because I had no idea what else to get him, I thought I'd make Steve (hubby) some great meals.
I have been wanting to make this casserole but did not have an occasion...until now! We had bought the Jimmy Dean sausage tube a while ago and then threw it in the freezer for a while longer. In recent weeks, it had been moved to a precarious spot where it would fall out everytime you opened the freezer - the universe was telling me to cook it.
The menu took shape based on what we had in our freezer and fridge as well as flipping through all the magazine pages I've torn out and saved. For breakfast, a Brunch Sausage Casserole and a Fruit Salad with Candied Ginger.
This recipe can be prepared the night before so that you don't have to spend your morning cooking. You can enjoy the company of your family. So Saturday night I made the casserole:
Brunch Sausage Casserole (Serves 4-6)
- 1 16oz Jimmy Dean Sausage (cooked, crumbled, and drained on a paper towel)
- 4 cups cubed day old bread
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 10 eggs (slightly beaten)
- 2 12oz cans evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard (the dry seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup peeled chopped tomatoes
Place bread in the bottom of a greased cake pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the bread. Combine in a bowl the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, pepper, and onion powder and pour the mixture over the cheese.
Sprinkle the sausage, sliced mushrooms and chopped tomatoes on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, uncover and bake the casserole for 55-60 minutes at 325 degrees. Keep the foil cover and place back on the casserole the top starts to brown too quickly.
The next time I make this recipe, I may try to "skinny" it up by using less eggs or sausage. Or to "mex" it up by adding diced chiles and using pepper jack cheese. You could also spinach or diced zucchini for a bit more of veg. It is yummy regardless so I may not mess with it...depends on my mood.
I like that you can make this the night before and then just toss it into the oven in the morning. The only catch I have found is when we have company over for a weekend and this type of dish would be ideal, we're always busy the night before either going places or making a big dinner so I never actually end up making anything the night before...I usually just make a big scramble the next morning or hope that someone suggests going out :)
I like that you can make this the night before and then just toss it into the oven in the morning. The only catch I have found is when we have company over for a weekend and this type of dish would be ideal, we're always busy the night before either going places or making a big dinner so I never actually end up making anything the night before...I usually just make a big scramble the next morning or hope that someone suggests going out :)
Fruit Salad with Candied Ginger
I threw in what we had: 2 peaches, 2 mangoes, 2 kiwis, the rest of the strawberries and 1.5 bananas. The key is to dice up about a tablespoon of crystalized ginger (ours is from Trader Joe's) and then simmer that in 1/4 water for a few minutes then blend it and toss with the fruit. I also added a squeeze a lime when I cut the bananas to keep them from browning.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Highlights of the week included a fun-filled trip to Vancouver. Many thanks to Eric and Anderson for putting everything together. There some great meals there where, unfortunately, camera-phone pictures didn't turn out so well in the dimly lit restaurants.
I may have filled up my memory card taking pictures of all the beers we drank; I just hope we put some bar owner's daughter through college. And, after a long weekend with the boys, there's nothing like a carton of chocolate milk to settle the stomach for an airplane ride home.
There were also some oysters to spice things up and some amazing halibut tacos at a not-so-secret spot in Carlsbad. There was Salmon Jerky, heaps of berries, Crunchy Snack Mix with 46 ingredients, and another batch of Potica.
This week was brought to you by the phenomenal Stone Brewery, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Curtis Winery, and Pannikin Coffee Roasters.
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Chelada Turkey Tacos
A Chelada is the name for the drink when you add lime and salt to a beer. Sometimes people add hot sauce, herbs and spices, sometimes tomato juice, sometimes even Clamato. They are also called Micheladas and what you may have gathered by now is that they're no real rules beyond salt and lime.
Well, ever since the weather started to warm up here in San Diego, we've been making more and more cheladas. So when Honeysuckle White approached us to come up with a grilled turkey recipe, Chelada Turkey Tacos came immediately to mind. They sent us the turkey and they even sent us a Flip HD camcorder to make videos. Boo-yah!
The Chelada Turkey Tacos encompass four recipes: the Chelada brine, a Roasted Corn Salsa, the Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce, and Alfredo's Tortillas. Make each separately and assemble them to order, grill-side, for some delicious summertime BBQ-ing.
The morning of, we butterflied the turkey, removed the backbone, and quartered it. This would allow for the turkey to grill more evenly since the dark meat takes slightly longer to cook than the breast. We then made a chelada brine to season the meat and to keep the meat moist on the grill. Here is a video on how to make the Chelada Brine:
Chelada Brine from Papawow on Vimeo.
Chelada Brine
- 32 ounces V8 or tomato juice
- 2 beers, Mexican beer works best
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice plus the zest from the limes
- 1/2 cup of salt
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of dried Mexican oregano
- 5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, smashed well
Once the meat has spent 2-3 hours in the brine it is ready for the grill. Place the meat on a hot grill and cook, turning occasionally until the meat is done. This can be anywhere between 25-45 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat and the temperature of your grill. Turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.
When the turkey goes on begin to roast your corn and red bell pepper for the Roasted Corn Salsa. Go ahead and shred some cabbage and prepare the Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce also. Make sure to keep the sour cream sauce in the fridge or cooler until it is ready to serve.
I'll be honest, the star of this recipe and the key to making them absolutely amazing is "Alfredo's" tortillas. Alfredo was a guy in Mexico who taught my friend's father the technique of dipping the tortillas into a dressing before you grill them. There is nothing quite like it.
We didn't make Alfredo's exact recipe, we modified it to pair more closely with the Chelada turkey but the technique remains. Below is our recipe and at the end of the post I will give the original Alfredo dip.
Alfredo's Dip (our version)
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Simply dip the tortillas into Alfredo's for 2 seconds on each side before throwing them on the grill. Cook them, turning once, for about 60 seconds a side. Plate and fill with toppings for tacos or burritos.
Roasted Corn Salsa
- 2 cobs of corn, shucked and grilled until they become spotty with grill marks, the cut from the cob
- 1 red bell pepper, grilled and diced fine
- The juice of one lime
- 2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
- Salt and pepper
Mix all of these together and set aside in a bowl. This is a wonderful universal salsa that goes great on almost everything.
Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce (printable recipe)
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, smashed up fine plus 1 Tablespoon of adobo sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Incorporate all of the ingredients and fill a squirt bottle with them. You may need a funnel to fill the bottle. Keep the sauce refrigerated or in the cooler until you are ready to eat.
How to assemble a Chelada Turkey Taco:
How to assemble a Chelada Turkey Taco from Papawow on Vimeo.
Once the turkey is done, shred it into bite-sized pieces. Shred some cabbage. Dip a tortilla, grill for a minute or two, add some turkey, the cabbage, the Roasted Corn Salsa, and squirt some of the Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce on top and you have yourself a Chelada Turkey Taco!
Enjoy!
Alfredo's Original Tortilla Dipping Sauce (which is also a marinade)
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup corn oil
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon season salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- up to 1 cup sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoons Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce
Burritos, coffee, some Russian food, and a triathlon of sorts where the biking has been replaced by drinking beer. Perfect for me because I don't even own a road bike but even if I did, I'm not a big fan of road bike seats. The event was hosted by a Navy Seal, god bless 'em, those boys sure know how to host a BBQ.
We grilled a whole turkey, compliments of Honeysuckle White, after brining it for several hours in a Chelada brine (recipe to come) - and it came out fantastic. I had my doubts about grilling turkey but now I think that's the way to go.
I made some homemade Seasoned Salt with paprika and a couple of odd spices I don't run into often, sumac and filé. Sumac is most comonly used on salads and kabob; filé is generally associated with gumbo. This mixture makes for a close relative to a Lawry's-style seasoned salt but with a je ne sais quoi.
Fueling up for the big race
This week was brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Tekate.
pasta dish
I attended the Gallo Salame Old World Workshop, on Thursday 06-10-10, and had a great time. The people from Gallo were warm and inviting. The workshop was lead by Chef Catherine “Cat” DeOrio, and she was fantastic.
She demonstrated to our little group of foodies, food bloggers, and food writers ways to add excitement to everyday meals by adding Gallo Salame. Each participant received a tray of ingredients and Cat led us in combining them into a delicious pasta salad, made all the more delicious with the addition of strips of Gallo Salame.
Cat also instructed us in making a ham, turkey, and Gallo Salame sandwich which could be easily turned into a panni with a little butter or oil brushed on the outside of the bread and then grilled with a weight on top.
Gallo Salame Tasting
All yummy things to do with Gallo Salame, but these were just the show pieces, or stunt dishes if you will because the period dressed wait staff whisked our creations away from us once we were done. “Wait, no take food away,” I heard my stomach say. But all was not lost.
Our hungry little gathering soon learned that the people at Gallo Salame were ready to fill our gullets with whatever we wanted from their Trattoria 1910 menu. I must say the antipasti and the primo entrée selections looked intriguing, but being from the planet Bake, I was on the edge of my seat at the prospect of tasting a Salame macaroon, and if I was exceedingly charming I might even get them to offer me the Trattoria 1910 Cheesecake.
Antipasti and Primo Menu
I was, and they did, and it was delicious and it had only a hint of Salame flavor, and the rest was all rich and creamy cheesecake. The salame macaroon tasted like a cross between a French macaron and a salty, spicy bite of salame.
Think of it as sitting on your couch and eating bag full of French macarons will watching TV (no judgments, and sadly, yes, I have done this) and then you take a bite of a salame rich panni, and your taste buds start to quiver with confusion, unsure if it wants more sugar, salt or spice to determine if it likes the combination or not.
It’s not bacon drenched in chocolate or anything, but salame macaroon could be a hit one day.
Gallo Salame Workshop
After Gallo fed us we all had a chance to sit around and talk food. I met the lovely Aihui Ong who runs the website Love with Food. Aihui says she wants to bring food lovers and food makers together without all the red tape and bureaucracy. I am all for that.
Aihui was sitting with a very pretty food blogger whose name begins with an L, and I did not get her card. It’s not like me to forget the names of pretty women. I apologize for that. I also met TerriAnn van Gosliga who runs Cookies and Clogs a food blog for budget minded moms, and she gave me ideas on where to find bargains, and I am not even a mom.
Delicious pasta dish
I also talked to Chef Cat about traveling in Italy and Italian food. Cat, Aihui, the pretty "L" named girl, and I then sat around and did what foodies do, talked food, restaurants, and food gadgets. That was a lot of fun.
It was a great event and I thank the people at Gallo Salame (Alex Bie and his colleagues) for inviting Papawow.com to participate. And if you have time, visit the Gallo Trattoria 1910 (90 Natoma Street, San Francisco). The food is free!
picnic at Leadbetter Beach
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Simply Borscht
It seems as if you can make any soup with beets, add a dollop of sour cream on top, and call it Borscht (or Barszcz, or Borshch, or Borsch). There are so many variations, and if any other cultures' have a beet-based soup, everyone else still calls it borscht. If there are beets in it, it's Borscht.
There are hot Borschts and cold Borschts but most commonly it will contain potatoes, cabbage, carrots, beef and/or pork. Sometimes it is flavored with dill, other times with parsley. Some recipes have such disparate ingredients as tomatoes, bell peppers, the beet leaves, sausage, cubed rye bread, horseradish, or vinegar.
Recently my father gave me about 15 books from Time Life Series called Foods of the World. We recently posted Easy Beef Stroganoff and we were feeling a bit like Comrades, so we decided to follow up with something from the book on Russian Cooking. I just bought the biggest beet I've ever seen in my life, Borscht felt appropriate.
Russian Cooking by Time-Life
The Russian Cooking book in the series was written by Helen and George Papashvily. George was most famous for his sculpture and came from Georgia (the country), he and his wife Helen authored several books together. The Time Life books are amazing and I will write more about them but let's cut to the Borscht.
This recipe is a pretty loose adaptation of the one in the book. The original contained not only ham, but frankfurters, and brisket. it also had huge chunks of beets; 1/8th inch by 2 inch strips. I thought a uniform dice would be classier. Otherwise, I followed their procedure pretty closely.
I think what makes this Borscht so delicious is how the earthiness of the beets and the cabbage play nice with the smokiness of the ham and the herbaceous-ness of the parsley. The sour cream really makes for the pièce de résistance, adding a richness and stark white contrast to the deep red soup.
Simply Borscht (printable recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 onion chopped into a small dice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1.5 pounds of beets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 quart (32 ounces) beef broth
- 1 - 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
- 6 ounces of smoked ham, cut into 1/8th inch cubes
- 1/4 cup of finely minced parsley
- 1/4 sour cream, for garnish
- Salt and pepper
Place a large pot over medium head and add the onions, butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and cook until the onions have turned soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add the beets, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 cup of the beef broth, the tomatoes and the juices from the can, a teaspoon of salt, and a half teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Once the simmer is completed, add the cabbage, ham, parsley, and the remaining beef broth. Reserve some of the parsley for garnish. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot in bowls, garnish with sour cream and more finely chopped parsley. Imagine yourself basking in the afternoon sun on a porch in Makhachkala as you eat your Borscht. The gentle waves of the Caspian lapping at the shore beneath your feet...
We are still moving in to our new place, and have still been eating a lot of take-out. There have been a ton of berries in season lately and we've been taking full advantage. Raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and even the biggest blackberries I've ever seen.
We found a little bagel shop run by a Japanese family that not only makes amazing bagels (when they say "Everything bagel", they mean "Everything"), but they also make some amazing bread and some Japanese-style pastries. We picked a half loaf of their raisen loaf and a Croquette sandwich.
Some highlights of the week included a little half-price sushi (my favorite kind), lunch at George's at the Cove in La Jolla, a fish burrito from Wahoo's, and some homemade borscht - made from the biggest beet I've ever seen.
It feels like a long week. How about you? What's that? A baby is crying, gotta run...
This week was brought to you by Curtis Winery, $1.99 Quail Oak Chardonnay, Orion Beer from Okinawa, a Chelada, Samuel Adams, Hinano Beer from Tahiti, Modelo Beer from Mexico, and Cristal Beer from Peru. Many thanks goes out to all of our international sponsors.
The music in the video is by Chi McClean - you can buy his album on iTunes.
Russian Cookbook
Easy Beef Stroganoff
I love this recipe. If all Russian cuisine were this good, there'd be a borsch stand on every corner in New York City. There are many variations of Beef Stroganoff but essentially it consists of strips or cubes of beef in a brown sauce, served over noodles or white rice.
Use a beefy cut of steak, like chuck roast, for the most flavor. Most recipes use mustard and sour cream although some add paprika, others garlic, and some dices dill pickle. We added parsley and thyme. This is comfort food at its finest.
This takes a little bit of time, about an hour or so, but not much prep work (chopping, etc.). As Alton Brown likes to say, "Your patience will be rewarded." Make enough for leftovers, it stores well in the fridge and it reheats well in the microwave. It may even be better the next day.
Easy Beef Stroganoff (printable recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 pound steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 pound of button or crimini mushrooms
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon for dried
- 3 tablespoons finely minced parsley
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1/2 pound of egg noodles
Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided sauté pan on medium-high heat and add the beef. Season the meat with a sprinkle of salt and several turns of freshly ground black pepper. Sear the meat on all sides turning the pieces as they brown. Remove the seared meat, set aside in a bowl, and add the onions to the pan.
Add another pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and de-glaze the pan, scraping all the tasty bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Allow to reduce almost completely.
Add the beef broth, the meat, and any accumulated juices from the bowl in with the onions. Bring to a boil then lower heat and allow to simmer.
In another pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter, the thyme, the mushrooms, and another couple grinds of pepper. Allow the mushrooms to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Once the meat is tender and the sauce is reduced, drop the noodles into boiling water to be cooked.
Fold in the mushrooms, mustard, parsley, and sour cream in with the meat and sauce. Incorporate the egg noodles in with the sauce and serve in a bowl.
Garnish with a sprinkle more of parsley and a dollop of sour cream. I like to add some more raw onions and a squirt of lemon juice, and although my toppings are a little unorthodox, it's delicious.
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Oh boy. I've been slacking on Papawow but I have some good excuses; moving to Carlsbad, having a one month old baby, and most recently, spending the long Memorial Day weekend at a most amazing wedding in Santa Barbara.
I have; however, been keeping up with the photographs - I just haven't had time to post anything, cook anything, read much, or eat many fun things besides picking up take-out.
Some of the highlights this last (long) week included discovering a legit Italian restaurant in an industrial warehouse in a commercial district of Gardena, CA. You would never know it from the outside but they make a fantastic thin-crust pizza, their own gelato, and they have maybe $50,000 of Parmesan cheese lining one wall.
The drive to Santa Barbara and back consisted of a stop at our favorite Del Taco in Camarillo, a Montecito at Jack's Bistro (Bagel with Lox, Cream Cheese, onions, and Capers), a lunch of oysters, clams, and ceviche at Brophy Brothers, and breakfast at the last remaining Sambo's.
If you are under the age of 40, you may not know that Sambo's was a chain of more than 1,200 restaurants throughout the US. It was started in 1957 by Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett who embraced the story "The Little Black Sambo" which was about an east Indian boy who turned a tiger into butter to put on his pancakes.
They had no idea that in the 1970's the term Sambo would become such a charged racial slur.
Although they tried renaming many of the restaurants to, "The Jolly Tiger," "No Place Like Sam's," and "Seasons," they all ended up failing but the very first one, the one in Santa Barbara. Someone in the early 2000's even climbed the sign and painted over "Cracka's."
Learn the history, get over the name, order the Huevos Rancheros, and have a mimosa.
I had my first cerveza preparada in the form of Budweiser's Chelada; Bud, salt, lime, and Clamato. I was hesitant at first because the thought of clam juice in a can, in a truck, coming from Anheuser-Busch from lord-knows-where kind of scares me.
But then I saw the color. It's this fluorescent pink-orange that seems to call you like a siren. It tastes like cheap salty beer but it is quite refreshing on a hot day. I think I would prefer it over ice (as a man, can I say that?).
Bud's CheladaThere's a penumbra about how much I'm going going to like these but I'm still planning a Chelada tasting, more to come...
This week was brought to you by Tecate, Anheuser-Busch, Hoppy Brewing Company, Sapporo, Modelo, and the wineries of: Gato Negro (?), Veuve de Vernay, Bridlewood, and Roshambo.
The New Pepsi Challenge
In the late 1970's Pepsi began doing public blind taste tests where subjects would take sips of both Coca-Cola and Pepsi - and choose which one they liked better. They found they had a slight edge in these tastings over Coke and ran the claim, "Nationwide, more people prefer the taste of Pepsi over Coca-Cola."
I remember these ads clearly. I also remember being a big proponent of Coke at a young age, but I couldn't tell you why. Even though Pepsi was, "The Choice of a New Generation," I felt angry that so many foolish people would incorrectly pick Pepsi when Coke was so clearly better.
In his amazing book Blink, author Malcom Gladwell actually describes some of the nuances of taste tests that the Pepsi Executives may-or-may-not-have knowingly taken advantage of. When testers are asked to take only a sip, Pepsi, being slightly sweeter than Coke may be chosen more often even though many might think its flavor cloying over the course of a whole drink.
Anymore, the two are equal in my book; and although I don't drink sodas often, they go great with Mexican food. When I figure out why, I'll let you know.
So, what's the New Pepsi Challenge? Last year, Pepsi and Mountain Dew released "Throwback" versions of their sodas made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup. Just like the good old days, you know, 1980. They were released only for a limited time and came in old-fashion cans, which I think look pretty cool myself.
I bought a 12-pack of each the Throwback Pepsi and the regular one and conducted my own New Pepsi Challenge asking testers to see if they could choose the one made with real sugar over the one made with corn syrup.
While some people just made their guess, some added that they preferred one over the other. Some people even said, "I think this one is corn syrup AND I think I like it better." Although I could discern a very slight difference in flavor, I couldn't tell you beyond a guess which one was which. I also didnt prefer one over the other.
They both tasted like sour carbonated sugar water.
And your results: 8 vs 8. A tie.
What began as an absurdly busy week at work, parlayed into moving 60.7 miles into a new home. I had quite a few sandwiches and I'm tired. There were a few nice lunches, one buffet where I ate way too much, and a new toaster oven that came with a staunch warning, "Caution: This oven gets hot."
Thanks for that.
I invented a homemade Redeye (normally a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso in it) when there isn't time to wait for the barista. You just drop a stick of Starbuck's VIA instant in your coffee and Whamo! You're going to get to the meeting in time now.
You're welcome.
This week was brought to you by Folie a Deux Menage a Trois, "J" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Screw Kappa Napa Sauvignon Blanc, and of course, Sam Adams.
