Category: food

Gardening! Summer 2013 Edition!

Before we could garden we had to clean up...
Before we could garden we had to clean up…

Our new place has its problems, we’ll talk about those some other time, but it does have a nice backyard with multiple garden beds. But before the backyard was nice we had to clean it up. I think the previous tenants only used the backyard for drinking booze and the beds for ashtrays. So, nature had been allowed to do its own thing. Meaning the beds were full of weeds as was most of the landscaping… It took a good 12 to 20 hours cleaning up the yard before we could begin planting grass and vegetables.

Just a small sample of the weeds that had to be pulled and dug up before we could get started.
Just a small sample of the weeds that had to be pulled and dug up before we could get started.

This garden is almost solely the work of D. She has spent the past week working on the yard and beds while I was at work. But, the work has really paid off the backyard looks amazing and the beds look great as well. (Thanks D!)

Turning over the soil in the other bed
Turning over and working in new soil in the one bed
The bed with vegetables planted
The bed with vegetables planted
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The other bed with vegetables planted. Also note along the fence more vegetables

We’ve got banana peppers, jalapenos, summer squash, eggplants, green beans, melon, tomatoes, and okra. We’re hoping to get some pumpkin in as well. Our big worry right now is that this week it’s supposed to get up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit this week. That is not typical for this time of year in Davis and our transplants might not survive the heat… We’re doing everything we can to try and mitigate the heat. Including watering up to three times a day and covering the beds in straw to reduce evaporation.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed!

Making Restaurant Passports

What you'll need!
What you’ll need!

D and I some times have trouble deciding where to eat when we go out for dinner. There is a lot of back and forth and statements, declarations, and assertions of “not caring,” or “up for anything.” This usually dissolves into both of us shrugging our shoulders and then going to one of the three restaurants we always went to…

D is not a fan of this system.

She saw some where on-line the idea of a food passport: a small book filled with a list of the restaurants in your town and the surrounding area you want to eat at or you have not yet been to. Instead of having the same old conversation over and over you just flip open your passport and go! Not being too fond of our current system I seconded the notion of making our own. For the passports I picked up a three pack of Moleskine’s unlined chap books. Next, I used a straight edge to draw out the lines for each page of the passport. The page was divided into three parts the upper 2/3 is blank, the bottom third divided vertically for making comments or stamping once the restaurant had been frequented.

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With the passports laid out D and I next went through our town local wiki and wrote down all of the restaurants we had not yet been to and wanted to make sure we visited. The list came to 37. I didn’t think there were nearly that many restaurants in town but these were just the ones we had never been too?! With the list drawn up I sat down to start adding some charm and personality to the passports. Using crayons, remember when I bought those, I started doodling whatever came to mind when I read the names of the restaurants. I tried to portray in some way the nature of the place or the food provided there.

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Of the 37 restaurants I’ve drawn up 16 so far. There are a lot of Thai and Indian places in Davis. It is not easy to draw, using crayons, Thai or Indian food… I’m sure I’ll figure out something…

D seems pretty excited about starting to use the passports. I’ll admit I am too! Once I finish all the art and/or once start “getting visas” from the restaurants I’ll post some more pictures.

Beer of the Week 51: Elemental Pilsner

 

Lightning Brewery’s Elemental Pilsner

From the bottle:

You are about to enjoy Lightning’s version of a fine German Pilsner. This is a pale smooth-drinking beer with hints of noble hop character. We use German Pilsnermalt, German hop varieties, and a selected Bohemian lager yeast to create this Lager Bier. Our traditional methods of cold filtering and natural carbonation produce a clean look and taste. Elemental Pilsner is brewed in keeping with the Reinheitsgebot, The Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1516.

From my notes:

Clear, crisp, carbonated, this light amber colored beer has a big bubbled head that quickly dissipates to a thin 1/2 inch. Smells of grainy malts and some floral and grassy hints. On the tongue the beer is floral with honey like taste with more of that malt as well.  The finish is all Noble hops and it’s one of the strongest finishes I’ve had in a Pilsner.

Very smooth and very crisp! Though I wonder why the went with mostly German ingredients when Pilsners are Czech?

Another beer from a local brewery. Elemental is a good Pilsner, not as good as my favorite Pilsner but still really good. Pils are known for their bitter finish but Elemental goes up a notch or two more so be ready for that. If you’re looking for pairings this beer would go well with German or Japanese cuisine, or peppery cheeses.

Rating (out of five):

Beer of the Week 50: Chainbreaker

Deschutes Brewery’s Chainbreaker White IPA

From the bottle:

What if wheat wasn’t the goal in itself? But a route to something awesomely new?

You pair wheat, hops and Belgian yeast and suddenly ‘bingo, a wheat like nobody  else’s.’ With real depth, coriander and sweet orange peel, it’s citrus-packed and silky smooth going down.

From my notes:

Cloudy straw white color with thick, creamy looking white head that leaves a light lacing on the glass. Citrus, pine, and spices on the nose. Yeast and wheat when it first hits the tongue with hints of citrus, grapefruit specifically, and some spices, coriander I assume. This is quickly followed up by the crisp hop flavor as it goes down. Smooth and dry finish. Surprisingly juxtaposition of a Belgian and an IPA.

The smoothness of a Wheat beer with the intensity of an IPA?!

I’ve already reviewed a number of Deschutes Brewery’s beers, and they’ve become one of my favorite brewers, Chainbreaker cements my opinion further. The fact that it’s a Witbier and an Indian Pale Ale makes for some interesting questions. IPAs are generally paired with robustly flavored foods that can hold their own against the strengths of the beer. Witbiers are usually paired with lighter fare: seafood, salads, citrus dishes. Chainbreaker is both. So what would it go well with? I think both. Chainbreaker won’t overwhelm delicate, subtle foods but it will stand up to spicy, strong and bold flavored dishes. This beer was a real surprise and a real treat.

Rating (out of five):

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