Quick Cuppa Joe....

And now for something completely different...

I think I have mentioned in the past that one of the publications I subscribe to is “Imbibe” magazine which is devoted  to well, Imbibing various liquids.  Out of the maybe four categories broadly addressed, I would say that craft beers is tops, followed by froo froo cocktails fashioned by “mixologists”, then coffee, and dead last, wine.   I probably pay more attention to the cocktails, marveling at the 23 esoteric ingredients, etc., and then it’s always fun to see what beers are there.

But, I really don’t pay much attention to coffee.  Of course like anything else, there are cult followings of various houses, with (I must admit) beautiful “latte art”, multiple brewing methods from the old “Chemex” to fancy pressure machines etc.  I really must admit I am not much of a coffee aficionado, it kind of (oversimplified) tastes all the same to me.  I suspect that it may be because I don’t make it my business to taste around, and maybe find something I really like.  Also because I most likely don’t know that much about its agriculture and varieties, roasting theories, brewing techniques, and so on.

Well, on Saturday (10 am) this weekend there may be an opportunity for us (rookie to pro) to learn up on the subject.  Elements (Eatery and Mixology) is going to have a kind of bean to cup (hands-on) seminar on all of the above.  Types of beans, blending, roasting levels, storage, brewing, cupping(?) will all be on the agenda along with the chance to do some tastings.  Had any Tanzania Peaberry or Indian Monsooned coffee lately?  (Plus there is a topic on integrating coffee into cocktails!)   Here’s your chance.  RSVP highly desired, you can sign up at this link.  While I no longer tout wine dinners and the ilk, I think this is a one of a kind thing that is enough different that I should let you know. Great opportunity.

Maybe see you there.  There is a program hosted by the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions up in Annapolis on the same date.  MFO has us locked into that.  If it lasts long enough we may stay for dinner, so we have to be

DFD

The Perfect(?) Storm

 

It ain’t a fit night out for man or beast!  One of my all time favorite WC Fields lines and sketches.  Have you seen it?   If not (and this link works) take seven seconds and look at it. Priceless  I especially like the obvious pail full of “snow” part.  And while not nearly as classy as WC (although we have the same first two initials!),  here the Feeder is ready for Jonas (Keep reading)

But, before we get to the storm, it is part of my job to pass along a quick food entry (entrée?)

Friday, the day of Jonas’s arrival I attended a little meeting up at the Coffee Quarter in our nearby San Souci plaza.  We have found that the CQ offers a relatively quiet and fairly private place for two and three people meetings.  And, you can get coffee plus some other stuff if so inclined.  So Friday morning we had a quick early (for me) meeting about some local civic association stuff, and I decided to have something to eat.  So, I ordered a (hot) ham, cheese, and egg croissant sandwich.  Before the change in ownership, I used to have this dish once in a while and it was kind of tasty.  Well, things change.

I have to say that what I was given was among the worst sandwiches I have ever had (no, I didn’t send it back).  And, i was so upset that I didn't even take a picture (believe it or no).  The “ham” was a circular piece or maybe two circular pieces of ham like “lunch meat” folded in half and then again to make a quarter of a circle.  That was tucked in about a third of the “croissant” perched atop a square of (?) cheese which was still cold and terribly NOT (sorry) “melty”; the yellowish homogeneous “egg” (which I didn't even want to know what was) was maybe what one could consider warm(ish).  The “croissant” had been in the microwave so it got all squishy.   I “deconstructed” the thing as much as possible, opening it and re positioning things which still resulted in a terribly unsatisfying thing.   I have had better offerings there later in the day, the Hummus is nice, their “deli” sandwiches can be good (Reuben) but this was awful.   Trying to beat the flakes, so as I said I did not send it back.  I should have or at least complained.

Anyway, that started the storm day off on a low note. 

Okay cue the Storm:

I have been wracking (racking?) what’s left of my brain to come up with a catchy rhyme for “Jonas”.   “Jonas, look what you did tous!!”  Seems like it should be easy, but I struggled. Anyway, he certainly dumped on us.. (Hey!!!  “Jonas, you dumped onus!”).  All the weather pundits (even my trusty weather hero, Justin Burke) were telling us that this storm would be the “worst ever; epic; historic” and so on.  Predictions were accompanied by inscrutable (but colorful) maps (with circles and arrows – Arlo Guthrie) of isobars, wind shears, upper and lower atmospheric convection contours, waves, potential tracks, and so on.  Networks went nuts as usual, dispatching reporters on all sorts of street corners, riding in monster vehicles, and so on.  And you know what?  (well, you probably do), for the most part they were pretty much spot on.  When all was said and done, depending on your location (here in SOMD) you got anywhere from 9 to 2X inches of snow.  Up in the metropolis of DC, totals went into the thirties.  Historic.

Emotional reaction

I know I am a curmudgeon, and a general aging fuddy duddy, but when the word (substantial) “snow” creeps into the forecast,  I start thinking about provisions and plans: do we need cash?  Who will “do” the driveway, what is the state of the furnace?, and things like that.  My nervousness quotient is somewhat lower now that we have our mighty Generac (which we never hope to use), but then that translates to “do we have enough propane?”, stuff like that.  So, it always takes me aback when Facebook (yes, I admit it) lights up with people declaring “C’mon Snow!;  About time!; Bring it on!” and other phrases like that. What are they thinking?  Are they romantics with misty eyed visions of children building snow men in Grandma Moses landscapes; sledding and tobogganing, ice skating on frozen ponds, gathering around a bonfire slurping hot chocolate. Does that really exist?  Well, fine for them, I may have been young once.  Deep down I suppose I admire that attitude,  but somehow I just can’t bring myself to that side. 

Anyway Friday noon, the flakes started falling, and really never ceased until sometime in the night on Sunday, with howling winds most of the time.  Mercifully the Generac was never forced into use (thank you again SMECO and contractors for whatever you did), and we hunkered just fine.  We of course suffered eating healthy foods and remained well hydrated.

My only leaving the house was in the Nanook (he went to Michigan State, you know) costume above to try to get to the bird feeders, which failed when knee deep snow prevented further progress.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny revealing Jonas’s handiwork in the back yard

And in our "utility area" containing our life support systems.

And I won’t harp on it much, since I do it every year, and nothing happens.... But the erstwhile (and I’m sure well meaning) county road folks dedicate themselves to opening the roads for (I presume) the “people”.  So out they go into the storm blades shoving snow away from the roads  and….. across your driveway.  We who live on a circle always have an impenetrable wall of snow all pushed “away” from the circle to make getting out of the driveway virtually impossible.  I guess we are not "people", only taxpayers! Apparently going around clockwise pushing stuff TO the middle, is “Just something we don’t do”.  Thank you so, so, so, much

Fortunately we have some caring friends who show up to help us.  As we age, we’re more and more dependent on their good aid.

Finally liberating the digs

And just today some more help showed up and now I can get to the bird feeders without wading and floundering.

And we were quite popular

So, like all things this will melt away (ha ha), but sure will be remembered.  And when we can get out, we certainly will be
DFD

No Travel

Well, the thing about not taking trips is that you can’t blog about taking trips.  Sooooo, we’ll resort to kind of a this and that format.  They Fried Oyster project is moving, just not as fast as I had thought.  I was able top procure some Duck Fat, so I have that going for me…  Will probably get to it after this next “Epic” winter storm does what it does this weekend.

So let’s lead off with food (hey! That’s novel!).  Last Saturday I attended the Friends of the (St. Mary’s County) Library annual winter brunch.  And, like always it’s held at St. George's Episcopal  Church in Valley Lee.  And, like always, the food is prepared by “the Church Ladies”, although there was a healthy representation of the “non-distaff” side.   A quick oddity, I googled “antonym for distaff” and it says there isn’t any!  There is some obtuse reference to spears, but certainly no definitive male equivalent of distaff.  Anyhow, there were quite a few men in the kitchen, and in fact the person kind of in charge is a guy (note proper use of the word).  Of course the attendees tend to be the same year after year; library staff, board members, most of the volunteers for the book sale, so we mostly know each other.  One reader of the Feeder and he came over and said: “I’ll be reading about this for sure!”.   Well, in a way, he is correct.  The problem is there is nothing new to say.  For the last N of these events, the food has been nearly exactly (I’ll leave a little wiggle room) the same.  The buffet lineup is a couple of Quiches, two kinds of egg bake: plain and with peppers; French Toast; Stewed apples;  Scrapple and Sausage; Roasted Pork Loin;  Green beans (the “wide” kind);  and Kugel (a noodle casserole thing).  

Now, let me state right here that like every year, the food is very good and put together in the kitchen, not unwrapped from some food service truck.  The sausage is some of the best I’ve had, and NOT from a round tube, it’s hand patted

On the left is Scrapple another local “delicacy” (you like it or you don’t).  The history of the dish would take a whole column, but generally it’s made out of the “leftovers” from slaughtering hogs and has various regional forms, such as Livermush, Liverpudding, and “Goetta”.  General process is to mix the offal with Cornmeal and or Buckwheat Flour, add spices of choice, form it into a loaf, let it set, slice it and fry it up.  

Read more about scrapple (etc., if you're interested) here:

Link

Anyway it is always an enjoyable event, with real local food, and we’ll look forward to next year with the same expectations (a mild hint).  By the way, the pictures above were taken at the January, 2011 brunch, but you couldn't tell the difference five years later.

PS the annual FOL book sale will be in April this year, on the 22nd

Rising from the ashes..

When I first began coming here (70’s and 80’s) there was a deli called Showtime Deli located in what is now the Mixing Bowl in “downtown” Lexington Park.  It was very popular for sandwiches and the character who reigned over it’s operation.  I will probably be corrected, but eventually they morphed into “Charlie’s Deli”, and then closed all together and I THINK moved down the road to open a larger operation, just called “Charlies”, which has since closed and then a failed brief stint as a Jamaican themed place.   Anyway the original "Showtime" Gelrud clan has revived Showtime Deli!

 Photo from Lexi Leader

On Great Mills Road in the building that was most recently Rita’s, which came after a history of a Sushi place, and going back to a McDonald's.  I may have missed one incarnation in there.  At any rate they will again be serving their "Famous Overstuffed" sandwiches with clever names like “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a ham” or “A streetcar named Pastrami”; all kind of “Show” related.

Normally, I am a bit skeptical about newly opened places in locations with a history of failures, but I have to be more optimistic here.  This is not their first rodeo (I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant” = doom);  They know the market (big lunch time crowd), and have dealt with this product before.  Only nearby competition would be Subway, which they should be easily able to trump.  Plus, everybody likes a good sandwich like Pastrami..  I wish them luck!  With so many local places closing it is good to see some veterans get back in the game.

Another showtime

Changing away from food for a bit, but in the “Showtime” vein, PBS debuted a new series called “Mercy Street”, taking place during the Civil War. It is set in 1862 Alexandria (filmed elsewhere) that centers around a “Yankee” Hospital pushed into commandeered Southern Mansion.   Two nurses are featured, one from a Confederacy background, and another with Northern heritage.  The ladies are each VERY dedicated to their respective “causes”, and squabble a lot, but each respects the other and are dedicated to saving lives, maybe with a little attention to the color of the uniform of the patient.  In the middle is a doctor who seems to be the “good guy” (only one episode in, mind you).   Who pontificates with phrases like “Blood is neither blue nor gray”.  There is also an African American who seems trapped in the Southern mentality.

We thought it was kind of heavy handed, and overplayed the Northern/Southern tension too much.  Of course I wasn’t there, but there seems to be genuine hatred shown both ways where philosophy should not override saving lives and limbs.  We each decided we would give it one more shot (It follows Downton Abby, I suppose to trap the audience).

Sports shorts (NOT the Peyton commercial)

Had enough football yet? Pretty dramatic stuff in the NFL divisional playoffs:  Packer’s pack up for home (coin gate?), Sneaky Pete goes back to Seattle after a bizarre tale of two halves, Kansas City streak ends in Foxborough, and Big Ben shows, but returns to Pittsburgh.  Three more games.

Have you heard about the emerging Tennis scandal?  More to come there..

No sense mentioning the Spartans..

Enjoy the games, sandwiches, scrapple, and

DFD

Vino Veritas Add on, and "to market, to market"

Well, an alert reader reminded me of an important factor in wine appreciation, which I should have mentioned in the previous post about wine (which you should probably read first if you haven't)..  I neglected to point out that just because Mr. Parker bestows 100 points on a wine; it only means that HE considers it perfect.  It does not (necessarily) mean that YOU would consider it a perfect wine.  It does imply the fact that this wine should be a “perfect” example of what (in this case)  properly made Cabernet Sauvignon can be.  The balance and weight are right, the color is right, the tannins are correct, the nose brings you the aromas that are associated with the varietal, there are no “off” factors present, and the wine maker aged it correctly.  But, maybe you don’t prefer a Cabernet, you like a lighter variety such as a maybe a Pinot Noir.  Or even a Chardonnay.  To be sure there are 100 point examples of these wines, but you don’t HAVE to like them.  The pleasure of wine appreciation is finding what you like regardless of whatever somebody else thinks.  Perhaps over the years as your tastes and knowledge evolve,  and you increase your familiarity with wine and grape varieties, you might eventually think a 100 point is worth it.   Make no mistake; I would LOVE to have a chance to taste one of his 100 point, three hundred buck Cabs, just to see what it is like.  But, I personally would probably would prefer a 91 point Burgundy rather than a big boy cab.  Don’t think I’ll have to worry about it, however.

Back in the formative days of the Bottom Feeder, I would normally put out (say) a Thanksgiving column, relating a compendium of “pairings” of wine with various preparations of the miserable fowl, mostly gained by reading through many food magazines.  But after that, regardless of what the pundits say, I would always point out that you should drink what you personally enjoy (even if it is (gasp) White Zin), giving rise to yet another Feeder acronym:  DWTHYL, (Drink Whatever The Hell You Like).  It always comes down to your enjoyment, so find something you enjoy and drink it.  Maybe expand your horizons here and there, and using Parker’s Points, or listening to the likes of Jancis Robinson can be a good guide to point you toward something worth trying, without wandering into the Barefoot kind of stuff.  Okay, i'm trying to remember DWTHYL...but there are limits..

Market Day

Yesterday, MFO and I stopped in at our local Giant to pick up a few items.  I love to go to food markets, even our local ones, it’s a smorgasbord of food.  It’s fun to see what is “new” or featured.  One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that there is less “ingredients” and more (almost) ready to eat stuff.  Not just the Marie Callendar or Swanson (dating myself) meals in a box, but more individual food items.  Nuggets, patties, pastas in a bag, steaming this and that, things like that which require minimal prep (if at all).  Also, paradoxically, there are more exotic things showing up on the shelves, which without the "foodie" explosion wouldn't have been there ten years ago..   Like this selection of Vinegar's

And of course there are “in a box” soups, and here’s one that combines two of the flavors I rather dislike (gaack!)

Think they’re trading on trendy stuff?

And lastly in the meat section I came up with this beauty

I thought that a “rotisserie’ was a hunk of equipment, not a flavor (small brown panel).   What's up with that?  And only goodness (and apparently only Shady Brook Farms) know what goes into those “Turkey Breast Tenderloins”.  I suspect one doesn’t want to know.

Anyhow it’s fun browsing the aisles looking for interesting things.   And just as an aside, a reminder that here in Lexington Park our Shopper’s Food Warehouse has a wonderful section of “international” foods, representing many cultures.  A lot of the stuff I don’t even know what is.  Cento seems to be heavily invested in those products.

Happy hunting, and whatever you select and however you prepare it (even “ding”!) you must always be

DFD

In Vino, Veritas

Not necessarily sure how that applies but sounds classy

One of the (too) many things I subscribe to (you don’t want to know), is Robert Parker’s “Wine Advocate”, the publication by the man who is pretty much acknowledged as the most respected wine “critic” in the world.   I suspect that a low “score” from him has ruined some wineries, if not vintages.  I rather favor his opinions and ratings over another source, the Wine Spectator.  I (perhaps foolishly) pretty much think Mr. Parker is more objective than the other publication who never met a wine they didn’t like.  Anyway, the man who has print copies in his basement  of Gourmet Magazine back to the middle nineties, also has the “Advocate” back many storage tubs as well..  I suspect MFO would be glad to see them freed up, as one might ask how much value a review of a (now) thirty year old bottle of wine has.  Although, there are some Bordeaux’s that have and can live that long.  Not every wine (hello most of California) is made to be consumed (read sold) within two years of vintage.

So anyway, my Issue 222 (closing date 12/30/15) arrived the other day, containing 124 pages of wine reviews of Northern California (part 2); 2014 Burgundy, and 2013 and 2014 Northern Rhône wines.  A lot of wine store shelf space is devoted to the former category so I decided to look at that report a little closer.  Back in my days of beginning to appreciate and learn about wine, maybe the late sixties sometime, I was at least familiar with most of the wineries in Napa and Sonoma, as well as other regions like the Central Coast, Monterey and so forth.  Names like Mondavi, Stags Leap, Krug, Phelps were easily grasped.   Well, in Issue 222 of TWA, there are over 250 wineries listed.  Two Hundred and Fifty!  How in the world can: a) you know about them, and b) how do they stay in business?   There are still some well known labels like Clos du Val, Duckhorn, Grgich Hills, Merryvale, and so on, but have you ever heard of Arcudi, Del Dotto, Legacy Oaks?  I could go on and on.  Many of these esoteric ones have only one vintage in the review.   Legacy gets 81 points for their Cabernet Sauvignon, price unknown.  He uses the word “competent” in the review.  Don’t think that can be very good, goes with the 81 points I assume.

The ratings of course vary widely with 100 very rare.  Plumpjack’s 2013 (cabernet) Reserve Estate rates a perfect score. The description of this wine reads: “…..”This is perfection, and an absolutely amazing effort.  The wine is dense purple with sweet tannin, oodles of blueberry and blackberry fruit caressed by toasty new oak and a full-bodied multi-dimensional mouthfeel, akin to a skyscraper in the mouth, but without any heaviness.  The finish goes on for 45+ seconds,  and the wine is super pure and majestic.  Truly a tour de force in Cabernet Sauvignon.  Kudos to Plumpjack.  Drink 2018 – 2040”.   Wow, you say, I’d like a glass of that!  Well, the estimated price is $245 the bottle.   And usually these super high end wines are very limited production and most likely sucked up by collectors with deep pockets before schlubs like us have a chance.  Still would be nice to taste however.  I think most likely he barrel tasted these things, but not sure.  And at $245, it is NOT the most expensive of Plumpjack’s offernings.  That would go to 2014 edition of the Reserve Estate at $300 the bottle (92 – 94 points).

Speaking of price, the most expensive bottle I found was the Ovid 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Loc. Cit. (that’s the name of the property) which tips the cash register at $350 for a bottle.  There were only three barrels made.  (<100 85="" 86="" a="" alifornia="" blanc="" blend="" cases="" coast="" end="" familiar="" font="" for="" from="" hess="" house="" many="" more="" nbsp="" north="" of="" on="" other="" our="" places="" points.="" points="" range="" red="" respectable="" sauvignon="" scale="" select="" selections="" six="" the="" them="" to="" treo="" use="" winemakers="" wines="" with="">

In the piece on the Northern Rhône’s, there is a 100 point 2014 Ermitage L’Ermite (a white, 100% Marsanne) for a mere $696, produced by that giant Michel Chapoutier.   He also says that one we should not miss and is still affordable “by mere mortals”  is the 2014 Hermitage Chante-Alouette (also 100% Marsanne) at $105.  Maybe a special occasion, if you can find it.

Price is not always synonymous with quality of course; sometimes it is driven by availability and other factors.

Anyway, it is all interesting reading.   Robert says that “2013 for many wineries in Napa and Sonoma has produced the finest wines I have tasted in 37 years”.  If you have a choice at your local wine dealer, you might steer in that direction.  Maybe get that Ovid selection..

There is a lot to learn about and try out there.  Have fun, and

DFD (and the wine)

PS the Tide Rolled...

PSS the "Fried Oyster" Saga will begin soon.  have to make sure the household insurance is up to date...