French food and American wine

I was caught in the middle of a chick flick… when suddenly, out of nowhere a Croque Monsieur appeared!  Oh it looked good and I decided then and there that I must have it.  I checked online for a few recipes to get a baseline for the endeavor and found that there are several variations.  Many cheap out on the bechamel and do more of a Monte Cristo  style of sandwich – basically french toasting it by battering the bread or the whole sandwich in an egg and or milk wash and griddling it.  I couldn’t do that.  Bechamel is too easy to cheap out on.  Besides it’s the easiest of the mother sauces, and that’s coming from someone that breaks most of his sauces.

For those of you who do not know, a Croque Monsieur is basically a fancy pants ham and cheese sandwich, covered in cheesy white sauce, and baked.  I don’t like ham and cheese sandwiches, but this is different.  This sandwich is awesome.

We procured some country-style french bread and some farm fresh milk from the farmers market, some cave-aged Gruyère, and thinly sliced ham from the grocery store, and made a date.  Sunday night was the night.  We sliced the bread by hand, and toasted it in the oven.  Dijon was spread on each slice, and then the slices were topped alternatively with the ham and shredded Gruyère.  Assembly took place, the sandwiches placed on a baking sheet, and there they were made into Croque Monsieur.  Gruyère and parmesan laced Bechamel with a bare sprinkling of cayenne, was poured over the top of the sandwich.  Why stop there?  More Gruyère and a kiss of parm were shredded and put on top.  The little tease of a sandwich was then put into an oven and baked, and then broiled.

Croque Monsieur

Yes, it was awesome… and yes, you needed utensils.

Discussion was had regarding what would pair well.  Afterall, we had moderately smelly Gruyère, and the ham.  There were several options that were thrown around, but in the end we settled for a Sauvignon Blanc.  I was looking for something French to connect a bit more to both the cheese and ham, but I’d had most of what the liquor store had available, and didn’t want to pay $30 for a bottle.  We reluctantly strolled over to the American section and I found an old friend for a decent enough price.  Duckhorn’s second label, Decoy.  Decoy’s Sauvignon Blanc is deliciously refreshing and crisp.  And it had what I needed to cut through the fat in the sandwich – acid.  It wasn’t so much of a huge tropical fruit bomb that comes out of a lot of Napa Sauv Blancs, but it did have some melon, grass, and citrus.  What I appreciated was a little salinity and good minerality, which worked quite well with the ham.  Good stuff.

This is definitely something that we will do again.  Though, I think I will do something different next time.  I think I’ll do it casserole style.  You know, a little sauce in the bottom of a buttered dish, sandwiches filling it up, and covered with more sauce and cheese.  Yeah, yeah… that sounds good.

Droolingly yours,

~ the Hungry Wino

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"Mildred: Whatll you folks have today? 
Professor Hubert Farnsworth: Ill have some Soylent Green, with a slice of Soylent Orange and some Soylent coleslaw. 
Mildred: Huh? 
Leela: [whispering] Its the 20th century, Professor. 
Professor Hubert Farnsworth: Oh, right. Ill have a croque monsieur, the paella, two mutton pills, and a stein of mead. 
Leela: Ill just have a small injection of Fem-a-slim. 
Mildred: Uh, two chili dogs comin right up."
~ Scene from Futurama, the Movie

Happy IPA Day!

Greetings Hop Heads!

Today was the FIRST ANNUUAL IPA Day!  What’s IPA day you ask?  Well, I am very pleased to say that this fine day was created to promote craft beer.  The Beer Wench, a fellow blogger, was influenced by the wine industry and their varietally chosen non-government affiliated holidays such as “Chardonnay Day,” and thought to herself, why not beer?

Well, I must say that I am fully in support of such a day that promotes the delicious elixir that is… craft beer.  And to celebrate, I have chosen two beers to showcase for you today.

First is the 21st Amendment‘s Hop Crisis Imperial IPA.  This is a limited release beer from 21st Amendment and happened to come out not too long ago.  The brew presents itself with a pale orange hue and a large fluffy white head with great retention.  The nose is fantastically aromatic with citrus fruits like lemon and grapefruit, as well as a little guava…or is it mango?  There is little to no malt or yeast aroma to the nose, which is perfect for this particular style!

21st Amendment Hop Crisis Imperial IPA

On the palate, the Hop Crisis is remarkably balanced, without straying from the hop focus.  The kiss of caramel is countered with the citrus notes and a piney resin character typical of an American IPA.   This is a delicious IPA that is easy to get lost in.  Yummy.

Thank you to Master Wigington for our taste of Texas this evening.  A couple cans of Austin Beerworks Fire Eagle American IPA showed up at our doorstep yesterday, and for a brand spanking new brewery, it’s pretty darn good!   This IPA pours honey-orange and clear, with a fine white head.  The hops are again the star with citrus, and a bit of grass and pine.

Austin Beerworks FIre Eagle American IPA

The first sip of this Austin Beerworks brew came across with quite a bit of caramel at the front of the palate, but then faded into the bitterness of hop deliciousness.  Thank you Austin Beerworks, and thank you Clif and Karen.

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Hoppy IPA day everyone!

~the Hungry Wino

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“A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it’s better to be thoroughly sure.”

~Czech Proverb

What a Town

Ladies and Gents, we’re going to be in great shape.  We’ve settled into the Uptown district of Minneapolis, and are literally living fifty yards off of Eat Street (the local name for Lake Street).  The food selection is much better than I had anticipated, there are numerous liquor stores whose wine selections vary greatly in both selection and price, and the beer… oh the beer selection is incredible.

We have finally finished most of the unpacking in our new home, and I’m still on the job hunt, so stay tuned for more frequent updates.  This is our first truly free weekend in Minneapolis, so we’ll see what happens!

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In the meantime, I’ve tasted a few of Lift Bridge Brewery’s brews this week.  They make several others, but I got my hands on the Farm Girl, Chestnut Hill, and the Minnesota Tan.  I suppose that this was a fortunate procurement, seeing that their bottles should be coming off of the shelves temporarily due to some unfortunate circumstances with their contract brewer, Stillwater (who I still need to seek out).  Stillwater does several contract brews for other breweries (a somewhat common occurrence) and one of their other companies simply has more demand that Lift Bridge, so they’re getting left out for the time being.  Understandably, they’re not too happy about the circumstances, but their beers are still going to be available on draft since their home brewery does all of the keg brewing.  More info about this here.

Anywho, on to the beers!

We’ll start with the Minnesota Tan.  This beer is a Belgian Style Tripel brewed with Lingonberries.  I found the beer to be hazy with a golden straw hue and a thin white head of mediocre retention.  The nose was that of sour fruit… yeah, lingonberry.  There were also notes of granny smith apple, sour cherries, and unripe raspberries.  There was very little yeast characteristic (which my knowledgable salesman disclosed), with only a hint of malt character.  Smells like a lambic.

The palate was hot (obvious presence of alcohol – which is not listed on the bottle).  The tart berries come through, and that’s really it.  No yeast, no hops, and just a bare hint of a malt backbone.  Kinda like a lambic.

These guys have only been around since 2008.  I think that this beer has some great potential.  And, this is probably the first time I’ve had lingonberry outside of an I-HOP.   I do think that this is certainly more of a lambic than a tripel in style simply due to the tartness, haziness, and lack of yeast character.  No it’s probably not done like a traditional lambic, but I would never call this a tripel in a blind or competition setting.  It’s too tart for a tripel!

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Next is the Chestnut Hill.  This interesting nut brown ale is brewed with chestnuts and allspice.  I want this for the holidays.  This slaps you in the face with allspice, and follows with clove, honey, whisky barrel, and something sour.  Actually it reminds me of bitters.  I dig this beer.  It would make a great digestive after a holiday meal, or just a fun beer to throw into a traditional holiday dinner .

I did expect more malt on the palate for the style, but it’s growing on me.  I like the bitterness on the finish, and the spice comes all the way through to the finish.

This isn’t what I was expecting but I think it could be fun.

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Finally, we tried the Farm Girl Saison.  Saisons are cool beers in my opinion.  They’re rustic, dry, and can be very complex.  Lift Bridge’s example is not too shabby either.  This particular example is a golden-honey-shaded beer is hazy and has a fine white head.

The nose is yeasty, with hints of clove and a little of that saison funk.  From there it gets a little herbal and grassy, leaning towards hay.  There is also a pleasant caramel note as well and a kiss of lemon.

The palate is dry with a pleasant bitterness that balances out at more proper temperatures.  The grassiness cuts through to the palate and it finishes up with the lemon.  Oh and there’s that kiss of funk too.  Anyone still got a Tower of Power album?  Yeah, I didn’t think you would… that may be too funky anyway.

Lift Bridge has several other beers that I haven’t gotten my hands on yet, but the Farm Girl  is my favorite of the three that I’ve had so far.  I think it’s the closest as far as stylistic accuracy, though a little simple, and a pretty good drink.  Naturally… there’s more to come.

There are a lot of breweries here.  This is going to be such fun!

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What do  you think of the new layout?

~ the Hungry Wino

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If you were to come to Minnesota, I could have you locked up like that. That’s power. 

~Jesse Ventura

Food Truck Finale

I found it.  I had been looking for a time, and their location, since the inaugural Texas Beer Festival, where they were – I believe – the first food truck to run out of food.  I had to have their burger and fries… and only a few days to fit them in before we left Houston.

Bernie’s Burger Bus is doing it right with made from scratch burgers and fries and even condiments.  The Hungry Winette and I had the pleasure of grabbing a bite from the bus last week when they were located at the Inversion Coffee House off of Montrose.

 

It’s a short bus, but let’s not let that stand for their quality or creativeness.  The chalkboard on the side of the school bus cleverly lists the menu.  Each item is named after a class or position at a school, such as the Homeroom, Principle, Detention.  You get it.

Order from the Chalkboard Here!

Clever indeed.  But cleverness must be followed by execution and Bernie’s Burger Bus does not fall short.  The Winette had the Substitute – Burger topped with Bacon, Burgundy Mushrooms, Blue Cheese, and Tipsy Caramelized Onions.  I enjoyed the Homeroom.  It was perfect.   The ground-fresh-daily patty melts as it mingles with the locally scratch made bun, the fried egg adding yet another layer of umami, the chipotle aioli adding the most subtle of kicks, and a hint of caramel sweetness from the onions, that is then cut by the sharpness of good cheddar.

The Homeroom, Substitute, Fries, and homemade ketchup

Oh and the fries.  Ooo the fries.  Perfectly crisp on the outside and as light as whipped potatoes on the inside sprinkled with kosher salt and pepper.  Perfect fries are the way to my heart.  And when you accompany them with homemade ketchup?  Well lets just say that I was told that I was on a food high.  There was obviously tomato and vinegar and salt in the ketchup, but the crimson condiment was dotted with black pepper and tasted faintly of creole seasoning of some kind.  It was mildly sweet, with a great amount of tang from the vinegar, but the follow up with whatever spice mixture they use is what really set it apart.  Now I just wonder if they’ll ship it.

Definitely head to Bernie’s Burger Bus as soon as you have the chance.  They’ll prove to you that they’re one of the best burger and fry joints in town.  Find out where they are on their website.  You can also find links to their facebook and twitter there, too.

Mmm so good,

~the Hungry Wino

*While editing this post, Bernie’s Burger Bus posted that they are closed indefinitely as of this morning.  Please show them your support on facebook, as we do not want to lose such a bitchin’ burger bus.

“It is the Americans who have managed to crown minced beef as hamburger, and to send it round the world so that even the fussy French have taken to le boeuf hache, le hambourgaire.”
~Julia Child

You can find your way across this country using burger joints the way a navigator uses stars. 
~Charles Kuralt

 

Relocation and more

Hello Hungry Followers!

Change is upon us.  The Hungry Winette and myself are relocating our HQ to Minneapolis, Minnesota TOMORROW!  This is a fantastic opportunity for us, especially regarding a new foodie scene and an even better beverage scene.

We will miss Houston greatly, but who could resist seeing more of the country?  I’m looking forward to lots of new beers, like Surly Brewing, Harriet Brewing, and the up and coming Fulton.  The city looks to be more or less that of our generation and hungry for new and exciting food and drink.  This will prove to be a fun move and I hope that you will all stick to following us on our adventures.

That being said, be on the lookout for a slightly new format in the near future and maybe, just maybe, a real domain name in the distant future.  I also would like to encourage you to send any topic requests our way, since we’re always looking for material.

Until late July or early August…

Cheers!

~the Hungry Wino

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If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.
~Gail Sheehy

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.
~Alan Watts

Change in all things is sweet.
~Aristotle

Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.
~Robert C. Gallagher

The Best Way to Dine

So you’ve officially RSVP’d to a dinner that you know nothing about… well almost nothing.  All you know is a date and price.

The possibilities run through your brain.  Who else will be there?  Where’s this gonna be?  Do I need to get all gussied up?  More importantly, what are we eating?!

Finally, it’s the day of the dinner.  Merely a couple of hours before mealtime, you get the last bit of information that you’re allowed – the location.

After interpreting the ambiguous, yet accurate, directions to and through the park, you see this.

Your Dinner Party Awaits

The Amuse Bouche

Crispy Rosemary and Lemon Braised Drumette with Demi

The Appetizer…

Smoked Cheddar and Paprika Shrimp Quiche with Chipotle Aiole and Sauteed Crab with Thyme and Lemon

… unfortunately we were so distracted that we forgot to snap the pic.

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The Salad

Grilled Leek "Carpaccio" and Greens tossed in Arugula Vinaigrette with Preserved Lemons and Candied Smoked Almonds

 

The Entree

Beef Bourguignon atop Au Gratin Potatoes and Sauteed Spinach

The Dessert Amuse Bouches

Formally Served Cocoa with Flamed Orange Peel and Orange Vanilla Cello

And finally… Dessert

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Browned Butter Caramel Sauce Orange Caramel Whipped Cream and Candied Orange Supremes

There you have it.  One of several things I’ve been working on lately.  Many thanks to the Great Nate for doing this with me.  It’s one of hopefully many more to come.  Also, thank you to all of our guests – you made it even more fun.

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The Texas Beer Fest is on May 7th!  Get your tickets now at www.texasbeerfest.org before the tickets go up a few bucks!  And join us on April 30th for our Super Pub Crawl Kickoff (details to come soon)!  Follow us on facebook by finding the Texas Beer Fest page, or follow the Beer Commander’s twitter – @TxBFBeerGuru

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… which leads me to mention that I will not be making many regular posts until this summer (I’m sure you couldn’t tell so far) after the TxBF and my vacation.  Anything new will be posted through facebook, and I may be posting current happenings there, but until later thanks for following!

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Cheers!

~the Hungry Wino

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“I feel the end approaching. Quick, bring me my dessert, coffee, and liqueur.”
~Brillat-Savarin’s great aunt Pierette

Liquor on Sunday?

It really seems like a no brainer to me.

It has been proposed that in order to help alleviate the $15 billion deficit in the Texas budget, liquor sales be made legal on Sundays.  There is naturally some opposition to this, but it seems like it’s mostly from the liquor stores.  They think that being open for 6 days is enough, and it’s not worth it to be open for one more day.  Sounds lazy to me… and a little selfish.   Poor baby’s gotta be open for one more day… boo hoo.

Nothing says that they have to be open, so if they’re against liquor sales on Sunday’s they can remain closed.  I am reminded, however, of the dozens of people who have had to be denied their Madeira, Sherry, Port, or Marsala while shopping for their Sunday night dinners.  Not to mention those who just are looking for some spirits.

And just to nip it in the bud… No, this wouldn’t encourage irresponsible consumption on Sundays.  Those that are looking for over-consumption will find it regardless.

This could be the first step in getting away from the old Blue Laws.  Texas is one of only 14 states that still has this law in place, and it could generate an additional $7 million in revenue for the state each year.  Now only if we could sell before noon on Sundays, too.  Oh, and then maybe have liquor in grocery stores… but that’s a much bigger battle.

What do y’all think?

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Cheers,

~the Hungry Wino

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.“Let schoolmasters puzzle their brain, With grammar, and nonsense, and learning; Good liquor, I stoutly maintain, Gives genius better discerning.”

~Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774), English author and eccentric.

You deserve more…

… so I will give it to you.

This is what I’ve been up to in the last few weeks… since I clearly haven’t been writing.

Firstly, the Grate Nate and I enjoyed a little dinner a few weeks ago…

Pepper Crusted Strip with Grilled Endive and Mushroom Risotto

Secondly, the Grate Nate and I began to hatch a plan for something that could possibly be one of the most awesome experiences (in addition to the Texas Beer Festival) of the year.  It was cold and nasty last Monday, so we made ourselves a little Middle Eastern inspired Beef and Lamb Stew… It made for good inspiration.

Beef and Lamb Stew

Thirdly, much of the gang (I like to call us the Hungry Wino and the Foodies), came to HQ Sunday night for a little challenge.  We prepared four courses, one course each, and the theme was “Without.”

The Appetizer, prepared without heat:

"Tasty Meat Thingy"

- A rolled beef carpiaccio atop sliced Granny Smith apples, finished with a paprika Vinaigrette and parmesan.

The Salad, prepared without greens…

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

- Roasted Butternut Squash with Caramelized Onions, Pickled Rasish, Raw Green Papaya, and Thai Chili Vinaigarette

The Entree, Prepared without a Protein

Mushroom Pot Pie in Happy Mug

- Mushroom Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust

The Dessert, Prepared without Sugar

The Solution is Honey

- Cacao Sorbet with Extra Brute Coconut Fudge and Candied Texas Oranges

As you can see, food has been flying around here.  Life’s been busy, but flavorful.  Sometimes getting the friends over to cook is just what you need.

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Here’s to getting back on schedule!

~the Hungry Wino

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“Americans are just beginning to regard food the way the French always have. Dinner is not what you do in the evening before something else. Dinner is the evening.”

~Art Buchwald

Farewell 2010

Well friendly followers, it’s over.  2010 has come to a close and I have decided to refer to it as the “Year of Beer.”  I don’t think that any of you would disagree that the name is appropriate.  We’ve seen lots of beer and beer related topics glaring at us from our monitors, by both myself and many other resources.  It’s only fitting, don’t you think?

I think that the biggest result of the Year of Beer has been the Texas Beer Festival.  For those of you who don’t know, the Texas Beer Festival is being held on May 7, 2011 at the Humble Civic Center.  It’s being held to show us Houstonians, fellow Texans, and the rest of the world, that quality craft beer is available here in Texas.  There is no longer any need to settle for the poor excuse for beer that most people drink, and there are local artisanal alternatives that will knock your socks off.  The TxBF will be featuring as many craft Texas breweries that they can wrangle up as well as showcase some national and international craft and true-to-style breweries.

Also, the Cicerone certification came to Houston for the first time.  I am one of two Certified Cicerones in the Houston area currently.  There will be many more after the exam this spring, but this is an excellent indication of how the beer culture is evolving in the area.  Again, if you’re not familiar with what a Cicerone is, it is the beer equivalent of a Sommelier.  A Sommelier is a wine expert who is knowledgable about the different styles of wine, wine and food pairings, and the process to make wine.  Just take the previous sentence and subsitiute the word ‘beer’ for ‘wine’ and you’ve got a Cicerone.

Now, yes there were a few wine posts as well.  The food posts were quite the teasers, too (based on the comments I recieved).  I hope to touch a little more on food and wine in 2011, but we’ll just have to see how things develop.  Who knows, my obsession for 2011 may be Alsacian Pinot Blanc, or the entire Alinea cookbook (that would be fun…).

In the meantime, thank you for a wonderful year.  If no one read this thing, I wouldn’t have been able to keep it up.  Life has too much to offer to drink or even eat the same things all the time.  Go out and explore.  Get out of that bubble of yours and try something new.  New year, new adventures.

Speaking of, there’s a new beer that I need to try.  Maybe you’ll get to read about it.

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Happy New Year!

~the Hungry Wino

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The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I am a firm believer in the people.  If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis.  The great point is to bring them the real facts and beer.

~Abraham Lincoln

Perfect for a cold night.

Tonight we made Beef Bourgogne.  I’ve never actually prepared this before, but tonight we did it straight from the book.  You know the one… Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Yes, the one by Julia Child.   Yeah… they made a movie out of it…

Anywho, tonight’s low is 30 degrees.  We felt like taking advantage of the cold and eating something that would compliment it.  We do rarely get these stewing occasions.

It was so good.  The perfectly tender chunks of beef, sautéed mushrooms, and braised pearl onions all coated in a rich sauce.  I want more thinking about it.  We served the stew over salt-boiled potatoes, with fresh rosemary bread for sopping.

I hope it gets cold more often.

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Eat up!

~the Hungry Wino

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“Bon Appetit!”

~Julia Child