In homage to the seasons (just passed) here’s a delicious brew that, admittedly, I’m a few weeks late in reviewing. I bought it at BroueHaHa with the best of intentions, but it was a busier season with less imbibing than I forecast … and cross-country ski season has arrived, so hours are in shorter supply. First,…
“West Coast Pale Ale” (Pale) by Church-Key Brewing Company
I chanced across this beer on tap at the Wellington Gastropub before Christmas and I quite enjoyed it on tap, so when I saw it in the LCBO a few weeks later, I bought a 6-pack with the promise to review it. I’ve since drank it twice and my conclusion of this beer remains the same…
What Makes a Good Cookbook?
Ah, the “cookbook review.” Perhaps not the height of the literary review food chain, but it was inevitable that I would one day mount this bunny hill. So, “hello world,” here I am…. The first question to ask before I take a fateful plunge off this culinary precipice is “What makes a good cookbook?” After…
“Boréale” (IPA) by Brasseurs Du Nord Inc.
In a word, Boréale is “balanced.” Indeed, it’s probably the most balanced IPA I’ve tasted thus far. The first taste is not what I’ve come to expect in an IPA. The carbonation is immediately present – which would make you think, “Wow – too much.” But that’s not the case – sure, there is more…
“Smashbomb Atomic IPA” (IPA) by Flying Monkeys
Ok, so here’s a brew that isn’t exactly new to me but it may be new to some of my readers. The fact that one of two Flying Monkeys’ beers has been a staple in my fridge for the past three or four years should probably be as good an indicator as any that I…
The Evil Garlic Press
Imagine Freddy Krueger with rusty garden rakes for fingers instead of razor sharp blades. Better yet, think of his wrists ending in old-fashioned meat grinders. He approaches you menacingly as you stand there perplexed wondering how he’s going to do you in with these useless tools attached to his arms, daring you to put your…
Garlic Press Gallery
My photo-journalistic homage to the evils of the garlic press…. Click to View Gallery
“Corne du Diable” (IPA), Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
Delicious! Having said that, it occurs to me that I should start picking some yucky beers to create a bit more of a spectrum in my burgeoning beer annals here. Either that, or I’m as good at picking bottles off a beer shelf as plucking apples from a tree. Now if we could only graft…
Rösti-Potato Quiche with Caramelized Leeks
If you’ve had potato pancakes (or some version thereof), love fondu, and think the inventors of raclette should simplify things by getting rid of a kitchen applicance you use once every two years, I’ve got good news for you in this recipe. And, yes, this was my eclectic inspiration for this recipe — that and…
Roasted Red-Kuri Squash Salad with Walnuts in Maple-Mango Vinegrette
Inspiration comes in all forms. In this case, it is a squash from my CSA share that has been tempting my creativity for a few weeks. I’ll confess, until this squash (delivered by agricultural storks) arrived in my kitchen, I had no idea that a “red kuri squash” existed, let alone what it would taste…