The Future is Here – Introducing the Baguette Vending Machine!

There is a lot of talk within global financial circles about France losing its AAA rating, following the path of my home country, the United States.  I really started to buy into this idea, but just when I thought that France had no real shot of warding off this downgrade, BAM!!!, they go ahead and COMPLETELY REDEEM THEMSELVES!  I am happy to announce that France has officially safeguarded itself from financial collapse!  How, you ask?  Three simple words…Baguette Vending Machine.

Beers on our Minds (aka BOOM) – Session Black

The members of the Delicious Attack trio have been avid beer samplers for many years now, constantly searching for the next best brew.  For a long stretch we were hooked on heady stouts and powerful porters.  Then came ferociously hoppy IPAs and robust barleywines.  Our palates changed quite dramatically and we moved on to sour ales and gueuze.  I’m not sure if it was a matter of circumstance or maybe a need for something new after assaulting our gullets with highly-acidic brews, but about a year and a half back we changed our focus a bit and set our collective gaze on rum, bourbon, mezcal, and whiskey.  Now, I must make note that we had always sampled spirits during our beer days and certainly maintained an interest in beer during our spirits phase, though we do seem to have obsessive and compulsive tendencies…and not to mention competitive natures.  Our competitive natures are WAY better than yours, FYI.  Anyway, I digress.  Back to the matter at hand.   The other day while having a couple of drinks out at The Butcher Shop in the South End of Boston, I decided to mix it up and try a beer I had never had/seen before.  The beer was called Session Black and is produced by Full Sail Brewing Company, located in Hood River, OR.  I’m going to go pretty far out on a limb here, but it was one of the top 5 best beers I have EVER had.

Owen’s Tip Corner – #3

Just because two or more separate food items are delicious on their own DOES NOT mean that when combined create something even more delicious than the sum of its parts.  I’m looking at you, Hawaiian pizza lovers.  Shame on you…

An Ode to the Taco Bell Diet

Sports aren’t for me, and the gym is revealing,

I want to lose weight, but few options are appealing.

I could opt for surgery, or buy a treadmill

But neither option sounds like too much of a thrill.

A stationary bike?  Or maybe some crunches?

Or maybe give in and eat multiple lunches.

Wait a minute, I think that’s the ticket!

To Taco Bell I shall kick it.

Options a-plenty, chalupas abound,

With each taco salad I eat, I’ll shed many a pound.

With the Drive Thru diet, success is at hand,

I will achieve the results that I had always planned.

Wholefoods?  Bye bye!  Slimfast?  See ya!

It can’t be healthy if it isn’t wrapped in a tortilla.

Pomegranates and fish oil get all the press,

But it’s the Burrito Supreme that will let me fit into my old dress.

Seasoned ground beef, cheesy lava sauce,

These are the keys to epic weight loss.

Well it looks like some sort of celebration is in order,

Because much like my cholesterol, I’m heading south of the border.

Organic Goodness

There are three practices that I believe all home cooks should employ in order to maintain health and happiness, as well as improve the output of their culinary explorations.  These three practices are buying organic food, buying locally-produced food, and buying and/or foraging for wild edibles.  Today I will be focusing on buying organic food. 

Grin and Pear it

Being a resident of New London, CT from August 2002 through May 2006 gave me ample opportunities to explore the various food purveyors, restaurants, wine shops, brew pubs, vineyards, and fish shacks dotted throughout South East Connecticut.  While a few places stood out, like Stonington Vineyards, Brie and Bleu, and Thames River Wine and Spirits, there is one gastronomic institution that cannot be overlooked.  In the town of Mystic resides B.F. Clyde’s cider mill, the oldest steam powered cider mill in the US.  Clyde’s sells a number of cider-based products, including some outrageously good cider donuts, along with a countless array of spreads, dips, dressings, and pickles.  However, the pièce de résistance is the hard cider sold in the cellar of the barn.

Oh no! A small FISH future!

 

Apparently my fishing habits are altering the size of future fish, and not in a good way, according to a National Public Radio broadcast (January 16^th 2009) on fishing and hunting.

Have you ever heard tales of epic battles with gigantic fish that took place many moons ago? Have you ever wondered why the largest fish that you ever caught you caught when you were a kid?

Apparently by catching and keeping big fish, we are all aiding the evolutionary process of natural selection that is leading to smaller fish. Why? Because we anglers who are fishing for dinner throw back the little guys and keep the larger ones. As a result, so says NPR, being small is a strategic advantage, and a characteristic that is transferable through generations.

Fish Shares are in the Details

Stumbling upon the Gourmet and NYTimes articles on “fish shares” last Saturday compelled me to put up a post titled “Fish Shares for MV Striper”. In light of Owen’s comments in response (on the perceived upsides to implementing a fish share system), and after a bit more reading, I want to add a few additional comments.

“Fish Shares” for MV striper?

It wasn’t until this morning that I first read about the novel concept of “fish shares.” Am I behind the times? Perhaps. But regardless of how cutting edge this idea (and practice) is, it merits significantly greater attention. Why aren’t the commercial striper fishermen off the coast of Cape Cod using a fish share system?

What are fish shares? The concept is based on the idea of regulating the fishing industry so that it remains healthy, and fish stocks aren’t depleted. By contrast to the current use of total catch quotas, i.e. X lbs of striper can be caught in a given season, fish shares rely on individual quotas or shares, i.e. each fisherman can bring in X lbs of striper in a given season. What is the result? By removing the pressure from fishermen to go out and get as many fish as quickly as possible to beat out competing fishermen, a system of fish shares encourages catching fish more gradually.

Hugh marches on…

Photo Copyright: UK Evening Standard Online

Fearnley-Whittingstall is at it again, this time attempting to make garden landshares hip! It is always heartening to see a celebrity investing some of their fame and fortune in a cause to try to make a positive impact, but hardly ever is it for a cause as un-sexy as ‘shared gardens.’ Is Fearnley-Whittingstall ‘ahead of his time’ with this one?