I think I’m not so great with short titles.  However, I’m pretty good with beer and this is an outstanding one that you must try.  Now.  Why are you still reading this?

A trappist style dubbel made in New York

I’m a big fan of Trappist beers but not necessarily of their prices.  This cheap Trappist ripoff wonderful Trappist style abbey dubbel is reasonably priced and full of complex flavors. RateBeer gives it a 99 (100 in it’s own style) out of 100 which for the math impaired is really good. It’s hearty with a mix of sweetness and richness and now I really wish I had bought more than one.

Not worth the $3 I paid for it

Learning about wine is one of many things on my list of Things I’d Like To Do Someday. I’ve been to a few wine tastings here in Ohio. I enjoy the explanations of how the different wines are made and what foods they pair well with.  Sometimes, I can even pick out the hints of apple or melon flavor that a certain wine is supposed to have. I definitely know which wines I tend to like and which I don’t. However, that’s the extent of my wine knowledge. For now, anyway.

Still, the main reason I started this blog was to keep track of foods, drinks, recipes and restaurants that I have tried. This is why I felt compelled to write a quick and very basic review of a wine that I recently tried and disliked.

Because of the low price of Charles Shaw wine, it’s affectionately known as “Two-Buck Chuck”. And for two dollars (actually, it’s more like $2.99), the Charles Shaw wines are usually pretty good. I’ve tried, and liked, several varieties. But I hated their Pinot Grigio. To me, it wasn’t even okay or drinkable. It was actively bad. I usually think of Pinot Grigio as having a refreshing, fruity, slightly sweet flavor. The Charles Shaw version is almost flavorless. And what flavor it does have is sour, not tart or refreshing at all. In short, this cheap white wine tastes like cheap white wine.

Another big plus for this magazine – it has a picture of every recipe. This is important to me since I like to see how a recipe is supposed to look when it’s done. I’ve also been known to choose recipes based solely on how pretty they are. Colorful enchiladas? I’m in.

Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 small red onion, halved
1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos, husked & rinsed
2 serrano chiles, stemmed & seeded
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 c. shredded chicken
1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 c. fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra
8 corn tortillas
pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat broiler. Slice half of the onion into thin rings. Place the other half of the onion, tomatillos and peppers on a baking sheet and broil until vegetables are brown, approximately 7-10 minutes. Puree vegetables with broth. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and sugar.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine shredded chicken with 2 cups of cheese.
3. Warm tortillas to soften them. Spoon some chicken mixture and cilantro into each tortilla. Roll tortillas and place them in a 9×13 baking dish. Broil until crisp and brown, approximately 3 minutes.
4. Coat enchiladas with tomatillo sauce and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Broil until cheese is brown, approximately 3-5 minutes.
5. Garnish with onion rings and cilantro.

My thoughts:
1. I thought the tomatillo sauce needed something extra, so I added some garlic powder. I almost always make minor changes to recipes the first time I make them. The exception to this rule is baked goods.
2. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that, once it was done, it looked almost exactly like the picture.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine, October 2009

These chips are quick and easy to make. They go great with burgers and sandwiches, or on their own as a late night snack. They’re easy to customize with whatever seasonings and toppings you like. I personally like the salty, slightly spicy flavoring of Cajun seasoning.

Baked Potato Chips
Serves 2-4

Ingredients
2-3 large Yukon Gold or baking potatoes
1-2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Cajun seasoning
cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Wash and dry potatoes thoroughly.
3. Slice potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices.
4. In a bowl, toss potatoes with oil.
5. Coat 2 foil-lined baking sheets with cooking spray. Spread sliced potatoes evenly over baking sheets. Sprinkle with a liberal amount of Cajun seasoning.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping chips halfway through.

My thoughts:
1. I use a mandolin to cut the potatoes to the right thickness. After doing some research, I settled on the Large Benriner Mandolin. It’s one of the most affordable and durable mandolins on the market and cuts to the perfect thickness with minimal time and effort. Just be sure to watch your fingers!
2. I’ve made these a few times now, experimenting with different toppings. While I prefer Cajun seasoning, they’re also good seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with malt vinegar.

Normally, I stick to ice cream flavors that involve chocolate, peanut butter or coconut. Saturday’s cold, rainy weather put me in the mood for something a little more seasonal. Enter Ben & Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns ice cream. Like all of their ice cream, Cinnamon Buns comes in a colorful container festooned with graphics of cows and clouds. The ice cream itself is caramel with swirls of streusel and cinnamon bun dough in it. It tastes like brown sugar and cinnamon with a creamy background. I had wondered if the caramel would be too much. Surprisingly, it works perfectly with the cinnamon and sugar streusel swirl. The dough reminds me of the chocolate chip cookie dough that they put in ice cream, which is what I had expected. My only real complaint with this ice cream is that it’s almost too sweet. This is probably a good thing since it means I can’t eat too much of it in one sitting. Overall, though, it’s very good and something I’ll buy again.