Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

Coffee and beer? Stimulant and depressant? It is one of those pair of opposites that work so well together. A collaboration between Matilda Bay and Toby’s Estate has given birth to coffee infused dark ale Longshot. I am very grateful that this collaboration happened as the coffee/beer lovechild is a wonderful marriage of flavours. Here Comes the Booze

Scott Vincent

Head brewer of Matilda Bay and beer guru, Scott Vincent, lead us through past range of Matilda Bay beers and expertly talked us through the thought processes and inspirations for each of the beers. After comparing stories regarding roasting malts with Toby Smith, they decided to give coffee and beer combination a go. “Our seasonal releases give us an opportunity to really explore some new flavours and up the ante when it comes to challenging our devout Matilda Bay drinkers. It’s also a chance to experiment and stretch the boundaries on what can make a great beer.”

Toby Smith

Coffee drinkers are bound to know gourmet coffee roaster Toby Smith or at least know of coffee roasting business Toby’s Estate. Smith and Vincent worked tested out with some of the best coffee beans to figure out which one worked best in a beer. Finally settling on highly aromatic Ethiopian blend, Yirgacheffe, as it cooled well and acted like a ‘hop’ in some senses. The whole coffee infused beer is based on the ice coffee concept. “I’d always heard that coffee and beer made a great combination but I never imagined that one day I’d actually get the chance to team up with one of Australia’s best boutique breweries to create a beer using my own coffe beans. I always thought it was too much of a Longshot…”

Although the night was mainly dedicated to Longshot, we were also lucky enough to try some of their previous ranges along with matching foods. I was a bit surprised that Beez Neez did not make an appearance but it an educational experience none-the-less.

Big Helga matched with crisp fried kataifi prawns, aioli and finger limes

Crunchy on the outside and soft sweet prawn meat inside, along with the creamy aioli this matched the smoothness of Big Helga.

Bohemian Pilsner matched with dukkah spiced lamb skewer with minted yogurt

Tender chunks of lamb topped with refreshing yogurt complimented the smooth and crisp flavour of the Bohemian Pilsner.

Fat Yak matched with proscuitto and fiore di latte with Sicilian caper salsa

Fat Yak is the no. 1 craft beer in the country and so the beer shines by itself. However the sweetness of the beer contrasts nicely witht he saltiness of proscuitto and capers. I also love the textural crunch of the crispbread.

Alpha Pale Ale matched with spiced meatballs with homemade salsa

The big brother of Fat Yak so another fruity beer but with a sharper bitterness that lasts very briefly. It matches beautifully with spicy foods and in this case of spicy meatballs it worked a charm and a half.

Longshot poured a beautifully creamy mocha head

Longshot matched with baked dark chocolate fondant

This was a match made in heaven. The smooth and creamy coffee infused beer just complimented the chocolate in more ways than I can describe. The initial sweetness from the malts (4 different types) are then overtaken by the bitterness of the coffee aspect. She breathes a beautiful coffee aroma and seriously works as a dessert beer. Her dark sensuous body entices the taste buds with each sip, always with the sweetness then the slight bitterness.

It may had also been because the chocolate fondant was soooo very good.

Matilda Bay has a very impressive line-up and I really hope they keep coming up with these impressive beers. Craft beers are definitely the way to go and considering that they only make up 1% of the Australian market they are really going to take off.

Here Comes the Food attended this event thanks to Charmaine, Matilda Bay and Toby’s Estate

FFichiban

Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

First off, I must say, I am against canned beer with a passion. The whole concept of wasting precious beer by canning it up where it gains a undesirable metallic after taste. Give me freshly drawn beer on tap or keg or bottle and I’m a happy man (The only exception for me is Guinness with their cool widget). However for this BT I had to go with canned beer and it was surprisingly worth it. Here Comes the Booze

I felt like the cheapest drunk buying just one can of beer…

Carlton Draught… pulled by horses… fermented in big metal things… made from beer. I always think of their memorable ads such as this and this. Although this is not one best beers ever it is a decent brew and much better than the other options I had in the canned beer section. I would only drink Carlton Draught when it is available on tap. She has a golden body with not much of an aroma. The taste is very mild and easy to drink with a slight hint of bitters near the end. Can be very refreshing on hot summer days otherwise it is a bit of an average beer.

However something special was planned for this particular can of beer… preparation complete

It was a coincidence that Billy posted this recipe and the next night my mother said she had free range chicken she wanted to roast. I jumped on this opportunity to try and replicate the sexy and delicious chicken that Billy roasted up.

“I would have to say… World Peace!”

Mine turned out to a model in a previous life striking a pose even with something as large as a can being stuffed where the sun-don’t-shine. I actually considered using a bottle for this but then in hindsight it would had been too tall and skinny to give it that nice snug fit. I have to say, giving the chicken an enema was quite an experience and I suggest others to give it a go.

Lucky my oven was tall enough for this haha

Beer Butt Roast Chicken

(from A Table For Two)

RECIPE CLICK HERE

Laziness ftw

Check out the tasty tasty breast

This roast chicken turned out pretty much perfect! Beautifully browned and golden with crispy skin and very (very!) tender and juicy meat. Even the breast meat was nice and juicy with the slightly hint of beer flavour to it which made it even better. We only decided on roast vegetables at the last second and only had some pumpkins but they turned out beautiful with a nice brown crust and soft and smooth insides.

Also check out the voluptuous thighs and ass

As I mentioned before, I am a thigh man and I snatched up one of these juicy thighs which were packed full of flavour with each bite. I thought the bottom half of the chicken would not get such a nice and crispy skin without the top being burnt but it turned out very nicely. A very simple recipe that yields in an exceptional roast chook.

FFichiban

Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age (lol at Ninja in a skirt) please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

Gunter: He stole it und now instead of Deutschland’s greatest beer we merely have fourth best behind Steinemarzen, Rottenburger, und… und…
Otto: Und Beck’s?
Gunter: Und Beck’s? Ja und Beck’s!

(quote from Beerfest)

This may have been one of those typical ridiculous low-brow American movies but it was about beer so I immediately enjoyed all the cheesy and corny jokes. Including this quote with good old Beck’s, which has been one of my go-to beers when I am browsing the walk-in fridge and see nothing new or special I want to try. A case of this and a good tasty time is ensured. Here Comes the Booze

In reality, Beck’s is actually the 5th best selling brewery in Germany (according to Wiki) which is pretty impressive considering all the great beers that come out of that magical place. It pours a clear beautiful golden yellow with a nice and neat white head. There is a good, decent amount of carbonation to this brew. The beer is crisp and clean with a slight bitter aftertaste but otherwise quite light and easy to drink. Perfect to relax and chill with especially with its slightly sweet aroma.

Also brewed in Australia but I try and get the imported one if I can

Beck’s still follows the Reinheitsgebot, German Beer Purity Law, which states that there can only be water, barley and hops used to brew beer

As with all German beers, they should be hearty and clean so they can match all the robust and porky pork foods. And thanks to Chocolatesuze I had craved some pulled pork, but the thought of waiting 6-8 hours makes me go FTS. Fortunately Chef Lex had a great cheat pulled pork method!

Pulled pork? photo taken from HERE

Lex’s 3 hour Pulled Pork

1x Smoked pork hock (or in my case 2kgs worth)

4x soft, sweet buns (and get some bread while your at it I kid I kid the buns will do fine)

100ml white vinegar

1/8th shredded white cabbage

Put the pork in a saucepan and submerge completely with water. Add vinegar and boil for 3 hours. How easy is that! The hardest, of course, is the waiting…

I actually recommend not covering as it tends to boil over, so I just kept topping it up with water as it boiled down.

MMmmmm pot of mmeeattt

Shred the meat up off the bone (be careful its hot!) probably a bit finer than I had but not too fine. Mix in the homemade BBQ if you did from Lex’s site otherwise just BBQ up the bun like I did.

Assemblage and ENJOY!!

These pulled pork buns were pure genius, and only taking 3 hours they are much faster than the other methods. They were soft, tender and juicy and with that hint of smokiness that just makes it extra tasty. The cabbage was refreshing and crisp and matches the pork bun perfectly. Add a bottle or two of Beck’s and it is a guaranteed good times ^^!

FFichiban

All… You.. Can… Eat… RIBS! One of the sweetest combination of words in the English language. We have already came across this once before but this time it was at the humble little Cafe Ish on Campbell St; unlike the silly people who went to Albion St hee hee I pity those fools. The all you can eat ribs has only recently come onto the menu and it is only for Wednesday night. Considering it is only 35 dora per person it is a very good deal that Lex, Ninja, Steph, Leona, Sheryl, Karen, Suzey and myself  had to try!

It was quite obvious that Josh, the owner, was a sake and beer fanatic and after a friendly chat he introduces us to a special drink which he only had 3 bottles left.

Mad Brewers Orchard Ale

Probably one of the best descriptions of a drink I have ever heard, “It is like if beer and cider got together and had sex”. It sure was a very smooth and easy to drink leaning towards the cider side more so than the beer.

Pre-rib drink always seems a bit sweeter than normal… or it could be because of this cider ale

Cheerss by some of the ladies

Shortly after the drinks, bowls and bowls were brought out in quick succession. The sight that presented before us was pure and utter meat heaven. I kept glancing from bowl to bowl trying to gauge them but you have to taste them for yourself before it actually hits you. Here Comes the Food

Blue gum smoked beef ribs marinated in sake, soy, mirin and ginger finished with coriander, fresh chili, shallots, sesame and black vinegar

Of all the places I had beef ribs, and quite a many places it was, I always thought Meat & Wine Co. had the best beef ribs… until now. These ribs were just melt-in-your-mouth fall-apart fantastic. There was a perfect balance between the sweetness of the mirin and saltiness of the soy while all the other ingredients contributed their little nuances to complete the flavour. The proportion of fat to meat was also wonderful with tender and juicy chunks of meat ribboned with flavoursome fat.

They so good I need a second look mmmm

Blue gum smoked pork ribs marinated in sake, soy, mirin and ginger finished with coriander, fresh chili, shallots, sesame and black vinegar

The other half of the bowls were filled with pork ribs but with the same finger-licking sauce. I did enjoy the beef ribs more but the pork ribs were also a force to be reckoned with. I found them a bit sweeter than the beef ribs possibly from the natural sweet nature of pork. Tearing the meat off the bone adds to the whole rib eating experience and brings out the inner caveman from me.

So very very very hungry right now…

We also ordered some sides to balance out all the meaty goodness.

Fries with wasabi mayo ($6)

These fries were fried to a golden crisp and with the wasabi mayo they were very moreish. Also even when you are full of ribs I always find space for chips and can keep munching on these.

Cabbage with wattleseed miso(?) mayonnaise ($5)

Cabbage? CABBage? Yeah I know, I also scoffed at the idea of cabbage at first but later on they were a savour. I nibbled away in shame at these wonderful crisp and refreshing leaves with the beautiful and creamy sauce. I think these are necessary to balance out the ribs and can help you eat more ribs.

Otoko Yama

I have tried many sakes but I am still no where as knowledged as Josh in this field. He recommends the Otoko Yama (Man mountain) which is light and sweet on the tongue. A very pleasant drop and those wooden sake cups were just too cute!

Piggy Graveyard

After we were all ribbed out we could barely eat another bite, until we heard their dessert menu. A quick response of “2 of each, kthx” settled that easily.

Wattleseed creme brulee with azuki beans

When the Ninja’s spoon broke the caramelized sugar layer and a delightful crack was heard and observed we all cracked a smile (sorry, it’s late!). The custard underneath was silky smooth and went beautifully with the sugary layer and the azuki beans.

Lemon Delicious

The name says it all! Fluffy and citrusy, it was like eating a lemon cloud and the ice cream created a hot and cold contrast that everybody seemed to enjoy. The only gripe was that there could had been a bit more ice cream but that could have been because we were sharing one among 4 people heh.

Chocolate cake with wattleseed ice cream and sour plum jam

Warm and fluffy chocolate cake with ice cream and a touch of the jam was an unbeatable combination.

Cafe Ish has won the title for best beef ribs for me and I will definitely be back for the ribs and to try their normal dinner menu (but those riibbs ommggg still craving them). An awesome night was had with superb food, drink and company!

Note: Please keep in mind that so not to waste food do not over order the ribs on all you can eat rib Weds ($50 per uneaten kg) and if you are taking photos it is courtesy to ask staff beforehand.

Cafe Ish

82 Campbell Street

Surry Hills

Open Wednesday – Saturday for Dinner

Open 7 days during the day for your coffee fix and other dishes

FFichiban

Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age (Drinking kills; Ninja-robot-dancing skills) please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

For those who don’t know already, I love everything Japanese (well almost everything) and I shout it loud and proud. I am a Japanese-wannabe. From their cuisine to their anime and manga and their extreme fashion trends to all their weird and wonderful inventions (Chindoogu). I think you guys will agree with me that whoever came up with butterstick is a genius! Then there is their world of electronics and technology… say hai to R2-D2s alcoholic twin – the Asahi BEER ROBOT! A robot that stores and serves your a cool and refreshing beverage on demand, I want one! Hee hee but this brings us to good old Asahi Super Dry. Here Comes the Booze

May not be as fancy as a beer robot but a 6-pack does look very enticing as well ^^!

Asahi has been a long time good friend who I visit every now and then. Although it probably is not the most exciting of beers it is very refreshing and smooth, easy to drink with just the right amount of bitterness. There is not much of an aroma but just the hints of malt and pours out a golden yellow colour. There is moderate carbonation with a good frothy white head.

They always advertise it as Superdry which makes me think of all the Japanese superheroes hee hee. It does pretty much sum up this beer quite well though. Ends off with a light hint of sweetness then a long and refreshing dry taste which is perfect for a hot day and just in need of cooling down. Although there is not much flavour, it is the type of beer that you can just sit and relax with in my opinion.

Pouring by hand seems so mundane now…

For the matching recipe I had to take a page or two from my favourite Japanese foodblogger, except he is always busy working, you all know him and you all love him.

Yas the insatiable

Potato Mochi

(from hungry.digital.elf)

4 medium sized potatoes

3 tbsp potato starch

Mitarashi Sauce:

4 tbsp sugar

2tbsp Mirin

2tbsp soy sauce

Boil or steam the potatoes until soft and then mash it up as desired. Add in the potato starch and mix well, this should make the mixture easier to handle and shape. Shape into a log and wrap in cling wrap, then fridge for at least half an hour. Once ready slice to your liking and then pan fry until brown. (I then added cheese and then grilled it until cheese melty mmm).

To make the Mitarashi Sauce, heat up the sugar and Mirin until sugar turns a light golden brown. Add the soy sauce and then thicken.

These make the perfect snack for anytime and much healthier than chips as they are not deep fried hee hee. These gorgeous slices of potato were crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside with cheese and the sauce (although I think my sauce was a bit different to Yas‘). If I had to change anything was maybe season the potato otherwise it might be a bit bland if there wasn’t enough sauce, or maybe mix it up a bit with a bit of butter or cheese. My sauce ended up a bit too much of a caramel as I must have gotten the measurements a bit wrong haha. It was still very tasty, sweet and sticky caramel on soft pillows of potato.

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Wings

(from hungry.digital.elf)

Click here for recipe haha I’m so lazy…

Mine may not have turned out as aesthetically pleasing but they were sure delicious! The sweetness of the caramelized Coke (not cock) penetrated (I had to do it… haha) the meat to give it a wonderful flavour. I think the carbonation tenderized the chicken wings beautifully and they ended up very tender and fall-off-the bone. I also decided to add some lime to give it some sourness contrast against the sweetness. These were a very easy and tasty recipe so perfect for when you need to whip up something for dinner. Together, the potato mochi and chicken wings served to be a brilliant feast and with Asahi… かんぱい (KAMPAI)!

FFichiban

Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age (*cough* karaage Ninja-chicken*cough*) please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

I love ginger beer, especially Bundaberg Ginger Beer but I was always curious about why it was called ‘beer’ although there is no alcohol in the drink itself. Good old wiki, informed me that originally ginger beer was an alcoholic beverage but mostly it is a soft drink with refreshing sweet carbonation and subtle ginger tang. I have only had the alcoholic version once or twice before and was not sure if it was the same brand but I remember that it was very refreshing and enjoyed it immensely. Here Comes the Booze

Stone’s Ginger Beer was the only alcoholic version I could find from my trusty local, Jim’s Cellar. I may not be able to compare it to other brands of alcoholic ginger beer but it is very drop with a distinct aroma of ginger. It is not as sweet as the soft drink version of ginger beer which is probably a good thing but much sweeter than normal beers. You can feel a good fizz of ginger in the throat along with a good flavour with some spices. It is at its’ prime when very chilled and on hot days or anytime with some buddies to share with!

Ahhh my very good friend… oh and a drinking buddy

Nerding it up lan style with Santa and Monkeyjaja

Mannnn Borderlands is such an addictive game, the rpg side of it really gets you hooked in and ummm… yeahh back to the ginger beer! It is not really a beer but a hybrid of soft drink and beer so it makes it very easy to drink. The man factor is that it is very refreshing and with a warming ginger hit it is also good for these cool times as well.

To be honest I actually decided to do the recipe first then chose the appropriate drink to accompany it. Once again the scone bug hit me so Steph came to the rescue with these awesome Gingerbread Scones. Technically mine were not real gingerbread scones as I did not have the candied ginger and I really regret not preparing earlier and finding some. I shall definitely be attempting these again!

not-so-Gingerbread Scones

(adapted from this recipe from Diana’s Desserts via Stephcookie)
2 cups plain flour
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
170g chilled butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
3 tbsp unsulfured molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp candied ginger, finely chopped
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Mix the first 6 ingredients together, add the butter, melted (if like me and don’t own a food processor). Beat the egg, milk, molasses (I used honey instead) and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture and candied ginger; and stir until a dough forms. Add small amounts of flour if the mixture is still quite wet and sticky (which it was in my case).

Gather dough into a ball and put on lightly floured surface. I rolled 8 equal balls and put them on a baking tray with baking paper. Sprinkle some coarse sugar on top and then bake in the oven for 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm and enjoy!

Mine turned out more yellow instead of brown because of the honey instead of the molasses and the absence of candied ginger. However these scones were still very tasty although quite subtle in flavour and they turned out quite crumbly and short. At the moment the maple syrup scones were much better but if these were properly made, they would be tough competitors.

A nice squirt of honey to give it that extra ‘mmmm’ of sweetness ^^!

I will most definitely attempt these again and make them properly next time! Candied ginger, I shall find thee!

FFichiban

Ooohhh fluffy white clouds ^^!

Please allow me, if I may, take for back to the end of 2009 (is it just me or does it seem like a really long time ago?) where the skies were blue, grass was green and everything was pretty much the same as now… except I was in a plane on the way to Taipei, Taiwan! I was heading forth to Asia, where food is the one and sole ruler. To be honest though, my first few days were quite uneventful (foodwise) just had the usually check up on the family small eats here and there but nothing too exciting that was caught on camera. So firstly Here Comes the Random Shots.

*Note* please excuse the poor photography in these shots as most of the time there was a big, loud cry baby who always wanted to get at the food as quickly as possible.. oh and there was the rest of my family.

The land of scooters, well probably not as many as Vietnam but they were scattered around like ants.

Yay for hot cake van!

For those who haven’t been to Asia, food really is a big part of the culture. Everywhere you look there is some sort of stall or house-converted-shop selling edible goods. This is a good and bad thing as it meant that there was lots of choices and competition to choose from and that you need to know the good places to avoid food poisoning and dodgey food. Fortunately I have family to help me out but even so there are some things that can’t be prevented haha (will expand in later post).

Fish drying outside a restaurant, probably not the best method considering the air quality here *cough*

Hellllooooooooooo Kitty! I couldn’t bring myself to entering the shop as that would have cost me all my Man-cards

They really love the Haagen-Dazs here. There are quite a few of these dedicated shops around but in my opinion HD is not as good as the ice cream we have at Sydney ^^!

I love my Hey Song Sars ^^!

Another perk is all the convenient stores around! Every few shops is either a 7-11, Family Mart, OK etc. a bit like Starbucks in Seattle? (Oh, actually Taipei has a looottt of coffee shops too cos they are very Japan-wannabe and ergo American-wannabe) but the convenient stores are so very awesome as they sell all sorts of good snacks, drinks and alcomohol hee hee.

BEST dog poo sign EVER! Looks like the dog is dancing away (and also lol at engrish)

A quick mention to Mickey D’s

I find that the fast food always tastes better overseas for some unknown reason. Maybe I am just not used to it and therefore think it is cleaner although reality probably dictates otherwise.

The only thing I order at the TW Maccas is the fried chicken which is kinda odd considering they only do burgers in Australia. In TW the fast foods all tend to tread on each others territories

Sogo Department Store

The department stores are huge with floors and floors of female clothing and only 1 or 2 for men. They do understand the market and they even have a Haagen Dazs set up in the middle of one of the floors hee hee.

Hooray for sales

Food Court

Food is so cheap and tasty, even at the food courts!

Any weather is perfect weather for shaved ice

a PROPER shaved ice machine, unlike the dodgey blender business that happens in some Sydney establishments

*shave shave shave*

Now pack on the flavouring

City’super is a supermarket underneath the department store and it is crazy big considering the small amount of space they have. They pack in so many different products that I was walking around, eyes in awe at all the snacks, drinks etc. I didn’t get many photos of the snacks (which I should had done) but I went there as I knew they had a huge variety of beers.

So…

much…

choice!

and and look at the baby cans of Asahi! Aren’t they cuuutteee?

How come they don’t introduce these into Sydney. Dedicated food signs!

To be continued…

FFichiban

Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age (Still you, little Ninja boy!) please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

Perfect Now… damn right!

I am trying to keep our mascot donning some cool hats so for this installment I was lucky enough to have had some Lord Nelson Old Admiral at one of my birthday feastings. I actually had my first Lord Nelson a few years back thanks to my big bro who is quite the knowledged in the field of beer. He informed me that there was actually a brewery hotel in The Rocks but sadly I have not yet made my way there. Fortunately though, I have been able to experience this top drop so Here Comes the Booze.

The Old Admiral is a dark ale that pours to reveal a dark brown glint with hints of red in the light but with thin head. He is quite a strong bodied old fella and this is evident in both the aroma and the taste. The smell of roasted malt flavour lingering with caramel tingles the nose as you bring it up to your lips. Although it does have a sweetness and a slight chocolatey hint, I wouldn’t consider this a dessert beer and matches nicely with savoury dishes in my opinion. I personally find that the bitterness is fairly mild and whatever bitterness there is, is balanced out by the sweetness.

Overall I find this a great dark ale and definitely worth trying if you haven’t. As for the 2nd part of this post, here is something I prepared earlier!

I have a Bookmark folder which I have labelled ‘Cook’ and in this folder are many many recipes which I have kept to try later on. One of these was Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fondants at Citrus and Candy!

I was a teeny tiny bit impatient heh

For the people that don’t know me… I LOOVVEEE chocolate and peanut butter! Actually… I have a bag of Reese’s PB cups right next to me at this moment haha -__- So when I spied this recipe, I knew I had to try it. Gooey centre of chocolate with a soft and fluffy coating along the sides of the ramekins.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fondants

250g good dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

130g crunchy peanut butter

20g butter, chopped

6 eggs, separated

200g caster sugar

100g plain flour, sifted

Melt chocolate, peanut butter and butter in a Bain Marie. Stir until smooth (3-5 minutes) and then allow to cool before adding in the egg yolks and then set aside. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks, add sugar and whisk until stiff and glossy. Gently fold in chocolate mixture in batches, then fold in flour and divide among your ramekins (make sure they are buttered and sugared). Rest the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour then bake in 150 degree C oven until edges are just set (6-7 minutes).

I had to bake mine for a longer time but that might be because my oven is weird :S but in the end I was still a bit impatient and took it out without the top baked through. This meant, however, more of the gooey richness! I found these fondants to be quite rich so normal vanilla ice cream was used to buffer it out a bit hee hee (also because I was too lazy to make salted caramel ice cream and have no ice cream machine). Mmmm nothing beats a melty fondant of choc and PB in this (hopefully) cooling weather ^^!

FFichiban

Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age (That means you, little Ninja boy!) please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

Happy belated St Patricks Day everybody ^^!  Hope everybody had a fun filled day filled with green, shamrocks and Irish goodness! Also how could we forget alcohol (love how every holiday has been pretty much turned into an excuse to drink hee hee) and when the Irish is involved that could only mean one thing…. Guinness, BRILLIANT! Here Comes the Booze

Drink beer straight from a bottle?!?! BRILLIANT!

The one and only Guinness. Famous for inducing random bursts of shouting ‘BRILLIANT’ a few years back, this black beauty has been around for a long time and for good reason. She pours out all smooth and luscious with a bubbly beige head. Beautiful dark body, that shines a dark brown in the sun, and gives off a sweet aroma of roasted barley. The first sip sends a surge of bitterness through your system but as you nurse it on it becomes sweeter with hints of molasses and slight coffee from the bitterness.

She does have a relatively bolder personality, so it is not for everybody but it matches very nicely in some dishes to add some oomph. Since the weather was supposedly to be getting cooler I made a warming and hearty soup to help get through the chilly time but the sun is still going strong haha so I ended up sweating it out with the sun and the soup (it was worth it!).

Guinness French Onion Soup with Cheesy Garlic Croutons

5 medium brown onions

1 tsp black pepper

1 sprig of Thyme Leaves and/or 2 Bay Leaves

500ml Chicken stock

500ml Beef stock

6 pack of Guinness (1 for the soup, 5 for drinking )

5 cloves of garlic, finely diced

Nice crusty bread

Olive oil

Good cheese (I used Smoked Cheddar as I like the smokiness with garlic)

Heat a couple lugs of olive oil and add the onions, black pepper and thyme/bay leaves. Saute the onions until they are nicely coloured brown as this caramelizes the onions to release their full flavor. Add the stocks and bring to a boil. Then add the Guinness, bring to boil and then down to a low simmer while you prepare the croutons.

In a pan add a lug of olive oil and add the finely diced garlic. When they start turning brown add a few slices crusty bread and brown them off as well, making sure the garlic does not burn. You can add a little bit more olive oil to the bread to make them nice and crunchy. Scoop garlic onto the bread, grate some good cheese on top and put it under the grill or broiler until the cheese melts. Serve croutons on the soup and enjoy ^^!

To be honest, I am not too big a fan of soups as I always think it is too hot for them so my favourite part of this dish was the cheesy, garlicky croutons haha but I did enjoy the flavours of this French onion soup. The Guinness was quite noticeable and gave the soup another dimension.

Hope everybody enjoyed their St Pats Day and drink French onion soup with an Irish twist?… BRILLIANT!

FFichiban

Disclaimer: Here Comes the Food Boozeday Toozeday posts are intended for responsible adults of the legal drinking age. If you are under the legal drinking age please cover your eyes and scroll down until all the ‘bad stuff’ has gone from your screen. We DO NOT smile upon underage drinking, drinking and driving and alcohol abuse unlike our mascot (but he smiles at anything -__-). Please drink in moderation and with caution and most importantly, enjoy ^^!

Moonshine – Savage ft. Akon

I can’t go no where, unless you’re by my side
I gotta have you here, I said right here by my side
I can’t roam the town, unless you’re by my side
I gotta have you around, Right here by my side

So where’s my moonshine, Cos’ I’ll be all up in the club
with you yeah
So where’s my moonshine, Ya know I spend my last dub
for you yeah
So where’s my moonshine, I feel so nice with you yeah
So where’s my moonshine, Wanna spend my whole life
with you yeah

I snuck into this club when I was 15
and I met my girl at the bar such a sweet thing
Every time I held her she would always kiss me
Every touch of her lips would always make me tipsy
…

I have always compared a good beer to a good women, both have the right appearance, body and substance. In the case of the song above I believe they could almost be interchangeable For our 2nd BT episode, I had originally wanted to get some more Moo Brew as I was in search of a really desserty beer but could not find it in the short time and was recommended Grand Ridge Moonshine by the staff. Here Comes the Booze

Considering that it has won quite a few awards I was not surprised that it was recommended

Moonshine is a Dark Scotch Ale which is considered a strong ale which has been brewed for extended periods of time which gives it a nice deep copper appearance and it undergoes a caramelizing effect during this time. It pours a beautiful amber brown tone with a reddish hue when viewed in the light. There is a caramel/toffee head which is apparent in the aroma as well as flavor. I also sense some dark fruits (and the slightest hint of chocolate) which firmly establishes this beer as a dessert beer. A very smooth and creamy flavor with only a slight tinge of bitterness before the sweet aftertaste. A very well done dessert beer indeed. Also note that the flavors become more intense when it is less chilled.

My reason for getting a dessert beer was because I had decided to make my brothers’ birthday cake and there is nothing more appropriate than a Beeramisu.

10am beeramisu eating in a park w00t!

I adapted the recipe over at A Table For Two and the basic design from Almost Bourdain to make it pretty (maybe one day I will try 8-texture cake haha).

Beeramisu (serves 6-8)

30 Savoiardi biscuits

Bottle of Kahlua

2 eggs (separated)

3 tbsp caster sugar

250g mascarpone cheese

A bottle (330ml) of stout, preferably coffee or chocolate

250ml thickened cream, whipped

200g (or more ) chocolate

A punnet of raspberries

Combine stout and about ½ – 2/3 cup of Kahlua into a bowl.  In a different bowl add egg yolk and sugar and whisk until thick and pale. Add mascarpone and beat until combined. Add a dash of Kahlua (3 tbsp) and mix well. Fold the whipped cream  into the mixture. Beat egg whites until soft peak and fold gently into the mixture, keeping all the air in.

Line the skirt of the round cake tin with dry biscuits. Dunk other biscuits into the liquid (very briefly maybe 1-2 seconds) and line the bottom. Layer on the cream mixture and then another layer of dunked biscuits. I ended up with 3 layer of biscuits including the bottom one.

Melt the chocolate in a Bain Marie and then drizzle on top. Make sure to make it prettier than mine then dot or randomly chuck on the raspberries.

Happy Boozeday Bro!

FFichiban