Living on Leftovers
I try to be precise. I try to be clear. But try as I may there is always going to be a level of interpretation that readers bring to the pages of this blog.
Thankfully there are comments. And thankfully many of you actually contribute every now and again. Besides being an incredible validation that people actually read this thing, the comments allow me to see when an argument I’ve made somehow goes flying off the rails. When that happens, it is incumbent upon me to correct the misconception and get the train back on the tracks.
Which brings me to the topic of the day. Last week Beck wrote, “I know you’ve stated before that you’re opposed to leftovers, but I am not.”
This isn’t an entirely accurate representation of my position. Although I can see how the nuance may have been missed. I am opposed to oversized restaurant portions that try to create value for the customer by providing a massive quantity of food. Value can be achieved in other ways, and good restaurant food should never be better the second day.
But I am not at all opposed to leftovers. In fact, I live off of them.
A Public Dialog on Burritos
It is always an exciting day over at FUSSYlittleBLOG headquarters any time a reader decides to hop the fence and become a first-time commenter. The event is usually marked with hoots of joy and fist pumps as I hit the approve button on my dashboard. But every now and again a celebrity commenter will grace these pages, and that is always especially exciting.
Granted, my idea of celebrity may not exactly be the same as yours. Food journalists, restaurant owners, old admen, distillers, winemakers and respected bloggers get me all weak in the knees.
So last week Matt Baumgartner, fellow Interesting in 2009 recipient, local blogger, restaurant owner, and all around big man on campus came across my blog and took issue with something I had to say about one of his restaurants, Bombers Burrito Bar.
And I was very excited indeed, but I have to say a little perplexed.
Drink Like a Pro
A few months ago I wrote about the importance of actually trying to savor spirits in the mouth before swallowing them in a post entitled “How to Drink.” As obvious as it sounds, you would be surprised how many people just knock them back.
Please read it so that you will understand why I cringe whenever I hear the words “smooth” or “sharp” as descriptors of a wine or distilled spirit. I promise that if you adopt my suggestions, you will help make the world a better place.
Let’s call that post a 101.
There is another critical component to tasting spirits that needs to be addressed, and that is the importance of smelling what is in your glass. My spirit guide F. Paul Pacult has a stunning process that he employs when tasting spirits, and since I mention him and his reviews periodically, I thought it only makes sense to let you know how he comes up with those marvelous descriptions.
There is No Microwave
Something about this week has me swimming against the current. First I sang the praises of Walmart (and was not alone) and then I suggested that Albany actually has wonderful wings (and should get over its inferiority complex). Yesterday I had to spend a bit more time clarifying my position on the Walmart post to counter some of the initial resistance. Luckily there hasn’t seemed to be much fallout on the wing front.
Today’s contrary position: I do not own a microwave. I do not believe in them.
I suppose it would be more correct to say that my family does not own a microwave because I will not permit one in the house. These poor souls are condemned to live a life without a modern appliance that many families could not live without.
How could I be so heartless?
How does my family eat?
Ask the Profussor – Answers and Rebuttals
My name is Daniel B. and it’s been three weeks since the last Ask the Profussor. So much for trying to keep up with questions as they arise. As usual a lot has happened in that time. Although I feel as though there have been more direct challenges (and even some open hostility) in the comments than in the past.
Perhaps I’m just imagining it.
Regardless, I have a really thick skin, and this is as good an outlet as any for people to blow off some steam. Still, without being defensive I would like to address some of my critics and try to clear up a few perceived inconsistencies before getting on with the much more fun task of answering questions.
Ready. Set. Go.
Wonderful Wings
At the risk of offending Mr. Sunshine with another post on Buffalo-style chicken wings, there is something I have to say.
More often than not when I mention wings, people suggest there aren’t any good wings in Albany. I couldn’t disagree more.
It would seem that part of the problem is that Buffalo is only a few hours away, and many folks in the capital district have some connection to the city by the lake. And when you hold up our wings to those of our neighbor to the west, surely they pale in comparison.
But let me tell you something. When you come from a state where Frank’s Red Hot is actually difficult to come by, and there are only a handful of places that even offer wings on the menu at all, the capital region has wonderful wings indeed.
Walmart Vindicated
I shop at Walmart and I am unashamed.
Let me take that one step further. I buy most of my family’s food at Walmart, because it is comparable to or better than what I can get elsewhere and a fraction of the cost.
Now if you are picking your jaw up off the floor, and think that I must be out of my head, may I direct your attention to the latest issue of The Atlantic. Yeah, we actually get magazine subscriptions, but you can read the relevant article here. Corby Kummer visited the grocery section of a Walmart Supercenter and came away thinking that it held its own against Whole Foods.
This, by the way, is the same Corby Kummer who wrote the book on the Slow Food movement. It is called The Pleasures of Slow Food: Celebrating Authentic Traditions, Flavors, and Recipes. So while I have long believed in the quality of food at Walmart, it is more than just a little bit surprising to hear it from him.
More Than Just the Liquid in the Bottle
Last night was the eleventh annual Open That Bottle Night. It did not feel the same without John & Dottie cheering us on from their column in the Wall Street Journal. But I know that somewhere they were participating in the holiday they created.
A few years ago Mrs. Fussy and I happened to find a bottle of 2001 Lazy Creek Vineyards unfiltered gewürztraminer at a state store in Altoona, Pennsylvania. That alone was a bit of a mystery. The wine was old even at the time. And how on Earth did this limited production wine from a small family winery make its way all the way out to the Keystone State?
We had visited Lazy Creek a handful of times and were utterly charmed by the winery, the wine, and the family behind them both. Skipping out on the bottle was not an option. It would be like bumping into an old friend in a foreign land and not saying hello. So we bought it, drove it back to New York, and put it with the rest of our wines. Where it sat. And sat. And sat.
When OTBN XI rolled around, we knew this bottle’s time had finally come.
Important Liqueurs: Drambuie
Last week I wrote about the Rusty Nail, which is sometimes just referred to as S & D, or Scotch and Drambuie, if you are not into that whole brevity thing. Anyhow I spent a lot of time talking about the scotch I use for the drink, while the only thing I said about Drambuie was that it is a Scottish liqueur.
Incidentally, I just found the 1.75l jug of White Horse on sale locally for $25 at All Star Wine & Spirits.
In general I prefer simple cocktails. David Embury breaks cocktails into two major categories, aromatics and sours. Some of my favorite cocktails, the Rusty Nail included, are aromatics that consist of a base spirit with the addition of a liqueur, syrup, or some other flavoring ingredient.
I have written a few posts on bitters, but none on liqueurs. So it occurred to me that I should correct this state of affairs, and what better place to begin than with Drambuie.
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