Month: January 2020

Brooklyn Pub is kind of a dream come true. It has the feel of an Irish pub (if you ever went to Safe Haven, which used to be in the same location, the layout is still pretty much the same) but they make some really, truly amazing food.

Nothing against Irish pub food I adore pub food. Give me a Ploughman’s sandwich or a jacket potato and beans and I’m happy. But seriously, this is good, good food, and the prices are crazy inexpensive for how delicious it is.

I headed over with my wife and we got there right as it opened (around 3-ish I think). We grabbed a table and ordered a couple of beers – I had a Brooklyn Oktoberfest, and Phaedra had the Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Both were super good (I like Brooklyn’s a little better – the Sam Adams is awesome, but a little sweeter and heavier). Then we started drooling on the menu.

It’s a little corny, but I have to admit I kind of love the fact that the menu items are named after Brooklyn spots. I mean, Gowns Canal Jumbo Fried Shrimp? Awesome we went for the South Slope Rice Balls. This is what they look like.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is two balls of risotto with sausage, breaded, fried and lovingly slathered in marinara and cheese. It was as amazing as it looks. It cost $6 or something. Amazing deal and so delicious I’m close to settling down this laptop and walking over for more.

Then we split one of the day’s specials, beer-braised short rib with rice, broccoli robe, cornbread, and Coleslaw. It was $10. That price included a glass of wine.

Ok, ok, I know, this is a blog about drinking, but come on! It’s food in a bar! I’m allowed!

Fine, I’ll wrap it up. We went back a week later and that time we got the Coney Island Dogs (two Nathan’s dogs, $6) and nachos (chili, salsa, cheese, jalapenos, olives, etc.) and they were both super yummy. A week later we went back for more and tried Pauline’s Baby Back ribs ($10 with sides) and a $5 basket of Brooklyn Fries (they come with a side of gravy). We got two baskets. What can I say, they good tasted.

Drinks! We just had a bunch of beers – the Oktoberfest’s, some Stella’s, and, the third time we went, a couple of Sam Adams Winter Lagers – but the selection is very reasonable. They’ve got a good variety on tap and lots of great bottled stuff. If you want to keep it Irish you can grab a Guinness, but if you’re feeling the whole Italian thing, your Perini is right there waiting.

The service was great, and it seems like the folks who work there really love what they do and are committed to the idea of running a public house that feels like home-away-from-home. Super friendly service, an Irish bar, and an Italian kitchen all add up to a truly unique Brooklyn experience and a real heck of a local sports pub.

Oh yeah, they show sports, too. They have like, seven nice TV. I forgot that, but it’s true and pretty sweet. Also, sometimes they show You, Gabe Gabe.

There’s no better time of year than Halloween to get your buddies together and party. We didn’t do too much last year, so I was dead set on getting something together this time around. Ultimately, we decided to have some friends over to dress up and watch the Walking Dead premiere, so I made a couple of appropriately themed – and secretly alcohol-packed – concoctions.

The result

We had fun. And the next day all my friends hated me.

Reason number one for all that hates was my Zombie Punch. This was a fun experience for me, since I had never made a Zombie before, but had always wanted to. Zombies are a tricky cocktail to get right. It seems like most Zombies out end up too sweet and sticky to cover the taste of alcohol. I recently had a nice Zombie at Painkiller, so I was inspired to make this punch right.

But I made a couple of changes. Instead of Jamaican rum and Gold Puerto Rican rum, I used Palo Viejo Puerto Rican white rum) and Rheum Barman court 5 Star (a Haitian Gold rum). Why the change? Well mostly because I already had the Palo Viejo and then forgot what kind of Gold rum to pick up.

But I was glad to try this combo. I think – and I’m looking forward to testing this theory – that the combination of rums is the most important part of making a good take drink. Knowing what different rums taste like and figuring out how to combine them in new ways seems like a fun thing to test out and get good at.

This particular combo worked out great. The Palo Viejo has a strong smell and sweet taste, so the more balanced and mature taste of the Rheum Barman court mixed well. The other big change I made was losing the Period/Herb saint addition.

I was concerned that the anise flavor would get to be too strong and take over the whole punch when I increased the recipe size, so I decided not to risk it. Instead, I used my super-secret favorite ingredient – Tamarind Nectar! It’s sweet, but, like lime juice, it has a mysterious depth of flavor when mixed in cocktails.

So I took the above and mixed it into a big old’ pitcher. Then I filled a shaker with ice, added as much as I could from the pitcher, shook it up real good, and poured it all – ice included – into the punch bowl. It took about three shakers-full to empty the pitcher. And I refilled the pitcher three times. So, I used the amounts above three times over.

I had to make one other change in the last batch, as I ran out of Palo Viejo. I threw in a little apricot brandy (saw it in another recipe somewhere and ended up buying some) to give that batch a little extra alcohol, and to see how it would affect the flavor. It turned out nice! Apricot’s another one of those flavors that has a neat depth to it.

The ingredients that I was most excited about in this punch were the faller numb and Don’s Mix. Faller numb is sweet liquor that has sort of an almond/honey/ginger taste that is good. I never really had much before, so I was excited to find that it’s quite good on its own over a little ice. I used John D. Taylor’s Velvet Faller numb, which is 11% alcohol.

Don’s Mix is a cinnamon syrup and grapefruit juice. It is amazing, and I highly suggest you make it yourself (rather than buy the pre-mixed kind) and put it in everything. Mine ended up using BROWN sugar and WHITE grapefruit juice and it was incredible. I still have a bunch in the fridge. Hmm…

As the final touch, I floated in the ovenproof rum. The only brand I could find in my neighborhood was the Bacardi 151 (I don’t think I was the only “Let’s make Zombies for Halloween” guy out there…) and it worked great.

I was surprised at how good it smelled, considering how strong that stuff is. I didn’t go for the full 10 oz. that my increased recipe called for – it was a work night after all – using just 6-7 oz. instead. It was plenty.

With a little more ice and a touch of black food coloring for added scary, the punch was done and ready for consumption! I badgered my unfortunate party-goers about it, and everyone seemed to think it genuinely turned out ok.

As for myself, I was pretty happy. It wasn’t perfect for sure, but it also wasn’t super sweet or syrupy, which was my goal. The rum taste was evident, but not overbearing, and the tamarind juice went a long way to help mitigate the strong, acidic kick that can sometimes ruin take drinks – for me anyway.

But what about the Skittles infused vodka, you ask? Hey, I didn’t forget. I just got super psyched about Zombie Punch!

Let me preface this by saying one thing: I hate making Skittles infused vodka. Hate it. It’s sticky and time-consuming and I hate it. But the results are just too satisfying not to.

It should be a straightforward process. Separate Skittles by color and put it in vodka overnight. Next day, stir it up a bit and filter through coffee filters. Done. Easy. But for me, the filtering part never works. I always have to give up on coffee filters because they take so dang long and just use paper towels instead. At any rate, it eventually worked out, and I had five little bottles of deceptively sweet vodka to share.

I’ve always strived to be more conscientious about consuming food that is environmentally friendly, nutritious, and chemical-free, and knowing that my money goes to the right suppliers and local communities. So, this year one of my resolutions is to make small changes to my eating and shopping habits to become a more sustainable foodie.

Many would argue that we don’t have enough evidence to say what is sustainable when it comes to food growing and consumption. Perhaps something grown in a lab using fewer natural resources should be considered sustainable but what does it mean to our health and local economy.

For others, sustainable food means having a synergy between production, environment, and nutrition, with less wastage. I tend to agree with the latter approach, which is the main philosophy behind the Slow Food movement. Established in Italy by Carlo Perini as a protest to fast food expansion, its main principles are to choose locally grown, organic, seasonal produce, and to take more pleasure in food and cooking.

The movement has over 100,000 members in 132 countries including Australia. It promotes an agricultural system that preserves local cultural cuisine, and respects the earth’s resources; sustainable farming practices and produces distribution and the health of consumers.

Australian produce is some of the best in the world yet we often choose to stock up on Chinese garlic, prawns from Thailand and Spanish olive oil because we look at the price tag before anything else. Most of us don’t ever stop to think where the food was grown, how it’s packaged, how long it has traveled to reach the supermarket shelf, or how little those involved in the process got paid.

I don’t suggest we stop buying food from other countries, after all, Australia doesn’t produce everything and who could say no to French cheese and Italian wine, but I do think we should be more aware of what we are buying and eating.

It’s not always practical to be sustainable with everything all of the time, but it should be possible to make better choices by asking yourself a few simple questions. Is this food in season? Was it grown organically,

which means not only chemical-free but that eco-friendly practices where used?

Is it locally grown or imported from overseas?

Is the packaging eco-friendly or recyclable/recycled?

Where will my money go?

And finally, how much do I need? with a few of these answers, you can make the best decisions when filling your shopping basket.

A lot of resistance comes from thinking that going organic and local means forking out more cash. However, the benefits for your health, the environment, and our local economy outweigh the cost in the long run. With some planning and shopping know-how, anyone can live according to the Slow Food manifesto. It’s all about knowing what to get when to get it and where!

The number of fresh food markets in Australia is rising and there are numerous health food stores and greengrocers that stock local, organic products. If markets are not your cup of tea, there are hundreds of Australian online suppliers that sell everything from fresh produce to cosmetics and household products.

Organic farming is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the food industry in Australia and it’s due to the increasing number of consumers seeking out locally grown produce. As the demand for local, organic produce goes up, the prices will come down. So, next time you’re standing in front of a multiple-choice selection doesn’t just buy on price. Become a sustainable best foodie.

My sustainable foodie guide

Join the Slow Food Australia network.

Buy locally grown – and if possible owned – produce when available. Check the labels on packaged foods, some products will claim to be local but they are packaged in Asia with only a few Australian ingredients.

Look out for Australian organic certified products, which means that the business’s methods have been audited by an organic certifying group.

In my opinion, organic produce is more nutritious but if something is not available or the price is really concerning use this as a guide: grown above the ground – go organic, below the ground or with thick skin that’s peeled – a non-organic option perhaps.

You don’t need to know what’s in season locally – ask your grocer he’ll know. Seasonal foods will also taste better and cost less.

Plan ahead and only buy what you’re going to use. We often buy more than we need on impulse or because it’s cheap, as a result, we waste food and money.

Meat is good for you but only in moderation, so buy higher quality, organic stuff that is, although often more expensive, is better for you and the environment. The cost should average out. Kangaroo, for example, is an excellent choice of meat – it’s healthy, local, environmentally friendly and cheap.

Pick your eggs and dairy carefully. Remember happy chicken and cows produce tastier, more nutritious eggs and milk without the added hormones.

Globally, we are overfishing many species. We also buy sea offerings that have been frozen and traveled miles to get to our local fish shop. Australians are huge seafood consumers and we have the best in the world. This article has a guide to sustainable fish and seafood consumption.

Other organic, local products to look out for are herbs, spices, skincare, cosmetics, household items, and clothing.

Support your local suppliers; even get to know the – butchers, bakers, greengrocers and fishmongers. You get fresher produce, support the community and get a more personal service.

Shop with friends or neighbors for bulk specials and when ordering online to split the delivery costs and saves on packaging.

Make your own – pesto, tomato puree, sweet chili sauce, jams, pickles, bread, infused olive oils, cakes, and pasta. You will have homemade quality and freshness and save on packaging. A good idea is to make something with friends and share it, that way you can split the cost and make things in large amounts. Plus it’s a nice way to catch-up.

End the month of February with a pink theme with a pink food review that some people might not think of and overlook. Coldly Hot noodles Bright red sauce holder when adding the broth the color changed into a sweet pink broth. We went to dine in three of Yenta, the famous Yenta. (Other people who do not taste, do not feel hurt), but will it be delicious or rumored? Must prove

We travel to the Tallit Phlu train station. With an appointment with Yenta, the first store at 10.30 hrs. Is it a good time to start? This shop is on the edge of the train. It’s easy to find. Anyone around that has probably heard the name “Tia Yen Tau Foo”.

This shop has been selling for over ten years. It is a small shop with few tables, most of them sitting together in unity, gathering with customers shifting continuously with a rich, yenta flavor and has a very unique identity

The customers of this store are mostly regulars. Everyone comes to eat Yenta. The type that when ordering noodles He will always ask us to repeat forex Never dropped.

The method of making things here is strange. Like that morning glory usually cut before being blanched but here he does not cut the stalk Choose to dip in the whole grip. Then cut it up in a bowl using scissors to cook.

Yenta is equally unique which is the Yenta sauce that is red towards the orange there is vinegar in the soda bottle close the stopper have fish sauce in the bottle, do the same with red chilies blended by Aria, the owner, will cook one bowl at a time we’ll see his frantic style.

When served the First one, because sugar and other ingredients Still concentrated in a place After stirring together, start to taste Hmm … I must say that this place is spicy and spicy. The color is beautiful and clear. The kind that does not need to be added is satisfying and has a sour, sweet taste, combined with the spiciness making it mellow.

And also the smell of fried garlic we agree that I like both water and dry. Both delicious to eat as for the machine there is crispy squid but the products here are not very crispy And with small pieces.

Homemade Fish Balls Unique with the smell of pepper put 2 own balls and fish ball fried Good salty taste There is marinated pork which is very sweet, mild and has a salty flavor. As for the tofu and blood, it is very good for Yenta. The price is 30 baht per bowl special 40.

We finished it from the first one. We then continue at Yen Tau Foo, Watt Chan Nay. Also known as Yenta, Prado Temple is Also known as Yenta 300, this room is located in Soy Charoenkrung 107, but you can enter the other way into Soy Charoen Rat 10 because these two alleys will pass through each other.

Yenta of this item, he will put it in a very big bowl, priced at only 35 baht. Besides, there will be many utensils Both fish balls Rugby Meatballs Fried fish balls, pork blood, crispy squid, fried tofu, pickled meatballs and crispy boiled morning glory People who like morning glory must say that they must like it the most. Because this morning glory, he will choose freshly new, blanching, just being green can be used with many different devices.

Okay, but the highlight of this shop is the orange juice that is put in every bowl of Yenta. Look at the face, it is brutal because putting green and red paprika blended which I used to eat before, found that it is very spicy, but this time I went to eat is not spicy don’t know why

The sauce of Yenta of Watt Chan Nay will be sweet and mild. This is very good with the sourness from the orange juice Besides, it is recommended to order crispy fish skin to eat together. This shop uses crispy salmon skin tossed with enough chili powder. Crunchy, delicious, full omega 3 (as written on the envelope 55)

This shop will open from about ten o’clock in the morning. Until three o’clock in the afternoon, the shop is quite wide. But if going to a crowded time, there might not be a place as well if you go in and see people standing around Noodle’s point, don’t be surprised. Because that is the store clerk that he will stand in a spot Put on the device according to one’s duties can say that the teamwork is genuine

And we then proceeded to the famous Yenta, Yenta, the Guest Temple Walking to Pan Road; you will find Yenta, Watt Cheek, all over. But the oldest one in this area will be the closest store to the guest temple (actually, the original owner had moved the shop for a long time) All I know is going to be on the 6th-floor food court of MBK. Is different from the one that we have reviewed)

For the shop that we selected, there will be a sticker written that “Invite the old shop” We arrived at about noon and saw the office workers come to eat. We ordered each bowl of Yenta at 40 baht per bowl. This Yenta color is not that bright. The color is more orange there are many things to put in the machine, such as fish balls, pork blood, crispy squid, morning glory, fried tofu, and shrimp balls. Look from the big squid here.

For the taste is saltier and as though the store has not prepared anything yet not the same as the last two causing us to sit and cook ourselves if compared, feel that the past two are mellower and more impressive in both taste and price.

But honestly, if I don’t like Yenta here the shop also has other menus. Come to try it, including rice noodles, chicken curry, rice noodles, fresh spring rolls, guest salads, and pork leg rice.

Anyone interested in coming to taste Yenta, this one is not hard to find. The shop is on the same side as the Watt Cake. Not far from the temple Open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., but on Sundays, they are not open. Don’t forget to come. I will waste your trip in vain.

If you are a die-hard fan of the Food Network then this post may make you a little jealous. Our dear friends Felon and Seth gave us the inside scoop that the Food Network would be in Arizona filming at Greasewood Flat. So, we took this as the perfect opportunity to not only try out Greasewood Flat’s famous Bacon Green Chili Cheeseburger but take part in actual filming.

Being an adventurous couple on a mission for good eats we seized the day, hopped in our car and headed up to Greasewood Flat. We could not contain our excitement and was eager to see what Food Network star and show was going to be making a special appearance.

We have been told that Greasewood Flat has been a favorite local bar dive amongst the natives for years and we wanted to see what all the fuss was about. But leave it to us to let our taste buds and our eyes do the judging. So, hold on tight to your saddlebags we are taking you on a tasty ride!

Driving up Greasewood Flats dusty dirt road pass the donkey corral we knew we were in for a treat complete. Don’t worry there is ample parking. When we arrived we felt like we were walking through the doors of an Old Western Saloon and got a glimpse of what Arizona was like before the sprawl.

We could picture happy and satisfied cowboys riding off into the Arizona sunset after having a casual meal and a cold brew (Yee Haw!). We rubbed shoulders with an eclectic blend of diners from cowboys, cowgirls, the cosmopolitan type, locals, out-of-towners and macho bikers armed with ice-cold beer all eagerly waiting.

Housed in a 120+-year-old stage bunkhouse with rickety wood floors and low ceiling plastered with dollar bills autographed by happy patrons Greasewood Flat are a friendly, relaxing, airy and casual t-shirt and jeans dining joint and cowboy bar located off the beaten path. Loaded with lots of western charm, a cowboy-is atmosphere, foot-tapping country music, rustic decor and outdoor dining for fresh air this will surely get you in the western spirit.

What we love about dining at Greasewood Flat is that it is the complete opposite of Scottsdale posh, complete with good food and a good time. You truly go back in time – old wagon wheels, broken down wagons, livestock, farming tools, and ironworks are on display as if you are on the set for a Western movie (minus the gun-slinging outlaws!).  While we waited for our meal we strolled around the property, which was the original stagecoach stop at Rita Pass between Fort McDowell and Phoenix.

They even have a horseshoe pit to pass the time. At night you can kick back underneath the stars and enjoy live music, warm bonfires and square dancing on the dance floor. If you are lucky you can witness stunning sunset views over the Pinnacle Peak mountaintops to the west. It was the perfect backdrop for a wonderful dining experience and provided the Food Network film crew with some inspiration.

Hot dogs, warm bowl of chili and burgers are how the west was won or at least that is our stomachs talking. Greasewood Flats menu will make you hunger for home on the range and satisfy your big beefy cow-boy appetite (only cowboy size portions here!). With burgers and beer being a mainstay on the menu, it has been serving up juicy grilled to order burgers for 30 years. Being veteran grill masters they must know their way around the grill.

But the question remained…would it live up to its name? Well, we would have to taste and see. Upon arriving we decided to get in line to place our order at their counter. We attempted to use our investigating skills to find out what Food Network Show was coming, but not even the servers had any clue. It appeared that the reveal would be hush until the filming crew arrived.

While we salivated over the menu we were told by some of the Greasewood Flat regulars to order their signature 1/2 lb. Green Chili Cheeseburger or their famous 1/2lb Bacon Green Chili Cheeseburger. Seeing that we were starving we decided to order them both to share.

How could we resist a burger piled high with crispy bacon and layered with Green Chilies! Their burger is made with 90% fresh lean ground beef and served with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and potato chips. They do sell beer and alcoholic beverages at their cash-only bar, but only take a card for buying food.