Serious Eats: shale's Profile

Win the Valentine's Day Collection from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

hmmmm, maybe honey vanilla. the kind with little chunks of honey comb in it. or a good vanilla with some good honey on top.

shale at 11:13AM on 02/06/12

From Slice

Chain Reaction: Uno Chicago Grill's Artisan Thin Crust Pizza

I've gotten the fig and goat cheese pizza a couple of times now when we've ended up at the local Uno. I tend to swap out the broccoli for spinach, though, for no other reason than I like the flavor combination.
It's been a little while since I've had one of these, but I don't remember pesto sauce, so much, as I remember fresh basil on top. Not overly applied, but a nice zing added to every few bites.
Also, it's not bad cold, and even decent reheated. IMO, anyway.

shale at 4:09PM on 01/26/12

From Serious Eats

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Zingerman's Praise the Lard Gift Box

Sausage. Been thinking of recipes for sausage lately. It's been sausage weather. :}

shale at 6:03PM on 12/27/11

From Serious Eats

The Nasty Bits: Chicken Feet, Reconsidered

My grocery store used to carry packages of chicken feet in the poultry cooler, and they were labled "chicken paws". I never quite figured out why they did that.

shale at 10:46AM on 11/17/11

From Sweets

Candy a Day: Atomic Fireballs

I have a friend who has an allergy to cinnamon, yet can still eat Atomic Fireballs. I try not to think about it too hard.

shale at 8:28PM on 10/24/11

From Sweets

Candy a Day: Life Savers

I also love the butter rum Life Savers. And, for extra fun, there is a statue of a roll of Life Savers in the town where I went to high school. Not joking. The man who first marketed the Life Saver was from Gouverneur, NY, so in the late 80's, the town put up a big metal and fiberglass roll of Pep-o-Mint lifesavers in the park in the middle of town.

shale at 3:30PM on 10/17/11

From Drinks

Tea Time: All About Hojicha

By far, this is one of my favorite teas. I think that the flavor is somewhat sweet, and is perfect for drinking any time of day. Also holds up well in some blends. I've had a hojicha/matcha blend that was wonderful. If I were on a desert island and could only have one variety of tea with me, it would definitely be hojicha. The Republic of Tea has a good hojicha, as does The Steeping Room in Austin, TX. The Tea Table (theteatable.com) also sells a good one. Thanks for the interesting history of this tea!

shale at 9:30AM on 10/11/11

From Slice

Poll: Fruit on Pizza - Way or No Way?

I had a thin crust/flatbread pizza recently with figs, goat cheese, and spinach with fresh basil. It was good, and I've ordered it more than once from the same place, but it's not what I think of first when I think "man, I want pizza". However, it is delicious.

shale at 2:04PM on 10/10/11

From Sweets

Scooped: Beer Caramel Ice Cream

@Ghostly - you may well be a genius. A rauchbier could be amazing... but in that case I would skip the already optional Old Bay topping.

shale at 10:24AM on 08/27/11

From Serious Eats

What Are You Stocking the Pantry with Before Hurricane Irene?

Huh. I got ho-hos, yodels, and boston creme rolls. I wanted zebra cakes, but they were out. So, I went with the three similar snack cakes figuring we could do a taste test if the power goes out and it starts to get too dark to read and we get bored. :}

shale at 10:06AM on 08/27/11

From Drinks

Celebrate the Fourth of July with American Spirits

I am a rye drinker, and my father is a rye drinker. And probably his father before him. I replaced my empty bottle of Old Overholt with a fancier bottle of Sazerac rye, and have not regretted it. I bought Dad a bottle of Templeton Rye for his birthday; he loves it so much that he talks to the bottle when he's having a glass. According to Dad "This tastes like the rye I remember from back then!" (Dad turned 81 this year.)
I also like Laird's applejack, both for cocktails and for baking. And now that I'm a NJ resident, does it count as buying a local product if I drink more of it?
At a wedding this weekend, so I'll be drinking what they serve, but the other invite I got from a friend read like this "trying to get a small group together to celebrate some of the better parts of America: steak, bourbon and some film noir". And let me tell you, I'm kind of bummed that I can't do both!

shale at 10:32AM on 06/30/11

From Drinks

Drink the Book: 'Jelly Shot Test Kitchen'

Sharktoshots - for the premier of "Sharktopus" on SyFy. Standard blue flavor jello shot with a sharktopus (made out of a gummy shark and gummy octopus) in it. More creative visually than flavor-wise, I'm sure.

shale at 4:28PM on 05/23/11

From Drinks

Ron de Jeremy Rum: Celebrity-label Booze Takes a Weird Turn

@dmcavanagh *high five*

shale at 6:48PM on 04/27/11

From Slice

Daily Slice: Cheesesteak Slice from Tony Soprano's Pizza, Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Another good cheesesteak pizza can be had at Brothers Pizza in Cinnaminson, NJ. The place, itself, is a bit of an institution, having survived in the same location through a couple different renovations of the strip mall where it's located. The cheesteak pizza is called the "steak and bacon" pizza. It has a sturdy, chewy crust, decent to good red sauce, chopped steak, american cheese, and bacon pieces. One slice usually fills me up, the SO will get one steak and bacon and one either plain or pepperoni, and that's dinner.

shale at 6:44PM on 04/11/11

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'River Cottage Every Day'

grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon

shale at 1:50PM on 04/11/11

From Drinks

Spot of Tea: American Classic Black Tea

@ CatBoy - They sell a Governor Grey in bag or loose leaf on their website. Is that the blend that you were thinking of? Or have they changed their formula away from the one you used to drink?

shale at 8:43PM on 04/10/11

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'Plenty'

roasted eggplant filled with peanut noodles and sauteed veggies. Sounds pretty normal, but the entire package of flavors and presentation made a strong impression. I think I had that dish in.... 2002? Man, I can still almost smell and taste it.

shale at 6:03PM on 03/28/11

From Drinks

Drink the Book: 'Punch' by David Wondrich

Rum and citrus, probably. and friends. :}

shale at 5:44PM on 03/28/11

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: 'Clean Start'

Winter tends to see more slow cooked, hearty strews and roasts. Once spring hits It's pastas with peas and mint and light sauces and early salads and summer is cooking outdoors. Fall starts to see the beginning of the longer cooking times again.

shale at 9:22AM on 03/20/11

From Drinks

Beer for Presidents' Day: Ales of the Revolution by Yards Brewing

I really enjoyed the Tavern Spruce, and I think the Tavern Ale goes well with sandwiches. The only one I haven't been able to find is the Tavern Porter. I did get a text from a friend one night that said something to the effect of "Drinking Yard's General Washington Porter. Damn is it a tasty beer." And I have been quietly jealous of that friend ever since.
Since I live in the greater Philadelphia area, I suppose I could always just go over to Yard's Brewing Co's Tasting Room and try a pint.

shale at 4:31PM on 02/21/11

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'The Just Bento Cookbook'

Cooked chicken, radishes, rice, and cucumber. But not every time.

shale at 5:00PM on 02/15/11

From Drinks

Warming Up to Brandy-Based Cocktails, Even After the Holidays

I've recently finished off the bottles of brandy that were in my cabinet, and have had all kinds of trouble replacing them. I've visited several of the liquor stores near to work and my house, and none of them seem to stock brandy at all. Occasionally I'll find E&J, but that's it. If I want a domestic apple brandy or calvados, I have to special order.
This year I rang in the New Year with a few old fashioneds. I also like to use brandy in cooking and baking.
Plus, brandy is a spirit that my dad and I share a taste for. I got him a nice bottle of Armagnac for his birthday last year. :}

shale at 8:26PM on 01/12/11

From Serious Eats