WE ARE BIGGER AND BETTER
We celebrated our anniversary number 9 with champagne, Blue Point oysters (Connecticut), saute mix seafood with baby potatoes/cipollinis and a delicious white miso sauce. Delightful, fun and memorable. Cheers for more years to come!
Bottle system insulation for this very hot day in New York (103 F)
MATAMBRE (“HUNGER KILLER”) ON JULY 4
Matambre is a beef dish from Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Of an Italian style, it is a rolled flank steak filled with vegetables, eggs and herbs that is then boiled or oven-roasted. It can be served warm as a dish, or cold as delicatessen meat. When sliced, the different vegetables make a colourful display. It is often eaten with chimichurri sauce. It is also known as a very “fatty” meat and is usually eaten with vegetables.
Although it is not the national dish it is extremely popular in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The term, a portmanteau of “mata” and “hambre” can be translated into English as “hunger killer”, as it is often served as an appetizer. (Information from Wikipedia)
A PASTEL DE CHOCLO COMEBACK ON JULY 3
Last night was a such a wonderful celebration of the first year of 8dinner. We had some friends over (Andrea, Alvaro, Heather, Chris and Sanil) and we prepared a Chilean inspired dinner.
We served lamb sausage and spicy sausage”choripan” (grilled sausage on home made buns) with “pebre” (Chilean style salsa), “Ensalada a la chilena” (Tomao salad and onions), “Paste de choclo” (Meat and corn casserole) and home made blueberry tart with vanilla ice cream.
Also I want to mention the correct way to pronounce “Chilean” for all the ones that wonder….. SALUD!
Home made buns
Spicy pork and lamb sausage “choripan”.
Choripan with pebre
Pastel de choclo
Ensalada a la chilena
Pastel de choclo
Blueberry tart with vanilla ice cream
CHEF SALAD WITH POACHED EGG ON JULY 1
SUMMER VEGGIES AND BACON ALL THE WAY ON JUNE 30
PAN AMASADO AND TRIO SANDWICH ON JUNE 29
This Saturday evening was hot and we decided to pay a visit to Bierkraft to get some beer. it’s always fascinating to taste new bottles and learning from this delightful experience. These were the selects of the day.
Kriek Boon | 5.0% ABV
This Belgian-style fruit lambic is produced by Boon using 100% traditional methods. His lambics are spontaneously fermented. Aged only in oak and fruited with 100% fruit this dessert beer is beautifully balanced, tart, dry and sparkling. Red beer with pink head, cherry palate an earthy aroma.
400 Pounds Monkey | 6.8% ABV
Malts: Pale 2-Row, Crystal, Munich, and malted wheat.
Hops: Magnum, Boadicea and Sovereign.
This English-style IPA is produced by Left Hand Brewing in Longmont, CO, has initial malt sweetness followed by earthy, straw and herbal hop notes. Finishes dry with a pleasant lingering bitterness and distinctly British hop character. We really like it.
Arcadia India Pale Ale
5.9% ABV
41 IBU
This IPA is produced by Arcadia Ales in Battle Creek, MI and Dry-hopped with Columbus hops in open fermenters. This unique IPA boasts a bright floral aroma and flavor reminiscent of pine and lemon peel. The pronounced hop bitterness is balanced by a medium-bodied caramel and biscuity malt character with a nutty finish.
True to the original English version of this style, our India Pale Ale showcases many subtle earthy bitter notes, rather than the resinous citrus-rind bite often featured in many American-style IPAs.
Karma | 5.2% ABV
Hop variety: Sterling
Malt variety: Two-row barley, Belgian special B, cara 45 and aromatic.
This Belgian-style pale ale is produced by Avery Brewing Co. in Boulder, CO. For our taste was too much on the earthy side and not enough complexity on flavors and aromas. Pleasant but unmemorable.
Red Rice Ale | 8.0% ABV
Res rice ale produced by Kiuchi Brewery in Japan, is a beer with complex sake like flavors with malt sweet notes. Hints of strawberries in the nose and palate. An intriguing mix of sake, malt, and bitter notes in the finish. Really wonderful…so far….my favorite on this week.
Rochefort 6° | 7.5% ABV
Rochefort 6° (Red cap) is produced by Trappistes in Belgium. This beer is full-bodied, deeply flavored dark ale. Reddish-brown color with amber-gold highlights; soft body leads to earthy flavors and an herbal character. Refined, soft spiciness in the bouquet finishes with a bit caramel. Bottle-conditioned for soft natural carbonation.
Out of curiosity I got a 12 pack of these funny cans produced by Butternuts in Garrattsville, NY. Overall we prefer beers with more character and deep flavors but they are OK for a hot day at the beach or camping.
Snapperhead | IPA
It’s 6.8% ABV and has mid-amber in color, slightly hazy with a thick, rich head. Dry and mildly bitter with warming alcohol and hints of black currant.
Moo Thunder | Stout
It’s 4.5% ABV and has a malty, roasty aroma and a dry finish but no tail or teats, and leaves no unsightly cow pies laying around the yard for you to step in. On a personal note, the rich, dark color and bossy character goes beautifully on a crisp, colorful fall day up here in the Butternut Valley.
Heinnieweisse | Weissebier
Has 4.9% ABV and has fully fresh palate. Pour it and see the wheat cloudiness, smell the notes of estery aroma.
Porkslap | Pale Ale
Has 4.3% ABV and it’ s brewed with 2 row North American barley and English crystal malt and flavored with crystal hop and a touch of fresh ginger. it’s crisp and mild finish.
WONDERFUL PURPLE YAM ON JUNE 28
On Monday night we celebrated Jenn’s birthday having a great dinner with Matt, Meredith and David at Purple Yam in Brooklyn. This fantastic restaurant is managed by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan and its specialty is Filipino home cooking. The experience, the service and the food was outstanding and definitely we will come back.
Beef tapa salad (air-dried beef)
Watermelon, green mango & jicama salad
Fresh Lumpia (sautéed Napa cabbage, leeks & mushrooms in a rice crepe) served with peanut
Pork satay with peanut sauce, eggplant sambal & lotus root chips
Sisig (pig cheeks, ears and snout in lime & chilies)
Tocino (sugar-achuete cured pork) sliders in purple yam pan de sal with green mango, jicama & cucumber
Deep fried pork belly
Lamb curry
Duck leg betutu (slow cooked in Balinese spices and coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves)
Chicken adobo
Goat curry with fresh rice pancakes & mango chutney
Halo Halo (Philippine iced dessert with sweet beans, palm seed, cocogel, agar agar, coconut sport, jackfruit topped with flan and purple yam ice cream)
CHERRY PIE ON JUNE 27
This recipe is from American Test Kitchen, Foolproof Pie Dough for one 9-inch crust pie.
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4- inch slices
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water
1. Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distribute around the bowl and mass of dough has broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide the dough into even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
GRILLED SHRIMP OVER COCONUT RICE ON JUNE 25
Alfonso put this tasty dinner together on Friday night. A delicious grilled shrimp with coconut mango dipping sauce and white rice with coconut flakes.
A lovely afternoon with Mateo, Watching the World Cup and drinking very interesting beers, such Red Nectar Ale, Sweet Action by Sixpoint Craft Ales and Kolsh by Captain Laurance. Later in the day we had “choripanes” at the studio roof, nice view and fresh breeze…definitely a perfect Friday. Even if Chile lost with Spain (1-2) we still moved forward to the field of 16. On Monday 28 we will play with Brazil.
8 DINNER: A FOOD PHOTO JOURNAL 