Food

SodaStream. Now I’m carbonating everything!

April 22, 2012 by Dave!

I am a Diet Coke addict. I drink *way* too much of the stuff. I’d like to drink less–especially because of the caffeine. I’m also a gadget freak. I love gadgets of all kinds. So the SodaStream was a bit of a no-brainer. So last month, my wife got me one for my birthday.

If you live in a cave and haven’t heard of the SodaStream yet, it’s a home carbonation system. Think “giant seltzer bottle”. It lets you carbonate water and then add flavoring to create your own soft drinks at home.

How It Works

Basically, you put liquid in a bottle (water only, according to the manual–more on that later), then screw it into the SodaStream, and press the button a few times. Each time you press (and hold) the button, the CO2 is injected into the water, carbonating it. After 3-4 pushes, you unscrew the bottle, pour in your flavoring, cap it and mix. Then you’re ready to enjoy a freshly made carbonated beverage!

The Models

There are seven different models of the SodaStream, ranging from the low-end “Fountain Jet” to the high-end “Penguin” that actually carbonates your drinks in swanky glass carafes. All of them are essentially the same thing: a tank of carbon dioxide, a hose, a valve, and a nozzle that you can screw one of their bottles onto. I looked at the more expensive models, and frankly, they aren’t constructed any better than the lower end models. None of them are made especially well–lots of plastic. They all feel kind of cheap, especially compared to other kitchen appliances. But there’s also not much to them–they don’t have any electronics or anything. They are just CO2 delivery systems. So there’s also not a lot to break, I suppose.

One feature that I do think differentiates them is that most can only take the 14.5oz. CO2 cylinders, which will carbonate about 60 liters. SodaStream also sells a 33oz. cylinder, which is more cost effective–so I wanted the option to use the larger size, in case I got hooked. Fortunately, the lowest end “Fountain Jet” can accept both. The higher end ones can’t. I am really not sure how SodaStream made their design decisions. Other than styling, I can’t see any reason to buy any of the higher end versions of the SodaStream.

The Bottles

You can’t just use any old bottle with the SodaStream, you have to use their bottles. That’s somewhat understandable: you are injecting pressurized gas into the bottle. The wrong bottle, or a weak bottle could break, exploding liquid everywhere. The Fountain Jet comes with one bottle, but of course, if you end up using it a lot, or want to have different flavors around, you’ll have to invest in more bottles. The default size is 1 liter, which is fine. They do sell a smaller .5 liter size, but nothing bigger.

The most annoying thing about them is that the basic bottles are not dishwasher safe. Super. Annoying. They do sell a dishwasher safe bottle, but I have yet to see it on sale anywhere, so I have not been able to use it. They also sell replacement caps, so if you lose one, you can just buy the cap. The reason they claim the bottle isn’t dishwasher safe is that the heat weakens the plastic, which is valid I suppose–but I think they should just include the dishwasher safe bottle with all the kits. I’d pay a little more for that.

Using the SodaStream

It really couldn’t be easier. Step one: fill the bottle to the line with water. Step two: screw the bottle onto the SodaStream nozzle. Step three: press the button 3-4 times. Step four: unscrew and pour in the flavoring. Step five: cap and mix. Step six: drink!

One thing that took me back a bit the first time I used it: when you press and hold down the button to carbonate, you keep holding it until it “buzzes”. That first buzz can be a bit jarring. You get used to it, but that first time I thought I broke something.

Now, you’re supposed to only carbonate water, and then add the flavoring after you’ve carbonated it. Yeah, right. I’ve tried to carbonate all kinds of stuff–but I do have to warn you: I’ve also exploded liquid all over my kitchen. When you carbonate a liquid other than water, some react differently to the carbonation. If the pressure exceeds some threshold, it blows the valve on the SodaStream, and whoosh. Liquid explosion! So, I fully endorse experimentation, just be prepared to do some cleanup.

In general, I have found that adding whatever flavoring you are going to use after you carbonate is the better idea. But here’s another tip: use liquid flavorings. I was experimenting with some Crystal Light flavor packets, which are powdered. When you add a powdered flavoring, it’s an explosive mix–the powder (probably because of the increased surface area of the particles–but I’m not sure) causes the CO2 to be released really fast. So if you aren’t lightening fast with the cap, you get to clean up again. The solution: just pre-mix the powder in a little bit of water to make your own flavor syrup first. That makes it much easier.

The Flavors

I’ve been experimenting with pretty much any kind of drink you can make. But SodaStream sells a number of flavors you can add: Cola, Root Beer, Ginger Ale, Orange Drink, Lemon-Lime, Cran-Raspberry, Pink Grapefruit, Energy Drink, etc. Most of them also come in a diet version, made with Splenda. Overall, they aren’t too bad.

One thing to note, which I think is a bit duplicitous: most of the non diet versions of the SodaStream flavors also contain Splenda (sucralose). That helps them advertise lower calories than Coke/Pepsi, but if you’re trying to go au natural, this is a huge fail. SodaStream is now marketing “All Natural” flavors–which are in addition to, not replacing, the regular flavors–so there are non-sucralose versions of their cola, but I still think they are trying to pull a fast one.

One thing is for sure: if you are a Diet Coke fan, forget about it. The “Diet Cola” flavor–while not bad–is no substitute. To me, it tastes a little like Diet Coke with Splenda, but mostly it tastes like RC. It’s not bad, but I’m not giving up Diet Coke for it anytime soon. Update: The Diet flavor sucks. There is a bad aftertaste that I just can’t get past. It was mild at first, but once I noticed it, I can’t not notice it. I won’t be buying it again.

In fact, I found most of the flavors to be somewhat lacking, compared to commercial soda’s available. The “Orange” flavor isn’t bad. The Ginger Ale is merely OK. The “Diet Dr. Pete” isn’t bad–but oddly doesn’t seem to hold carbonation for squat. The Diet Lemon-Lime is pretty awful. The flavors that stood out, to me, are the Cran-Raspberry, which was pretty tasty, and the Pink Grapefruit, which I thought would be like Squirt, but was actually much more “grapefruity” and not bad at all. The Diet Root Beer is OK, too. It will never beat a premium root beer, but it’s not bad to be able to make on demand.

The nice thing about using the SodaStream official flavors is that they mix well. And you can easily tweak how much flavoring you add, according to your own tastes. What I would *highly* recommend, though, is that before you spend the $5-7 for a full bottle of any particular flavor, you pick up the SodaMix Variety Pack. It comes with 12 samples of the various flavors, so you can try them before you commit. It’s well worth the investment, believe me. One really annoying thing about the bottles, though, is that they come with a “built in measuring cap” which is basically a cap with a little shot glass in it. Unfortunately, there are no clear markings, so I wasn’t clear on how to measure–turns out, you just fill it to the top. However, it doesn’t pour very well. They could have easily moulded in a little dimple/spout so that the syrup would pour smoothly. As it is, I always end up getting some of it poured down the side, etc. which makes a mess. That’s supposed to be the point of the built in measurer: convenience and no mess. Doesn’t work very well.

The Bottom Line

Should you get a SodaStream? Depends. If you are looking at it because you think it’s going to save you money by making your own soda, then I’m skeptical. Taste the mixes at a store sampling or at someone else’s house, first. I don’t think the flavors hold up to most commercial brands well enough to think of the SodaStream as a replacement for them–unless you really don’t care. For many drinks, I don’t care (like orange drink) but some, like Diet Coke, I do care–the SodaStream is not going to make me give up Diet Coke. Probably ever.

If you are looking at it because you’re a dork like me and you want to experiment with different flavors and carbonate everything in sight, then go for it. It’s a relatively cheap gadget to play with making your own carbonated drinks. You can mix and match with the SodaStream flavors… you can try other commercial drink mixes… or you can get super inventive and make your own! (I’m going to try making my own ginger ale at some point.)

Overall, it might not be a soda replacement system, but it’s a pretty fun kitchen toy if you like to tinker.

Filed Under: Food, Reviews, Technology

Weekend. Of. Jerky!

March 8, 2011 by Dave!

I’ve always loved jerky… a friend of mine recently exposed me to Mingua Beef Jerky which is some pretty outstanding stuff. Or so we thought. That was until we found BestBeefJerky.org which has a ton of jerky reviews, including Mingua. Their review of Mingua jerky was *spot on* in terms of description… and they only gave it three stars (out of five)!!

So here, the best jerky I’d ever had was only getting three stars. That meant we had a mission: to try some five-star jerky. As it happens, the jerky they rated best was Ed’s Roadhouse Jerkly which happens to be made in the Chicago area (Buffalo Grove, to be precise).

Ed’s website looks like it was made with Geocities in 1998, but my god, can that man make some jerky. I tried the Black Pepper and the Sweet Black Pepper, and without a doubt, it was, hand’s down, the best jerky I’ve ever had. I still love the Mingua–it’s got a totally different style/taste thing going. But Ed’s is some incredible jerky. Still, it’s not cheap. And I wanted to be able to tweak the flavors. You know what that means… I decided to make my own.

I spent some time researching techniques and recipes online, but in the end, I decided to go with my man, Alton Brown.

Brown’s technique appeals to me on several levels. First, I don’t dehydrate a lot of food, so I didn’t really want to purchase a dehydrator. I also didn’t want to use the oven drying technique, because leaving an oven propped open for hours at a time with a toddler running around is too much work.

So, I made a trip to the hardware store, picked up a cheap box fan and some paper furnace filters. Then a trip to the butcher for some flank steak. All stocked up, it was marinade time.

I tried three different marinades for this batch. The first was Alton Brown’s recipe. The other two follow:

Dave’s Variation
2/3 c. Worcestershire Sauce
2/3 c. Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Honey
2 tsp. Fine Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp. Coarse Ground Black Pepper
2 Tbsp. Medium Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Liquid Smoke
1 tsp. Cayenne Powder

Teriyaki Style
2/3 c. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 c. Teriyaki Sauce
1/4 c. Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Honey
3 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Powder

I also tried an experiment with cutting the flank steaks, and cut one with the grain (as Alton suggests) and one cross-grain, just to compare textures. I marinated each batch for about 5.5 hours, and then carefully laid out the marinated strips onto my furnace filters, one batch per filter. I then used bungee cords to secure the filters to the box fan, set it up in a cool, dry area, and let it sit.

It took about 16 hours for my jerky to be ready and then it was time for tasting!

My first batch of homemade beef jerky!

Texture wise, both jerky cuts were good. The cuts made with the meat grain were definitely more stringy and chewy. The cross-grain cuts were pretty good, and definitely my preference. They still had a nice “chew” factor, but didn’t take quite as much work. Going forward, I’m going to stick to the cross-grain cut, but if you’re trying it, you should do both at first to find your personal preference.

Flavor wise, the Alton Brown was a solid, damn good jerky. But no surprise, I think my variation was better. First, I like a little more pepper in the initial taste than Alton had, and second, I think the pure ground cayanne (as opposed to red pepper flakes) helped boost the flavors of the marinade, and gave a little more residual heat, which I really like. The most disappointing was the teriyaki, which wasn’t as “teriyaki” as I’d hoped. It was still tasty, but definitely the weakest of the three. I did a taste test among some other jerky aficionados and we were all pretty much in agreement: Alton good, Dave better, teriyaki weak.

This was definitely just the first batch, so there’s still room for tweaking. I’ve already planned some improvements:

1. I’m going to tweak the “Dave” recipe a little more. I’m going to add more pepper, a little teriyaki to the recipe, and boost the garlic a bit. I may play around with different kinds of peppers… not sure yet.

2. I’m definitely going to stick with the cross-grain cut.

3. I’m going to try a couple off different cuts of meat, some top round, and some bison. I like the flank steak, but want to see how the different cuts compare in texture.

4. My wife made cookies yesterday and had out her baking cooling racks when it hit me: they would be perfect for sandwiching jerky strips in! I’ll probably put the jerky strips between the racks, and then put one furnace filter on the front/back (to filter the air blowing through). But that will allow me to reuse the furnace filters.

I’ll be sure to post my future results here, on my quest for the perfect jerky!

Update (4/23/11):

I’m trying a new “sweet” recipe, based on some of the feedback I got on my previous batches. Here’s the new recipe…

Dave’s Sweet Jerk

3/4 c. Soy Sauce
1/2 c. Worcestershire
1 1/4 c. Teryaki Sauce
1 T. Honey
1 T. Dark Brown Sugar
1 T. Ginger
1 tsp. Fine-Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp. Garlic
2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Each Paprika (Smoked Spanish, Hungarian Half-Sharp, California Sweet)
1.5 tsp. Ground Cumin

Glaze (Yes, glaze!)
1/4 c. Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Maple Syrup

Filed Under: Food

The “Natural”

January 14, 2009 by Dave!

Thankfully, I live in Chicago, so my pizza options are boundless. However, I’m led to believe that in some parts of the country, people must resort to ordering pizza from a “hut”. Well, last night, I saw a very disturbing Pizza Hut ad for a new pizza they are touting as “The Natural”. It features (get this!) “all natural” pepperoni and “all natural” sauce. *shudder* So… up until now, apparently Pizza Hut pizza’s have featured unnatural pepperoni and unnatural sauce.
Conspicuously left out of their ad was any mention of the cheese. Guess that is still not of this world.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: "Pizza Hut", Ads, Commercials, Food, Pizza

Chicago’s Best: Marion Street Cheese!

June 26, 2008 by Dave!

The Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2008 is out, and I just wanted to give a shout out to my local cheese monger, Marion St. Cheese–which The Reader pegged for best cheese selection.

As noted in the article, they are getting ready to move across the street into some swank new digs, and I can’t wait. Erik and his staff do an outstanding job bringing in cheeses from Midwest artisans and run a first-class cheese shop right in little ol’ Oak Park. If you’re ever in the Chicago area, I highly recommend stopping in!

Filed Under: Cheese, Chicago, Food Tagged With: Cheese "Oak Park" "Marion St. Cheese" "Chicago Reader"

Essen-Haus

May 20, 2008 by Dave!

I was in Madison, Wisconsin last week for a conference and after finishing my last law school final exam one night, I decided to go out and have a mini-celebration. As luck would have it, there was a German restaurant not too far from my hotel: The Essen-Haus.

The Essen-Haus is pretty much what I’ve come to expect from a German restaurant: dark wood, German beer paraphernalia, and a guy in lederhosen playing an accordion. The food was also exactly what I’ve come to expect, too: brown.

Look, German food is ugly, there is just no denying it. Ugly and delicious! I stayed traditional and had some Sauerbraten. It was brown meat, covered in brown gravy, with a light brown dumpling, and some dark red cabbage. Seriously, I don’t think you could make German food look less appetizing if you tried. No matter, the stuff tasted great. And besides, I came for the beer.

It’s taken me a _long_ time to become a beer drinker… I never drank it in college, and for the longest time, I would only drink wheat beers (liquid bread!). But over time, I’ve been broadening my horizons. So, with 16 German beers on tap, I sampled a few.

I started out with with the usual: weiss. I tried the Franziskaner Weiss which was a light, cloudy weiss, great citrus taste and really wheaty. Not bad at all, but I moved on to the Franziskaner Dunkel Weiss, which I preferred. It’s darker and the flavor is a little more complex.

There was a beer on the list called Spaten Optimator, which I was dying to try… I mean, what an awesome name for a beer, “Optimator”! Who wouldn’t like that?! But sadly, they were out. So I tried the Spaten Lager instead. It was light and crisp–pretty tasty overall.

The beer I ended up with for my meal was a Kostritzer Schwarzbier . I’d never had a Schwarzbier before, but damn, that was one amazing beer. It was a deep brown and had a smooth, roasted taste–very malty. I could have consume quite a bit of this beer. Oh, wait, I did!

So, if you’re in Madison, I think it’s worth stopping by the Essen-Haus for a nice meal of German beer, I mean _with_ German beer.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Essen-Haus "German Food" "German Beer" Beer Madison

Piper’s Pyramide

May 15, 2008 by Dave!

Unquestionably, some of the United State’s finest goat cheeses are being made a Capriole Farms by Judy Schad and Piper’s Pyramide is no exception.

Piper’s Pyramide is modeled after the French Valencay, and is a bloomy rind cheese, which is dusted with paprika. The name for Capriole’s version comes from Schad’s “red-haired granddaughter, Piper” and of course, the shape. Her grand-daughter should be honored, because this is one stellar cheese. My cheesemonger said they can’t keep it in stock, and it is not hard to see why!

Underneath the bloomy rind is a soft, velvety interior that is light and buttery. If you let the cheese age, it will start to get runny (which isn’t bad!!) but I don’t know if I would ever last long enough to age in my house. The charactaristic flavors of a goat’s cheese are there–slight citrus notes–but the difference between the Piper’s Pyramide and a more in-your-face goat cheese is the degree… the Pyramide is all about subtlety. I think this cheese would make an amazing addition to any cheese board, and although Capriole recommend pairing it with a crisp, light sauvignon blanc, I don’t think it needs to be paired with _anything_. Talk about a cheese that stands alone!

Filed Under: Cheese, Food Tagged With: Cheese Goat Capriole

Cimonino Semistagionato Valsassina

April 21, 2008 by Dave!

I was at Whole Foods the other day with my wife, and while she was buying the food we actually needed for the week, I was hanging out at the cheese counter. (I always say support your local cheese monger, but if you’re in a grocery store with time to kill, the cheese section is better than anywhere else!) While there I spotted this tiny little tube-like cheese called Cimonino Semistagionato Valsassina. I’d never had it. It was cheap. I was hungry. I think you see where this is going.

The Cimonino comes in a cylindrical shape, pretty small, and is a cow’s milk cheese with a moldy rind. It’s quite soft, and to me, slightly reminiscent of a Gorgonzola. Now, I am a salt nut, so salty doesn’t bother me–but let me warn you, this is an extraordinarily salty cheese. It’s balanced with a slight sweetness when it first hits your tongue, but then, wham! Piquant. That’s the polite way of saying it’s got some bite. It’s a peppery, almost astringent, taste, but without the citrus notes you would usually expect with a tart cheese.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I think it would go really well with a big, in your face red wine. If you like piquant cheeses, or if you like moldy cheese in general, give it a shot. It’s pretty inexpensive and would make a nice addition to a cheese plate or paired with wine.

Filed Under: Cheese, Food Tagged With: Food Cheese Cow

Dalessandro’s Cheesesteaks

January 31, 2008 by Dave!

I told you I’m not a food snob. Yes, I do love a really, really good meal–one that takes hours and involves many dishes, so you can relish the different flavors and enjoy the entire experience. But there’s more out there to experience than just posh places–there’s places like Dalessandro’s.

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, pretentious about Dalessandros. It’s a corner joint, with a formica counter and the most uncomfortable chairs I’ve sat on in a while. But who cares? This place makes a killer Philly Cheesesteak.

Dalessandros Cheesesteaks

We went here on the recommendation of our friend who was getting married, she grew up in Philly. I knew I would love this place when I walked in. It smelled amazing. On the grill, just mounds of onions and mounds of meat. What more could you ask for? Grilled meat and cheese–two great tastes that go great together.

The ‘steaks were awesome. Dripping with cheese (they mix it in with the meat) and with a tomato sauce that rules… and they have peppers on the counter so you can spice it up if you want–although you certainly don’t need to. I also had one with cheese and mushrooms that was great, too. (Yes, we went back multiple times.) If you’re ever in Philly, I’d take this neighborhood place that knows how to make a killer sandwich over any of the touristy cheesesteak shops you see around anyday.

Filed Under: Food, Personal, Travel Tagged With: Cheesesteak, Dalessandro, Food, Philly

Morimoto

January 31, 2008 by Dave!

Last November (yes, November) my wife and I visited Philadelphia for a wedding. While there, I couldn’t resist visiting Morimoto.

Morimoto: Toro Tartare

For those who may not know, Morimoto is Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s restaurant in Philly, which was his first in the United States. In addition to being an accomplished chef, Morimoto was also on Iron Chef, and even though he wasn’t my favorite Iron Chef (go Sakai!) he’s still pretty damn good.

I had the pleasure of meeting Morimoto when he was here in Chicago at Fox & Obel for a book signing and tasting. At the Fox & Obel event, he made a daikon linguine which was pretty good (although most impressive were his knife skills, wow!!) and a tuna sashimi “pizza” that rocked.

My wife and I stopped by Morimoto for lunch, thinking it would be less expensive than dinner. It probably was, but we still spent an obscene amount of money for lunch–and it was worth every penny. We both had the chef’s degustation menu, and I had the wine pairing as well. And now, here’s the rundown:

*1. Toro tartare*, with shallots, caviar and fresh wasabi, in a dashi-shoyu-miran broth. Served with a mountain peach as a pallate cleanser.
*Pairing*: Brut Champagne, Veuve Clicquot, Reims France
The tuna tartare was amazing. Simply amazing. The fresh wasabi was delicate and floral, with just a hint of heat–not the punch you get with Americanized green horseradish passed off for wasabi so often (although, I like that, too–it’s just different). The broth was a nice compliment, and the shallots, fried and crispy were the perfect texture offset to the delicate tenderness of the tuna. And I normally hate champagne, but I have to say this was an excellent pairing. Finally, the mountain peach–a tiny little ball of peachy goodness… it made me really, really want a good Japanese peach, which you just can’t get in the U.S.

*2. Kumamoto oysters*, with a japanese salsa
*Pairing*: Sauvignon Blank ’06, Kono, Marlborogh New Zealand
Another hit. The oysters were amazingly fresh–in fact all the seafood was, which is why it was so delicious–and the “salsas” were very simple and complimentary. They tasted like the sea. It was fantastic. And the pairing hit the spot, too… a white that I really enjoyed!

*3. Scallop Carpaccio*, with hot oil and mitsuba leaf
*Pairing*: Riesling ’03, Ratzenberger, Steeger St. Jost, Germany
I think this was my favorite dish of the meal, if not, it’s a close tie. The scallops were just amazing, so fresh and delicious I am at a loss for words to describe them. I think I’d still eat this if I had a seafood allergy. Take a bite, EpiPen shot. Bite, EpiPen. Yes, it was that good. And once again, the pairing of the riesling was perfect. A wine I normally hate, that was just taken to another level with the delicate flavors of the scallops and the hot oil–which was not overpowering in the slightest. This was the dish.

*4. Sashimi Salad*, mixed greens with tuna tataki, striped jack and shoyu dressing
*Pairing*: Chardonnay ’05, Daniel Gehrs, Santa Barbara County, California
Can you go wrong with sashimi? Not when the fish is this fresh. Seriously. I wouldn’t say the dish was out of this world, or anything special, but when you have really fresh, high quality ingredients, it doesn’t need to be over the top to be amazing.

*5. Honeydew Sorbet* as a palate cleanser
Have you ever had honeydew sorbet? If not, have some!

*6. Soba carbonara*, soba with edamame, bacon and scallops
*Pairing*: Morimoto Soba Ale
On to the hot dishes… the soba carbonara is my second/tied favorite dish of the meal. First, you have to understand that I love soba. If buckwheat isn’t your thing, this wouldn’t be the dish for you! The soba were perfect… cooked just right to noodlely perfection. Then you add those amazingly fresh scallops and the coup de grace–bacon–and how could this not be amazing? Then, the pairing was a soba ale–hearty and with a nicely developed buckwheat flavor that just complimented the dish so well–as good if not better than any of the wine pairings. I want this for lunch today!

*7. Black Cod Miso*, cod, with red and yellow sweet peppers and sweet beans
*Pairing*: Pinotage ’05, Wildekrans, Walker Bay, South Africa
This was probably my least favorite dish of the meal… although, that is to say if you served it to me, I’d still be impressed. The problem is cod–I’m just not a cod fan. But I really did enjoy the sweet beans, and combined with the pepper they really did compliment the cod nicely. I just can’t get past cod. This was my favorite of the wines. I’d never had a Pinotage before, but I have to say, I like this grape. It was a deep red, and reminded me a lot of some American Zinfandels–not a wimpy wine. It’s not an expensive wine, either, but very tasty!

*8. Sushi Course*: oh-toro, kanpachi, kohada, hamachi, and mirugai
*Pairing*: Morimoto Junmai Sake
Delicious sushi and a sippin’ sake! What can I say about the sushi? It was so fresh it was very good. And the sake was very nice, too. Sometime sake can just be too harsh to me and have more of a chemical taste. This was a smooth, smooth sake… no knocking back this stuff, it had to be sipped to be enjoyed. And did I mention that by this time in the meal, I was enjoying a serious buzz? A serious food high and more drinking that I’d done in ages. They were not stingy with the portions of drink.

*9. Sweet potato cake*, with sweet beans, spiced whipped cream and a sweet potato chip
*Pairing*: Madeira, Blandys Alvada, 5 year
Another first. I’d never had a Madeira, but I enjoyed it a lot as well. The sweet potato cake was fantastic, of course. It was just sweet enough to satisfy the desert lust we were feeling, but not cloying or over-powering like some seven layer chocolate cake of doom. Very typical of the sweets/desserts I’d had in Japan, the sweetness was understated,but complimented by the sweetness of the Madeira. It was a perfect end to an amazing meal.

So, there you have it. If you read this far, you must be hungry. If you are ever in Philly, I recommend stopping by Morimoto’s, and believe it or not, you can have an enjoyable _and_ affordable lunch if you don’t go all out like we did. Many of the dishes we sampled were on the lunch menu as ala carte entree.

Don’t get the impression that I’m always this shi-shi with my dining. Next up: Dalessandros, the best “steak” I had in Philly.

Filed Under: Food, Personal, Restaurants, Travel Tagged With: Food, Morimoto, Philadelphia, Philly

Bathtub Cheese

October 27, 2007 by Dave!

I enjoy all kinds of cheese. I love queso fresco and queso oxaca. But under no circumstances would I advocate, let alone eat, bathtub cheese.

Filed Under: Cheese, Food

SodaStream. Now I’m carbonating everything!

Weekend. Of. Jerky!

The “Natural”

Chicago’s Best: Marion Street Cheese!

Essen-Haus

Piper’s Pyramide

Cimonino Semistagionato Valsassina

Dalessandro’s Cheesesteaks

Morimoto

Bathtub Cheese

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