Led astray by Alexander Keith

I thought I knew what an India pale ale was when I tasted my first Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale back in the late nineties. I remember liking both the citrusy smell and the slight bitterness of the beverage, and it replaced Molson Canadian as my go-to beer when I went to either the bar or the Beer Store. Even after it was discovered the annoying Scotsman used in an ad campaign liked kiddie porn almost as much as he liked his ale, the popularity of Keith's continued to soar, with it now being available in the U.S. after being a Canadian exclusive for centuries. But as the saying goes, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Not only is Alexander Keith's not the best India pale ale on the market, it turns out that it isn't even a true India pale ale.

As beer nerds are quick to point out, a proper IPA has a higher alcohol content, is a lot more bitter due to the higher level of hops, and is fruitier in smell, and heavier in body than what you get in Alexander Keith's. Labatt, who owns Alexander Keith’s in Halifax, haven't brewed a strong-tasting ale since the days of  Prohibition, and Keith’s brew master emeritus doesn't feel there is a need to change the long-standing brand. And why should he; as their slogan used say, those who like Keith's, like it a lot. And I still like Keith's quite a bit. I'm not planning to throw out my membership in the Order of the Stag, and I give Alexander Keith all the credit in the world for being a better brewmaster than Samuel Adams ever was (turns out he was more interested in American independence than he was in making beer). But after a recent visit to the LCBO where I bought a random sampling of IPAs, I found a couple of ales that I'll be more than happy to drink over the course of the summer. If you have a chance, have a taste of the following, and feel free to let me know what you think, and if there's an IPA out there that I should be drinking, let me know.

Updated: 12-26-2016

• Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA
• Beaus Beaver River IP Eh
• Beaus Gigantic: La Formidable^*
• Beyond the Pale Aromatherapy
• Great Lakes Brewing Audrey Hopburn
• Great Lakes Brewing Karma Citra^*
• Great Lakes Brewing RoboHop
• Great Lakes Brewing THRUST!^*
• Hop City HopBot IPA
• Hops and Robbers Extra Delicious IPA
• Le Castor Yakima IPA
• Leo's Early Breakfast IPA^*
• Muskoka Brewery Mad Tom IPA
• Nickel Brook Headstock IPA 
• Red Racer India Pale Ale
• Stone Delicious IPA^*

^* Personal favourite

Cornballs and Frozen Bananas

For fans of the cancelled cult comedy "Arrested Development", the wait is finally over. Seven years later, season four starts streaming on Netflix at 3:01 a.m. ET. in Canada May 26th. What would be more perfect than getting together with some friends and serving some cornballs and some frozen bananas while watching the continuing adventures of the Bluth family? Nothing, that's what...come on!

Ingredients for Cornballs

1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
oil for frying

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
   
   For a savory cornball, add the following to the bowl:
   1/4 cup diced onion
   2 minced cloves of garlic,
   1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
   2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese (optional)
   Once the mixture is combined, add in the kernels of the ear of a cob of corn and 2 minced green onions and mix again.
   
   For a sweeter cornball, add this ingredient instead:
   1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
   1/4 teaspoon sugar
   Once the mixture is combined, add in the kernels of the ear of a cob of corn and mix again.
   
   
2. Heat at least 6 inches of oil in a pot. Once the oil is hot, begin making your cornballs. Make each ball about 1 inch round and carefully place them in the oil. Once the cornballs are a nice golden brown on one side, flip them over. They will need to cook about 3 minutes per side. Once done, remove them from the oil and lay down on a paper towel to cool. For the sweeter version, combine 1/4 cup of sugar with another ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon in a Ziploc bag, add the cooked cornballs, seal and shake. Serve hot with drizzled maple syrup on top.

Always remember to be very careful when making cornballs. The Bluths can't stress that enough.

---

Ingredients for Frozen Bananas

Bunch of bananas, peeled
Equal number of popsicle sticks to bananas
Bag of semi-sweet chocolate

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Dipping decorations: granola, chopped nuts, sprinkles, jimmies, crushed cookies, or toasted coconut

1. Line a sheet pan with waxed paper. Cut 1-inch off the end of each banana. 
2. Insert a popsicle stick into the cut-end of each banana, pushing the stick halfway in, leaving the other end exposed for use as a handle. Place the bananas on the sheet pan and freeze 1 hour.
3. While the bananas get hard, melt the chocolate and butter in a double-broiler or in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.
4. Arrange the dipping decorations on several flat plates. Working with 1 banana at a time, dip it in the chocolate and turn to completely coat (spoon some on, if needed). Roll the dipped banana in the desired decorations, transfer to the sheet pan, and return to the freezer. Once frozen, store the bananas in an airtight container.

"Get Jiro!" - Review of a foodie comic book

Anyone who knows me (or at least has read my May 2012 blog post) knows I'm a huge comic book nerd. I've got longboxes of Marvel and DC comics and graphic novels in my basement next to action figures of my favorite characters still in the original packaging, and I can go toe-to-toe with any Comic Book Guy at ComicCon about obscure superhero minutia. More recently, I've become a fan of the writings of the enfant terrible of the celebrity chef set, Anthony Bourdain. So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when I discovered that Bourdain has written a graphic novel called "Get Jiro!", about the world's most dangerous chef. A story that allows me to embrace both my foodie and comic book sensibilities? That was something I had to read.

Co-written with Joel Rose, drawn by Langdon Foss, and inked by José Villarrubia, "Get Jiro" was inspired by Bourdain’s favorite sushi chef, Jiro Ono. The story is about a sushi chef caught in the middle of a war between two very powerful chefs in a world where food preparation and cooking is taken very seriously. And by serious, I mean the protagonist will decapitate someone disrespecting his sushi by ordering a California roll without hesitation. With the popularity of Food Network and the new crop of food-related shows on other networks, this story is an inspired take on Western food culture wrapped around a grind-house action thriller. I'm thinking Jet Li as Jiro if Hollywood ever runs out of superheroes to make movies about, with either Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez directing. While this is a story with a lot of blood being spilled, it also had a lot for foodies to enjoy, as the artwork makes the reader appreciate the art that is making proper sushi. I highly recommend this graphic novel if you are a fan of Anthony Bourdain or comic books in general.



Also recommended:

• Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
• The Layover Season 1 [Import]

Cinco de Mayo

Not only is today is a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, it is also the day of Game 3 in the Montreal Canadiens/Ottawa Senators series in  NHL playoffs. What better way to enjoy both events than to watch the game with a couple of cervesas, some chips and some guacamole? Here's the recipe I like to use:

Ingredients

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt.
2. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper.
3. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Time to put the Coronas on ice. Go Sens Go!

"A Matter of Taste: Serving up Paul Liebrandt" - Review of a foodie documentary

Two years ago, I saw a trailer for a documentary about the driven chef Paul Liebrandt that I knew I wanted to see. "A Matter of Taste: Serving up Paul Liebrandt" was playing at the Mayfair, but for whatever reason, I missed the showing, but I recently discovered it was available for rent at the Ottawa Public Library. The documentary follows Liebrandt over a ten year period, and documents the highs and lows of his career. Those include being the youngest chef ever to earn a three star review from the New York Times; to being unemployed after a dispute with the owners a restaurant he worked at (they preferred a menu of comfort food over his more avant-garde menu); to re-opening a restaurant at the request of a famous restaurateur. Liebrandt is worthy of all the hype that surrounds him, as he is as much an artist as he is a chef, and the documentary shows how focused he is at achieving the perfection he demands from his staff to prepare his food creations. The film concludes with the new restaurant's opening and the staff eagerly awaiting the review that can make or break a restaurant, the one that appears in the New York Times. If you're a fan of molecular gastronomy, or enjoy watching an artist perform in their element, you should seek out this film, as there is quite a lot to enjoy in a fast-paced 69 minutes.

• A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt [Import]

Where's the Beef? Oh There It Is...

Ever wanted to know what part of the cow your favorite cut of beef came from, but were too shy to ask the butcher at where you shop? Wonder no more, thanks to this handy guide from the good people at Visual.ly. It comes in handy if you want to know how to cook a particular cut of meat, and gives a general idea on how much that cut will cost. Let the BBQ season commence!

Lunch with pop stars

Until that record deal comes through, this is as close to eating with Beyoncé and JT as any of us are going to get.