The food thread

I must try replicating the quatermass like monster that used to live in the kitchen.

Yes, you must! 🙂

That bacteria in GBP that thrive on acidic content develops some very nice "funky flavor", combined with that particular yeast strain, you really cannot compare proper Ginger beer with any sort of process industry inspired carbonated soft drink.

The stuff you make is probably really good Cal, but I promise you, it does not taste like the real stuff, because it lacks "The Funk". Maybe the real stuff is not "better", but it most certainly is "different".

May The Funk be with you!😉
 
This discussion about bacteria reminds me of this very nice documentary by the BBC about soy sauce:

BBC - Travel - Is Japan losing its umami?

It's even harder to find real mirin because of the alcohol tax. I wish food articles would do a better job at keeping yeast, bacteria, and mold/fungus straight. BTW for export goods I find Mitoku a step above the rest.

I also suspect only a very small amount of balsamic vinegar is made in the fully traditional manner.
 
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I also suspect only a very small amount of balsamic vinegar is made in the fully traditional manner.

One of my favorite memories of my Nonno was the pucker face he made when he taste tested a batch of probably 15 year old balsamic vinegar he poured off a bottle of for me to bring back to the states. That stuff was amazing at the PPM levels. 😀 I milked that bottle for all its worth, aliquoting off the mother as best I could to improve the quality of local commercial vinegars. Lasted about 5 years. I should get some more.
 
Sounds like Cantillion Gueuze, no home brew can match it.

I really like a good "sour beer", there are so many layers of flavor in the brew.
My favourite beers are light brown beers/ales, like Bayer, and also Bock/Doppelbock variants, the sour beers are really nice to have in between because they contrast so well to the other beers I like, but I have not yet tasted any flavoured sour beer that was good, better stick to the "Proper" ones.
There are one or two IPA's I really like also, but not a big IPA fan in general.


I would place a proper ginger beer sort of halfway between a can of Old Jamaican, and a slice of XO Jarlsberg. It's not a good comparison, but one you might be able to relate to. IE does not taste like beer, more like a funky spicy soda-ish thing.

You can use other things than Ginger, as long as you have some Lemon acid (I have not found a good Lime acid combo yet) and sugar of some kind, but it's really hard to top the ginger flavor.
Lay it on thick! I prefer my Funky/Ginger/Lemon combo with a "Bite"!
 
I see the supposed difference between a Berliner and a Paczki, is that the Paczki should be made from a "richer" dough, and they use grain alcohol in the dough because during cooking it evaporates, and during the process displaces the oil so it does not enter so deep into the pastry.

I wonder what the actual real world difference is, in this day of mass production.
 
they use grain alcohol in the dough because during cooking it evaporates, and during the process displaces the oil so it does not enter so deep into the pastry.

I use rum instead of water in preparing crusciki, the dough really does blister when fried. i think that the recipe is egg yolks, rum, flour, confectioners sugar and a pinch of salt.

My grandmother used to roll the crusciki dough by hand, me, I use the pasta sheet foller on the Kitchen-Aid mixer.

speaking of fried -- if you want the best cannoli I have ever experienced Spedaro's in New Rochelle NY can't be beat.

i don't do zeppoli any more.