About 2eat2drink

Advertising photographer from Rochester, NY

Mean and Nasty. Add Choklat. Not so mean and nasty.

Posted on August 29, 2013 by 2eat2drink

Here I go messing around with those “usual” pairings again. But I had the beer…and I had the cheese, and I thought….why not??? It turned out to be a really good idea!

In this case, the cheese came first…..from a June trip to the Thousand Islands. How can you resist a cheese called Mean and Nasty? It’s a super aged cheddar from River Rat cheese. (Even thought I can’t find any information on their website.) Our oldest son spotted it in a gift shop in Alexandria Bay, saying he’d had it before and liked it. He wanted us to try it, so we picked it up. It sat in the fridge until the right pairing came along. The cheese has a definite sharp bite, but being a fan of sharp cheddar It’s hard to call it nasty. It has a lot of creaminess hidden under the sharpness and plenty of calcium lactate crystals hidden throughout.

The river brought back lots of great memories for me, from the many months I spent on the river during my youth.

I discovered the beer during a photo shoot. (Yes…I love my job!) I poured 9 different beers for the shots and since there was a touch left in each bottle I got to try them all. The Southern Tier Brewing Choklat was a standout for me. It’s a stout brewed with chocolate….and it’s delicious on its own. The scent of chocolate and caramel fills your nose as you bring your glass up. The taste is very creamy to start, with caramel malt, and finishes with bittersweet chocolate and hops. Together…..it’s creamy chocolate bliss. The bite of the sharp cheddar pairs well with the hops. The creaminess in both blend together, while the chocolate shines through. Yum!

Here are a few highlights from our trip!

A reflection from the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton.

The dock in Alexandria Bay at dusk.

The boys were very excited to see Saranac Root Beer on the menu!

The stained glass dome in the grand entrance hall to Boldt Castle, complete with the Boldt family crest.

Many rooms in Boldt Castle have not been renovated and are still covered with graffiti.

Boldt Castle’s South facade. Quite impressive!

The welcome arch at the approach to Boldt Castle, with my crew! Note the tiny house island in the background.

Super good Italian bread pizza

Posted on July 7, 2013 by 2eat2drink

This post wasn’t supposed to happen. I was too hungry to stop and take a picture. And I knew Heather was too, so I didn’t want to ask her to wait. But, it turns out that pizzas made with that leftover loaf of Italian bread on your counter are very filling! So after we gobbled through 3/4 of the pizza, we were stuffed and there were two pieces left. They were still warm enough to look delicious…so here they are! I highly recommend using up your day old bread this way (this one was a loaf of Pane Italian from Wegmans). Top it with whatever you have left over in the fridge. This half of the loaf had sauce, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, grated parmesan, peppadews, prosciutto, olive oil, salt, crushed red pepper, and basil. The other half (which we ate first, and hence is missing from this post) had sauce, tomatoes, summer squash, mushrooms, asparagus, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, olive oil, salt, crushed red pepper, and arugula.

Don’t forget the wine…salut!

Yup. Fresh Cherries deserve a post all to themselves!

Posted on June 23, 2013 by 2eat2drink

Call me crazy. I was just that excited to see them in the store. Nothing fancy needed here (except a cool picture!). Just fresh juicy cherries ready to eat. Go…find them and enjoy!

The Aviation. Purple drinks are cool!

Posted on June 10, 2013 by 2eat2drink

Purple is a cool color….so I think a purple drink is cool too! We were introduced to this cocktail in New Orleans at the Green Goddess. As we sat and watched one being made, we couldn’t help but ask about it. Which led us to try one and realize how good it is! It is perfectly refreshing on a warm evening!

I did a fair amount of research to find the right recipe for this. There are many variations and theories on when it was invented. But most lead back to the start of the twentieth century and Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks. Ensslin’s recipe called for 1½ oz. El Bart gin, ¾ oz. lemon juice, 2 dashes maraschino liqueur, and 2 dashes crème de violette. I settled on the NY Times recipe and added a touch of simple syrup to balance out the citrus. I like it both ways, but since I’m generally creating cocktails for Heather this is the official 2eat2drink recipe!

2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1/4 ounce Crème de Violette

FIll a cocktail shaker with ice, gin, lemon juice, Luxardo and simple syrup. Shake to chill, then strain into a martini glass. Slowly pour Crème de Violette into the glass to create a purple swirl that settles near the bottom. Garnish with a twist of lemon or a flamed lemon peel.

It’s experiment time! I created an animated gif of the pour. It may only work if you click on it, based on my preview. Let’s see what happens…

Click to animate!

Cheers!

Margaritas Trump Timeliness

Posted on May 9, 2013 by 2eat2drink

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Yes, this post is late, but the post title explains why. When given the choice between finishing off the margaritas with Heather or writing this post, the margaritas won out! Sorry, but I’m sure you understand!

Sunday, I cooked tequila flamed shrimp tostadas for us to celebrate. I followed the Food and Wine recipe, just without the black beans (as I forgot to purchase them) and using yellow corn chips instead of tostadas. I also added a minced jalepeno to the avocado mixture (which is basically a yummy pineapple guacamole). Using chips instead of tostadas is a great way to do an appetizer or a dinner version. The meal was amazing, and I will definitely be making them again soon.

The recipe called for a silver tequila; Don Julio Blanco to the rescue! Of the silver tequilas I’ve had, it’s by far my favorite. Give it a try! Since the tequila was open, I felt compelled to make margaritas (see recipe here). They were helpful to lessen the effects of the heat from the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Happy ~~cinco~~ nueve de Mayo! Cheers!

Don Julio Blanco!

This almost seems like a crime, but it was good!

Light ’em up!

Look at that cute little flame!

A good excuse for a Scotch!

Posted on April 6, 2013 by 2eat2drink

Hou ar ye? D’ye spaek Scots? Aye, juist a wee bittie. But…it’s a liitle too confusing to understand, so I’ll switch back to good old Americanized English.

Happy Tartan Day! I’ll admit that I didn’t know it existed before yesterday. But when I found out, the first thing I thought was, “What a good excuse to have a Scotch!” (And show off my Fraser plaid scarf, of course.) Heather’s family has a strong Scottish heritage, and for Christmas last year she got me a scarf made of the Fraser Hunting Weathered tartan. Mix that with The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old Scotch and we have a celebration!

Your nose is greeted with strong notes of vanilla and butterscotch with subtle dried fruit. The taste is light, dry, and complex. It’s very drinkable with subtle spices mixed with honey, vanilla, and dried fruit. The finish is on the short side, yet delightful. Excellent all around (and the color on the bottle even matches my scarf).

Here’s tae us, guid nicht!

Happy Egg Bake Easter!

Posted on March 31, 2013 by 2eat2drink

Don’t you just want to dive right into this…in all of its straight out of the oven fluffy cheese and egg glory??

I know I do…even though I just did, and I’m really full! But this wonderful egg bake that Heather made for Easter brunch will settle flat in about 15 seconds, so now is the time! Sliced up, it’s a great way to satisfy your whole Easter brunch crew, and it can bake away while the Easter egg hunt is going on.

Grapefruit and mimosas are a good pairing!

The recipe is super simple and is prepared the day before.

10 slices Pepperidge Farm white sandwich bread, cubed
1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
8 eggs, beaten
4 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Alternate layers of bread and cheese. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour mixture over layers. Refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 325˚ for 1 hour.

It should look like this before baking. Count flavor not calories! 🙂

A tip from my wonderful chef: the Pepperidge Farm bread is a key ingredient, and other bread doesn’t work as well. Heather kept this egg bake kid friendly, but don’t be afraid to add any pre-cooked ingredients such as ham, peppers, onions, sausage, or anything else you can dream up. You could also experiment with different kinds of cheese. Let us know what you come up with!

Enjoy your Easter! Cheers!

Happy St. Tito’s Day!

Posted on March 17, 2013 by 2eat2drink

Yes, I know there is no St. Tito. Well, at least I don’t think there is. (Is there?) So I guess I also need to officially say Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I thought I’d put an American spin on it this year, blending the totally Americanized McDonald’s Shamrock Shake with Tito’s Handmade Vodka. I don’t frequent McDonald’s very often, but if there is a highlight, the Shamrock Shake is it. If any of you managed to get to SXSW in Austin this year, I hope you got to experience the excellence that is Tito’s vodka. Tito’s has been one of the top finalists at our vodka tasting parties (and always gotten my top vote), holding it’s own against the expensive imports.

The Shamrock Shake made it home from the drive-thru a few ounces short of full (hey, I did say it was a highlight). I added 3 oz. of Tito’s to the shake, mixed it up and put it back in the freezer. After re-freezing, I ran it through a blender and poured it into two glasses, topping them with fresh whipped cream. A delightful St. Patrick’s Day afternoon treat.

Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

Sláinte!

A Real Saucy Character

Posted on February 21, 2013 by 2eat2drink

My amazing wife Heather and her awesome brother Dave have a new book coming out this Friday! I’m so proud of them! It’s called José Picada, P.I.: Deception Al Dente. You can find it here. In honor of this occasion, I decided to do an interview with one of their main characters, Chef Marco Augustino. What role does Chef Marco play in the book? Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out! But, in the meantime, I’m looking forward to trying his pasta.

Rich: So, Chef Marco, I understand you’re no longer with your restaurant, Bistro Italiano. Why did you leave?

Chef Marco: Yeah, we’re not gonna talk about all that.

R: Oh. Okay. Well, there go all my interview questions. We’ll just wing it. So, uh, thanks for making this beautiful plate of pasta I just photographed. It was fabulous!

CM: Yeah, it was. The secret is the sauce.

R: It really is a great tomato sauce! What makes it so special? Do you use a certain type of tomatoes? What herbs do you prefer?

CM: Yeah, we’re not gonna discuss my culinary secrets, kapeesh?

R: Oh. Um, all right. So, in Deception Al Dente, you cross paths with the main character, Josie Cates. What’s Josie’s favorite dish?

CM: I don’t know and I don’t freakin’ care. That girl is a real pain in my—

R: Uh, this is a family-friendly blog, Chef Marco. Let’s just get back to the pasta. What would you pair it with?

CM: Some crusty bread, a nice Chianti, and badda bing! You’re good to go.

R: Okay. Well, that pretty much covers it. I had a lot more planned, but you sort of derailed the entire interview.

CM: Whatever. You got any more Chianti?

Heather and Dave have a unique writing process, where they e-mail the manuscript back and forth. Whoever has possession can alter anything they see fit. It’s a fun process to watch and listen to as they chat on the phone during their planning sessions. You can follow along with them at Driving Blind and on Facebook. Cheers to a job well done!

Old San Juan, El Batey, and Ron del Barrilito (take me away)!

Posted on January 25, 2013 by 2eat2drink

We discovered Barrilito “three star” rum on our actual honeymoon and were instantly hooked. Enjoying a glass of this smooth aged rum in our living room always takes us right back to Old San Juan…and more specifically to El Batey, the best little dive bar in Puerto Rico (or possibly the world). Conveniently located right across the street from Hotel El Convento (our Puerto Rican home away from home), this place has cheap drinks, an eclectic mix of songs on the juke box, and loads of character (and characters!)

After our tour of the Bacardi factory in 2008, the Cuba Libre (basically a rum and Coke with lime) became a favorite cocktail of ours . Despite our fond recollections of the tour, we really prefer to make ours with Ron del Barrilito (Rum from the little Barrel) “three star.” That seems to be the consensus of many people we’ve talked with in Old San Juan. The picture below shows a Cuba Libre “El Batey style”: a small glass filled almost entirely with “three star” and ice, then topped off with Coke and a lime.

The Cuba Libre, El Batey style.

I would also recommend just drinking the “three star” from a snifter. It’s the older of the two Edmundo B. Fernández, Inc. rums, featuring a blend of rums aged between 6 and 10 years. Sipping will let you enjoy the layers of honey, butterscotch, molasses, spice, vanilla, smoke, nuts, and oak. The finish is warm, smoky, sweet and very lengthy.

Ron del Barrilito “three star.” Note the neck label, the only difference from the two-star, less-aged variety.

That long finish takes us away to El Batey. The most intimidating bar we’ve ever walked into, it is also one of the most friendly and interesting. Each visit has provided great conversation with the patrons and the bartenders, and endless visual appeal. The highlight of our most recent visit was a brief chat with the owner, David Jones. He is obviously a man who knows how to enjoy himself as he was surrounded by friends, drink, and a bag of cigars. I think this photo captured him perfectly as this is how he chose to sit when I asked to photograph him; elusive, gruff, intense and relaxed all at once.

Owner David Jones.

I leave you with a toast to David Jones, especially for choosing to leave the graffiti on the walls for over 40 years! Peruse through these highlights and imagine yourself sipping a Cuba Libre. Cheers!