Comments for Beer & Nosh

Comment on Toronado Russian River Night Pictures by Chuck Voeltzel

Chuck Voeltzel — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:14:52 +0000

That looks like it was complete chaos, but probably so worth it.

Comment on Frances by david t

david t — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:23:14 +0000

next time i’ll get those trotters

Comment on Frances by Citer

Citer — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:32:57 +0000

One of the best meals we’ve had in a long time. Th gnocchi are amazing, it’s always a good sign when the bavette steak comes with a regular knife instead of a steak knife!

Comment on Funky Cheese & Organic IPA by Jasmine

Jasmine — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:30:38 +0000

Sir Francis Drake happens when the “bloom” doesn’t set properly on Mt. Tam. You know how Mt. Tam is all silky smooth and soft when it’s perfect? That’s the bloomy rind that grows during the six weeks of aging –it comes from the culture in the cheese. And sometimes it simply doesn’t work or gets slimy instead of silky–I think it is often a humidity issue.
I suspect that SFD has been in even rarer supply than ever because of the new cheesemaking facility in Petaluma. Better equipment and aging rooms means fewer “non-bloomers”.
I thought this last batch was a bit young. I aged a round of it in the bottom drawer of our fridge for a few weeks and Joe and I had the pleasure of polishing it off in Anderson Valley’s tap room last weekend. Nice (though it stunk up the car).

Comment on Underground Farmer’s Market by Monet's Cakes

Monet's Cakes — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:28:12 +0000

Great pics! Market was fun. Very busy, which is good. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and buying stuff all night.

Comment on Frances by SinoSoul

SinoSoul — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:37:08 +0000

o man, you did NOT get the chestnut soup? I hardly ever order soup, but this time borders stupendous. Great photos.

Comment on Funky Cheese & Organic IPA by Achterhof

Achterhof — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:45:09 +0000

Jesse – as to your last question, the big and new hop varieties are proprietary – the new guys like Citra are heavily guarded by the powers that be (the Ralphs). You're also correct in that some of the super AA varieties encourage more troubles – pests, mildew – and require more attention, or a greater expectation of loss. Finally, hops are changing so fast right now… the only NorCal commercial hop farm is a one-acre organic operation. Many of the newer varieties just don't seem to do so well there (Newcastle, Ca), then again the low AA aroma hops don't either. Nuggets, Chinook and Cascades alk do great, however.

There's some good info on caring for hops on http://www.Freshops.com – based in Oregon. This can explain some of the issues hops havw.;

Comment on Funky Cheese & Organic IPA by Kelsey

Kelsey — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:55:46 +0000

Great post – just discovered this cheese a couple of weeks ago and it won me over.

I like pairing the Red Hawk with a nice Vouvray, which I think would go nicely with the Sir Frances Drake as well – they usually have a certain richness that matches the the cheese. Although, I’m sure you’re looking for a beer variety as an answer. =)

Comment on Frances by Mary

Mary — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:52:35 +0000

Beautiful piece! You captured the magic of Frances.

Comment on Underground Farmer’s Market by Greenhearts Family Farm

Greenhearts Family Farm — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:33:47 +0000

Great images and sentiments for a very nice event. Great vibe, lots of good things to eat.