Beer List

Besides blogging photos of stuff, I thought this would also be a good way to track some of the beers I have had. Mainly this will help me stay organised and prevent me from re-buying shitty brews. Enjoy!

The Ales:

When I left Canada for the US back in 2010, the Amsterdam brewery had me less than convinced. I had not ventured much past the Amsterdam Blonde hogwash they were making at the time, and the inconsistent quality of the aforementioned product had me doubting their ability to make anything else I would even consider spending money on...Fast forward 4 years, I am back in Toronto and upon one of my first explorations of my local beer store in Liberty Village, I come across this well designed little bottle. Without taking notice of the Amsterdam brand, I plop this 6 pack in my carrier and go on my merry way...Let's just say that Boneshaker convinces. It should be said, that it isn't an all night drinker, unless you want to get seriously hammered. Talk about full bodied...this one here convinces with the right amount of carbonation and a mouthful of hops you'll be writing home about. I had it on tap on several occasions and as is usually the case, it made it all the better (9/10).

This one actually kind of surprised me. I mean, the quality of PC products is typically pretty high, but I did not imagine they would come out with this. The second reason I initially discounted this ale, was because it only comes in a 355ml can. But the first one I cracked had me convinced. Smooth, light carbonation and full body without being overbearing. Well done and a great shoutout to the british pub standards (8/10).

I love Friday evenings...My drive home from work has me excited for the weekend and the weekend typically has me excited for new beer. Well this past Friday, as I pulled into the parking lot of my local Liberty Village LCBO, I realized that it had been a while since I tried something new, so I was excited to see this hippie themed IPA sitting in the cooler. I had honestly never heard of Headstock before, nor had I come across Nickel Brook brewing...both of these facts were perfect reasons to drop this into my basket and the rest is history. I enjoyed this rich tasting, full bodied IPA, though I must add that this is not an all night drinker but rather an after work "enjoyer". Lingering hops taste and rich carbonation...I'll be adding this to my bullet belt of choice weaponry! (8.5/10)

On a recent trip to Ottawa I had the chance to have this on tap at a pub on Elgin street. It was Canada day and we had our little daughter with us. We'd been out all day, it was 11pm and I was really looking forward to having a drink. When we finally got to the patio (which was a bunch of stairs up) and managed to get the stroller navigated through the labyrinth of plastic patio tables with red clad Canada day drunkards to our spot at the far end of the place, I was expecting to have to settle on a plastic cup pint of Molson or Rickards whatever... Needless to say I was pretty excited when I saw Mad Tom on the list! I have had this ale many many times as a six pack, but this was going to be my first 'live' experience. It didn't disappoint (and I believe it didn't disappoint 3 more times after that first pint). Full rich flavour. Solid hoppy aftertaste. I really enjoy this one chilled and in a pint glass! One of Ontario's best, if not my current all time fave (10/10).

As much as I love the Mad Tom, this one seriously underwhelms me...I guess this is the case with most any beer that carries the word 'Cream' in it's name! (3/10)

This one is a great weapon of choice. I find that I default to this whenever I am confronted with the dismal Molson or Labatt monopoly at the taps...Tastes best draft. Full bodied IPA style Ale with more carbonation than most (7.5/10)

Probably the hoppiest Ale in my roster right now besides the Boneshaker. Flying Monkey has several hoppy concoctions with this one being the most enjoyable. As much as I was turned off by the quirky logo and label design, the taste more than made up for that flaw. Recommended! (8/10)

From Double Trouble brewing comes this little gem...I picked Hops and Robbers up for the first time while I was on a short family vacation in Ottawa. Though the brewery hails from Guelph, their footprint obviously reached the LCBO in the Rideau centre.

Bold flavours, lingering hoppy aftertaste and the right amount of carbonation to leave a respectable amount of head. I for one, look forward to trying this one on tap since I must admit having indulged more than once in the can variant. I'll be back for more...(9.5/10)

Considering the name of this Ale and it's pedigree (Great Lakes Brewery), I am very surprised with myself that I did not try this sooner. Cracking the first one the other night, I was left with a memorable, full bodied yet not overwhelming impression of what would quickly become one of my preferred choices in Saturday night liquid entertainment. Easily paired with food or on it's lonesome...Woe to you oh earth and sea for the Devil send this beer with wrath (9/10)!

And the rest.........

 

All of these I found very underwhelming both from a taste and consistency perspective. No point writing much more about them...(1.5/10)

Not sure how I first heard of Unibroue (makers of the above pictured Maudite and La Fin du Monde) but what does it really matter...I love them! Headquartered in Chambly near Montreal, this brewery has been crafting original and fine tasting belgium style white beers for all of us to enjoy.

My favourite of the bunch is probably Maudite, both for it's styling and the flavour and also because it is not as strong as LFDM. Reminiscent of the belgium trappiste ales, this is a double fermented Biere sur lie. The overall flavour is quite unique however. I have seen this on tap as far south as Georgia and people I speak to generally enjoy it as much as I do. 

It also reminds me of drunk nights with my good friend Rodolphe in Montreal! (9/10)

This is one of my favourite brews from the Belle Province. Full bodied and just the right amount of hops. 
Rich colour and a great lingering bitter flavour that isn't too over powering. The blonde they make is a great lager as well. Crisp taste and refreshing after taste. Highly recommend this one! (9/10)

 

The ale standard in many north american pubs. Can't really go wrong with this one. When enjoyed at just below room temperature in a standard pint glass while watching the rugby world championships it puts you in just the right mood...Can of course be enjoyed chilled.

I usually get this when there is nothing more interesting on the menu. You will find this in pubs where the erst of the selection usually consists of Rickards and Molson products...or so I have found. (8/10)

Not often found on tap in Canadian pubs, so when I do see it, I strike. Typically this is my choice when I am at the LCBO and really want the british pub flavour. It's kind of a commercial classic. Not much more to say other than you can't go wrong with it's smooth characteristics and non over powering hoppiness. (8/10)

It has been a while... 7 years in fact... damn!

Kira

On May 15th 2014, my daughter Kira Erica was born...talk about life changing events!!!

India

Cows on the road...no big deal (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India)

Chilling

Largest Dinner Table @ my cousin's wedding

The Definite Chinese Noodle Soup Almanac

Since forever, noodle soup in all its shapes, consistencies, spice levels and tastes have been my one recurring and favourite comfort food. 
Being a vegetarian, it's often not just as simple as going into a Phó or Chinese/Japanese noodle shop to indulge. More often than not I just do what I can in my kitchen...

I guess I wanted to put this post together so I can share some of my knowledge and experiences with my friends and anyone who cares about noodle soup.

What I refer to as chinese noodle soup, is some type of combination of broth, veggies  and noodles. Of course you can simply take your favourite instant ramen noodles and kick it in the pants with some of your own additions, but that is a whole different story.

Having said that, I thought I would just break down the basic recurring ingredients and some of the different types of noodles that can be eaten.

 Here are some examples of the soups I enjoy:

Shitake/Nappa Cabbage Noodle Soup

with chili bamboo

Hot and Sour Noodle Soup

Shitake/Gai-Lan Noodle Soup with Vegetarian Dumplings

with pickles radish and chili bamboo

Basic Ingredients:

• Dried Shitake Mushrooms (Doong Goo). These are easily found in most asian grocery stores and meanwhile you can buy them in your local western supermarkets. They usually come in plastic trays or bags and are fairly inexpensive. Try and buy the chinese ones as the ones you can buy at Wholefoods or places like that tend to be very few for a lot more money. To prepare simply soak in warm water for about 15 mins. Alternately you can simply break or cut the dry mushroom with scisors and boil with the broth. The water you soak the mushroom in can also be used as broth stock, so don't necesarily throw it out.

Shitake Mushrooms
'Doong Goo' in Cantonese

• Preserved (not pickled) Mustard Green (Tza Choi). This is a staple ingredient that looks odd and has a very distinct taste. It is used in many chinese recipes and personally I even like eating it on its own at times. This pickle is very salty and tangy and often constitutes the basis to the stock. Though you may find this in regular supermarkets, you are more likely to pick this up at the local asian food store. It comes in cans or in little air tight baggies. Also, it is usually sold as either a whole or shredded. Both can be used. This stuff will pretty much never go bad, so once you open the can, you can keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for a long time. To use, simply slice to desired size and boil in water as part of your broth.

Preserved Mustard Green - Tza Choi
Shredded Can and Baggie versions

• Soy Sauce. Not much to be said here, other than, as with olive oils, don't buy the cheapest crap. I stay away from the low sodium, low bla bla bla...people, we're not making health food here...Generally have a bottle of dark and light soy Sauce. Kikkoman is always a good bet.

• Sesame Oil. See above. Use as last ingredient immediately prior to serving to maintain as much frangrance as possible.

• Star of Anis. This is the spice that gives Phó it's distinct licorice flavour. I know that Viet cooking is totally beyond my authority, but for good measure I mention it as it is a great ingredient. As a matter of fact the mere idea of vegetarian Phó is probably Sakrilege, but I enjoy that style of noodle as well, so.... Make sure to remove these prior to serving.

Star of Anise

• Soup Stock. I use soup stock to add some additional flavour, though you may find this not to be necessary. I really only use 2 types of stock, both however do contain the fabled MSG, so if you don't like that. Leave it out and compensate with Salt and/or Soy Sauce or use an MSG free brand, there are many out there. My favourite 2 brands are Maggi Vegetable Stock (Cubes or Powder) and Vegeta (which is technically not soup stock, but a silver flavour bullet).

Vegeta- contains MSG

Maggi Veggie Brot - contains MSG

• Sesame Oil. See above on Soy Sauce.

Noodles

So here is the deal with noodles...there are sooooo many shapes and sizes and types, that it's really up to you what you like best. I tend towards a few basic types that I go back to regularly. Essentially there are no real no no's when it comes to choosing your noodle, but some simply taste better with certain soups than others.

For example, if you are making a thick broth like hot and sour soup, you would not use a rice noodle, just like making a Phó style soup using an Udon might be odd. I think you get the idea.

As a general rule of tumb, as with most noodle Recifes, don't wait too long to use the cooked noodles or they get mooshy and don't taste as good.

Having said that, here are my weapons of choice.

• Udon: This japanese noodle is thick and slippery. It usually comes frozen although you can also buy Udon noodles dry and boil them. To me the boil version does not taste as satisfying and therefore I recommend the frozen version. Note that these do not need to be boiled after thawing. Simply place the frozen noodle in your bowl and pour hot water over them until they are completely thawed. Strain them and just add soup over them. That's how they taste best!

Frozen Udon Noodles

• Ho-Faan / Rice Noodle: This noodle is extensively used in Viet, Chinese, Thai and other Asian dishes. It can be stir fried, boiled, eaten as a dry or wet noodle dish...it has countless applications. The noodle itself is relatively tasteless and therefore absorbs the flavour of whatever it is cooked in. You can buy 3 basic versions of this, vermicelli, thin (about 5mm) and thick (about 10mm). For noodle soup, I usually use the thick version. Simply open the packet, break off however much you need and boil until soft. A good hint is to shock the noodle with cold water after boiling to avoid excessive sticking.

Dried Ho-Fan Rice Noodle

• Other Rice/Flour Noodle: There are various types of dry noodles you can buy, ranging in thickness and length. In my opinion the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans make the best noodles. You can buy these in bags or as little bundles that are pre-portioned. I won't go into brand or type specifics as you can simply try different ones and find the ones you like. Of course you can also use egg based noodles, but as I am trying to go mainly vegan I stay clear of those. Any white straight noodle you can buy at the asian market will probably do the trick...but again, here the key is to try and find your fave!

     

 The Greens & other ingredients

When making chinese noodle soups, one of the key things is the stuff you add to the broth to make it nutritious and interesting. One of my favourite additions are green vegetables.

Here is a brief overview of a few of my favourite veggies and other ingredients to add to the soup.

• Nappa Cabbage: Nappa is a great vegetable to use in noodle soups because of its taste but also because of the binding quality it has. I find this cabbage really traps the flavours of the brooth and is easily picked up with chop sticks and a spoon.

• Green Onions: Green onions are almost as key an ingredient as soy sauce and preserved mustard greens. Used thinly sliced in rings about 1/8" thick, they are used in the broth cooking as well as the decoration process.

• Broccoli: Nothing new I can tell you here, other than use the stem thinly sliced as well and don;t cut the pieces too big.

• Spinach: A great tasting and healthy addition to a great noodle soup. My favourite is baby spinach, though you can use bunch spinach as well as the stems boil down nicely. As always make sure to thouroughly wash before cooking.

• Green Cabbage: The poor man's veggie, but I use it regularly. It tastes especially good with chinese shitake mushrooms. Slice very thin and boil longer than other veggies to tenderize.

• Water Cress: Watercress is used to make it's own glorious soup. This veggie is so amazing and so tasty that it deserves it's own blog entirely. When buying, make sure it's fresh and not mushy. Wash thouroughly before cooking. I don't use watercress for anything but watercress soup. I love it and so does my whole family!

• Gai Lan - Chinese Broccoli: This may be the nutritional grand master of soup ingredients. It's taste, healthy and crunchy. Among my favourite in noodle soups, this veggie may be a little hard to find in conventional supermarkets, but any asian market will carry it for sure! Generally I take off about an inch from the bottom of the stem and cut the bunch in half so it becomes bite size.

• Deep Fried Tofu: This tofu comes pre fried in different shapes and sizes. You can either refry and add to the soup or simply drop it in as is.

My favourite broth recipes

Hot & Sour Soup (Shuen Lat Tong).

• Green onion chopped (1/4 cup)
• Chinese dried shitake mushroom soaked and sliced thin (2 pcs)
• Dried string fungus (soaked) – can be bought in any Asian store
• Tsa Tsoi (preserved mustard green), sliced, about 1/8 cup
• Green/Yellow/Red pepper cubed, half a cup
• Silken Tofu cubed
• White pepper (black will do as well)
• Light Soy Sauce
• Sesame Oil
• ¼ cup of frozen peas
• 2-3 Tbspn of White vinegar
• Salt
• Cornstarch and water mixture to thicken
• 1 beaten egg
• Ground Cayenne Pepper Powder – about 1 teaspoon or as preferred

Boil water, add tsai tsoi, fungus and mushrooms.

Add peppers and peas

Add cayenne powder and soy sauce

Add pepper and vinegar

Boil for about 10 mins

Add chopped onion

Reduce heat a little and slowly pour the egg into the soup, count to 3 and then with chopsticks or a spoon slowly stir until the egg becomes stringy.

Add the sesame Oil

Serve

I always eat a huge bowl with noodles. The white Korean noodles are the best!

MORE RECIPES TO FOLLOW

Last Supper of Chad Andrews

April 2012

Vegas, a dam and a very deep hole...

Resist

Photo project for this weekend...theme:

'We are the 99%'

Inspired by the occupy movements all over.