Food

When beer and coconut collide

Ron Matusalem prides itself on being a Cuban style of rum with a history in Cuba they trace back to 1872 when two brothers, Benjamin and Eduardo Camp, together with a partner, Evaristo Álvarez opened a distillery in Santiago de Cuba. According to the Matusalem website, the rum they were producing began to win acclaim by the first quarter of the 20th century. The distillery apparently operated until the 1960?s when due to the Cuban Revolution the Álvarez family was exiled, and the rum they made disappeared from the landscape. The brand was resurrected by Claudio Álvarez Salazar, who is the great-grandson of Evaristo Álvarez. Of course, it was not possible given the political situation in Cuba to produce or bottle the rum in Cuba. Apparently, it is produced (presumably by a third-party as Ron Matusalem does not own a distillery) and bottled in the Dominican Republic. I recently revisited this rum and you may read my newest review by clicking on the following excerpt: Review: Ron Matusalum Gran Reserva 15 Rum “… The initial aroma carries more oak than I remember from my past experiences with the Matusalem Gran Reserva 15. It is a sort of honeyed oak scent full of spice and vanilla. As the glass sits, the oak spices build in the air and they are joined by scents of  banana and orange peel …” Please enjoy my revisitation to the Matusalem Gran Reserva, and of course my cocktail suggestion which follows, the Sloe Lime Daiquiri. Tagged: Cocktails, Dark Rum, Matusalem Rum, Rum, Rum Review, Sloe Lime Daiquiri

Plate #1 at Gottlob. There is no shortage of brunch places in Berlin. I’m an early riser, and am always starving a soon as I wake up, so brunch for me looks a lot more like lunch. However, one Sunday, I decided to check out the buffet at Gottlob, a popular joint in the Schöneberg neighborhood in West Berlin. Lucky for my friend and me, the sun was shining that day, and we arrived at Gottlob in our spring finery—her in white linen, me in a taffeta bubble skirt. Lilacs bloomed everywhere. Seeing how grey Berlin is most of the time, it was a day to be savored. We dug in with gusto. The buffet, horribly configured, was jammed up into a corner. There was one narrow passageway that served as both the entrance and exit to the roasted vegetables, breads, cured meats, cheeses, and milchreis, so the scene was like something out of a crowded Whole Foods parking lot. I zipped through the table, and came out with samples of nearly everything—smoked salmon, crunchy arancini, flaky phyllo pastry stuffed with fresh cheese and sweet potatoes, chicken and swiss chard in curry sauce, cannellini beans, sausages, pan-fried white fish (unidentifiable). My friend enjoyed heaps of roasted artichokes and eggplants. There were cured meats, hams, some salads, several types of puddings, and muesli as well. Far too much for one Miss Cheesemonger to fit on one plate. So I had two, and they were both glorious. On top of that, my friend had been raving for a week about their croissants, so I piled a couple of those in as well. We rolled on out of there as happy as two Berlin bears who have discovered a pot of honey, or in this case, a brunch buffet.

RT @Kwtavares: Gertrude, the pig in a blanket, at @schlafly Pork Shop.

Eater scanned through all 1307 NYC restaurants on OpenTable with reservations for two still available for tonight. Here's the best of the bunch. Get 'em while they're hot: · Rubirosa (9:30) · Lafayette (7:45) · Bill's Food & Drink (7:00, 7:45) · Mas (la grillade) (7:30, 8:15) · Barraca (7:00, 7:15) · Feast (7:15, 9:15) · Wong (7:30, 9:00) · Hearth (7:00, 7:30) · Blue Hill (8:30) · Aldea (9:00, 9:30) · Dovetail (7:15, 8:00) · L'Apicio (7:00) · Il Buco Alimentari (6:30) · Tocqueville (9:00) · Betony (7:00, 7:30) · Bar Boulud (7:00, 7:45) · Boukies (7:45, 8:00) · WD~50 (7:00) · Manon (7:00, 8:00) · The Marrow (6:30) · Union Square Cafe (8:45) · Brushstroke (7:00, 8:15) · Marc Forgione (9:45) · Kin Shop (7:00, 9:00) · Amali (7:30, 8:30) · OpenTable [Official Site]

Nice golden hued Chard with an awesome bouquet sporting loads of honeysuckle on the rim and orange blossom mixed in. Creme Brulee, ripe pineapple and tropical fruit compote. Very nice!Palate-Racy acidity with mouth filling flavors of honey, ripe citrus, tropical fruit salad, and a finish that hangs on with Chardonnay goodness.This wine is the last of the wines I was sent from the good folks at Holman Ranch and somehow I unwittingly saved their best for last. This is their $28 offering and since I commented on their previous wines that I thought they were a bit overpriced, this Chardonnay is under priced--if anything--for what you get.It is crisp, and will pair well with food which I shall do in a few minutes coupling it with steamed little neck Clams and sauteed bay scallops. But it is also the kind of wine that would be great with a chill on it (not too much) and enjoyed on the porch enjoying a nice summer day so raise a glass or a case of this value Chardonnay from Carmel Valley!--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Totally rad. cc @runwithtweezers

RT @rioferdy5: Can we play here every week? @Heineken IbizaFinal with @paulvandyk #sponsored

Indestructible one-third whole wheatSubmitted by 108 breads on May 25, 2013 - 12:43pm. Bread - Number 24: Indestructible and One-Third Whole Wheat. Always comes out delicious. A good bread and a meditation on my late arrival to slow food. http://ow.ly/loCwO Bread #25 is soon to follow.Now that my spreadsheet is done, and birthday present bread books to read, it might be some time before the next bread.

Doors are up here at Operation Gratitude! We're at 17330 Victory Blvd in Van Nuys til 2:30pm!