Ceremonies: January 2007 Archives

Happy New Year... We've been jotting down notes, snapping pictures and posting dorky recipes on this whole world wide web blog thingy for a year now, so it seemed like as a good a time as any to break out some sort of 'look back' at all the ludicrous dishes we ate right? Fuck it. Let's be honest, this is a food blog, we're not exactly saving lives or changing the world for the better. So let's quickly fast forward through our 2006 Hot Knives triumphs.

• In August our Gonzo food writing dreams came true when we scored press passes to the decadent and depraved Food and Wine Festival that took place over an entire weekend at the LA Convention Center. We learned how to swill and use frou frou wine adjectives with the best of them.

• We also got our first hate mail.

• In June, Evan was recruited by the now-defunct L.A. Alternative to serve on a reconnaissance unit of 5 Los Angeles food bloggers who gorged on food at C-rated restaurants of ill repute and lived to tell the tale for their Dangerous Dining issue.

• In September Alex entered the hornets nest when invited to partake in a black tie Budweiser beer tasting gala. He filed a report about what it was like to sip Michelob light out of a champagne flute. The same month we got up the nerve to make a pilgrimage to Stone Brewing in Escondido and got a complete beer geek tour of the premises.

• This fall we got our (tech) shit together and learned how to video blog our kitchen madness, first with a Thanksgiving gravy escapade, then a hobo camping video and finally our first Supper Club event.

• And Just last month Hot Knives was given the proverbial key to Urban Honking's food pages and we will be contributing bloggers there from now on, but don't fret, it'll be content exclusive from what we do here so read us both places!

Now for the really valuable part: What is Hot Knives predicting for 2007? Well besides a slew of upcoming projects, expect some new features for the blog, including an onslaught of video recipes, more Supper Club events and sponsored dinners plus a post-modern fast food section for weird appetizers and food concepts that will wow the vegan junk food freak in your life. In the meantime, here are some of our guesses for what 2007 has in store, both for our kitchen and yours...

• Beers to Watch: In our quest to meet the arrogant bastards who brew Stone beers we happened upon Port Brewing. Their Wipe Out IPA and their Old Viscosity Ale are our picks for hot brews in the upcoming spring season of drinking. We've also recently fallen in love with an American Belgium called Three Philosophers. Find it. On another note, look for some 7-Eleven's to start carrying entire catalogues of excellent craft breweries. Our local store now boasts two entire fridges of micro-brews.

• Hot List: 2006 the food intelligentsia in this country seemed to be all about boutique salt, old school herbs like sage and cheapo truffle oils. What'll people be using this year? Well, in general it seems like pepper will make a comeback. Telicherry has received recent praise we plan on exploring the world of white and pink pepper. Thanks to a holiday gift we now have in our possession a curry tree so you'll probably be seeing even more of that spice on our shelf. Fresh turmeric, which we first used in a dish last month, is one of our new faves so look out for homemade mustard. In fact, the crystal ball we're staring into is filled with condiments.

Here are a few cheeses that will make your lactose intolerance seem a trifle. All three are from different mammals and different countries, but they all have tons of character and absolutely no questionable ingredients. To get frighteningly hippy on you: these gooey gems are the direct descendants of the earth mother and all of her inhabitants. (We are currently drunk.)

Tuxford And Tebbet's Mature Black Wax Cheddar is aged for one year before release, and the creamery itself has been in operation for over two hundred years. Naturally the microbial rennet used in the production of most of their cheese wasn't around back in the 1800s, but in the wake of the British meat calamity and subsequent vegetarian revolution, TnT started making many of their cheese 'suitable for vegetarians.'This cheddar is not as sharp or hard as many of its American counterparts, but it had an intensely comforting flavor. The paste is a creamy off white and when brought to temperature the cheese becomes semi soft and super pliable. Pair this guy with stouts, brown ales and porters. Melt it on a sandwich and die. Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog has become the single most recognized cheese in the American artisanal cheese scene (we promise there is one). It is being whipped into cakes, marinated in oil, sliced on salads and sold at exorbitant prices at a WholeFoods near you. The texture will likely surprise you: a bloomy rind (like Brie, dude) with a gooey outer layer (oh...like, Brie, dude) and a semi firm crumbly center with a neat line of ash in the middle (creepy...like...Brie with cigs? Dude?) Don't be afraid of the rind; don't be afraid of the ash. It is...kind of like Brie made from goats milk: tangy, supple, and completely malleable. Pair it with light crisp lagers, fruity wheat beers and super yeasty Belgians. Torta La Serena is a cheese from Bajadoz in Spain. Unlike the previous dairy dudes, who use vegetable and microbial rennet for coagulation, the makers of TLS use the extract from thistle flowers to thicken their sheeps' bounty. Tortas are often called 'party cheeses,' as the local method of consumption consists of slicing off the top of the rind and just dipping away at the soft insides. If you buy a whole wheel to try this, you'll prolly not be drinking at your party. This guy is a real treat. While it looks a bit scary (it comes with many psychedelic colors of mold on it) the flavor is really mild and interesting. There is a real sweetness to the cheese and a bit of a tang that almost tastes like the grass the sheep feasted on. The flavor is especially pronounced because the milk is raw. Pair this party monster with any strong ale, or your favorite barley wine.Got milk, need beer? Email us. We want to help: hotknivez@gmail.com, subject "dear dairy"