Hot Knives: Some people consider this the best beer in the world, what do you think about that? Belgian roommate: It’s just a beer.
If 2007 was the year we fell madly for Belgian beers — where we idealized the stuff righteously and it could do no wrong — well, then, 2008 mighta been the year that our thirsty lust cooled to just a fond appreciation. We still love it… like a friend. How’d our agape fall back down to earth? Besides buying up a growing explosion of awesome California beers, we owe thanks to our found-friend Korneel VanRemortel.
Let us explain. Last year, when our chum Molly vacationed in Morocco, she met Korneel who was working there as an architect. She left, moved back to the states, and a year or so later Korneel followed to Los Angeles. One of us had a room in our house so voila: a Belgian roommate. He pulled up to the house carrying only two suitcase — and one of them was beer.
Not just any beer, mind you. The beer: Westvleteren. Heard about it? Our gift was packed in a carrying case emblazoned with space-age monks. A few nondescript brown bottles aged either 8 months or 12 months rattled around inside. We got giddy and hid them because it is not a beverage that gets exported. Korneel is fair and pale, small-boned and pointy, and wears nice brimmed hats. He is both curious and unimpressed with stuff. One of the first targets of this bemusement was the Hot Knives reverence for Belgian beers — and for the rare Westvleteren in particular. Our enthusiasm downright confounded him. And so began our new nuanced appreciation for Belgium and its more talked-about beers.
So is it the best beer in the world? Not exactly. But it is a drink to behold. In pure, red-blooded American fashion, Hot Knives decided to put the thing to an empirical test: the blind taste test face-off.
New Year’s Eve eats at the Hot Knives hearth means stuff you can easily dip or grab in between sweaty, whiskey-spitzed brit-dance hits and afro-beat freak-out jams where every partygoer in the house grabs a metal bowl and slotted spoon and starts banging. Yep that’s what we’ll be doing tonight. But not before celebrating over some soul-strengthening posole and good-luck black eyed peas.
But back to our dance dip: an everyday pico de gallo just did not sound appealing. We craved something a little more mole-like. So, armed with little more than our normal pantry fixings and an organic, unsweetened chocolate bar, we managed to forge a creamy, dark spiced hot pepper sauce that’s perfect for slamming with thick corn chips… a true capsicum-fueled dance sustenance. Happy New Year!
Mole-Salsa
(Makes 2 cups)
4-5 tomatoes
6 red jalapeno peppers
2 pasillo peppers
1 red onion
1 Tbs. canola oil
3 oz. dark chocolate
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs. almond butter
7-oz can chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce)
2 tsp. Agave nectar
1/4 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt
1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them in a shallow roasting pan that’s been rubbed lightly with canola oil. Slice your red jalapeno and pasillo peppers and scrape out the seeds. Throw them in as well with a halved red onion. Sprinkle pinches of seas salt on top. Place the pan in oven and roast for about 20 minutes.
3. Create a double boiler by putting a stockpot filled with water on the stove over high heat. Place a small mixing bowl on top of the pot. Once the water nears a bowl, begin combining sweet ingredients. Break off pieces of dark chocolate and add it to the bowl followed by cinnamon and almond butter. Stir or whisk once the chocolate melts. Open the can of chipotle peppers and pour out 2 tablespoon of the sauce they come in: add this to the bowl and continue to stir. Once thoroughly mixed, add agave nectar to sweeten and fresh grated nutmeg. Lower the burner to a simmer.
4. Check on your roasting pan. The tomatoes should be mushy to the touch and peppers should be slightly shriveled but not black. Remove and rest until cool enough to handle.
5. Using a blender, food processor or handheld mixer, pulse the various roasted peppers and toms together (skins OK). Add a few canned chipotle peppers to this mix using the following proportions for spice guidance (2 = medium, 5 = hot, 8 = insane-o). Now add the sweet mixture and continue mixing. Pulse for a few minutes and add one tablespoon of water if mixture seems too thick. You want a smooth, creamy red paste that just barely sways in a serving dish. Add salt to taste. Beverage: Telegraph Winter Warmer Soundtrack: Brian Eno’s “Here Come the Warm Jets”
Eggs, cream and rum are a tricky equation and can make for a dangerous proposition. It’s like volunteering to bring a hollandaise sauce to a potluck. But done well, warm, spiced liquor can be the ultimate crowd pleaser. We kept this in mind a few weeks ago when we received a reader’s request for an egg nog recipe. “Deacon Bruno” writes…
Dear Knives,
I was looking through your archives and was hoping to find a recipe for a holiday-type spiked beverage. I thoroughly enjoy your hops patronage, but I was thinking you guys might be able to whip up a nice mulled wine or eggnog or cider. Something that would enable one to be dressed up and get messed up. And if you guys don’t have a recipe in your arsenal, I’d appreciate it if you sent me in the right direction. Without your guidance, I default to foodnetwork.com (which is actually pretty good). But I killed one time with your Apples in Apple Beer, so I was hoping for a repeat performance and maybe a recipe that could become part of my holiday blisskrieg.
Well, his email came on the same day we got invited to a holiday party so we gave nog a whirl, but decided to play it safe and clean by skipping the eggs and the cream. Though none of our friends cared much for the name, this is essentially a “nut nog,” made from almonds and coconut. Thickened with flour and almond butter and spiked with winter spices it actually reminded us more of champarrado, the traditional Mexican hot rice-milk bevy. Hence the ‘champ.’
Now, if you feel like taking this drink to the next level, we have included a simple recipe for making your own almond milk. It will be smoother and lighter than the store bought stuff, and makes for a really luxurious nog. If you want to experiment before taking the plunge (or just for kicks) our equation is one cup almonds to three cups water.
The final touch of course is copious amounts of booze, most nogs call for brandy and such. But we think bourbon tastes much much sweeter. Curl up into this or get dressed up and messed up!
Almond Nog (Makes 20 servings)
1 can coconut milk
5 Tbs. almond butter (creamy, unsalted)
5 Tbs. flour (preferably graham or almond)
3 (32-oz) cartons almond milk**
2 fresh vanilla beans (or 2 tsp. vanilla extract)
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup agave nectar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups bourbon
1 whole nutmeg for grating
1. Start by making a sweet roux-like base with the fat and the flour: Use a large pot on medium heat, add the coconut milk and almond butter and whisk. Once the nut butter dissolves into the milk and heats a little, add the flour one tablespoon at a time and stir. You want a thick starchy mixture that will give creaminess to your finished product.
2. Now dump all your almond milk into the pot and bring to a high heat. As it heats, add the spices. If using fresh vanilla bean (yes, you’re worth it!) start by slicing them in half lengthwise in order to scoop out the seeds. Use a small pairing knife and a spoon to scrape the good stuff out. Add it to the pot, along with the halved pods (you’ll remove ’em later). Add ground cinnamon, cardamom and extra cinnamon sticks (you’ll remove them later too). Bring mixture to a near boil whisking occasionally.
3. Now taste your nog: If you want it sweeter add more agave, keeping in mind that some bourbons are sweeter than others. If the mixture seems too thin and it doesn’t taste like flour, feel free to add another tablespoon for thickening purposes.
4. Once the taste is where you want it, blend mixture using an immersion blender or traditional blender. You want a slightly fluffed, frothy texture so blend for several minutes. Add bourbon and mix again.
5. Serve hot with fresh grated nutmeg on top.
**Fresh Raw Almond Milk (makes the amount needed for the above recipe)
4 cups raw almonds
12 cups water
1. In a large bowl or stock pot, cover the almonds in the water.
2. Let sit overnight.
3. In batches, blend the almond with the water until smooth, then strain through a cheesecloth or a sprouting bag and voila! Almond milk! It keeps in the fridge for about a working week. You can save the stained solid matter for making pie crusts and other baked treats, but more on that later…
“65 bike riders, 10 dollars, 6 freeway overpasses, 4 beer stores, 3 winter warmers, 3 kinds of hot nuts and a partridge in a pear tree.” Coal and whips be damned, we have begotten enough resounding joy from this weekend’s second annual LA Grand Crew to last the whole rest of the year! And the second our tidings run dry, we promise to launch the now bi-annual summer beer ride. Or else risk the punishment of an angry horde.
A horde is exactly what met the Hot Knives Registration and Welcoming Committee this past Saturday under the arches of Union Station and a cloudless winter-mint-gum sky. About 65 bicyclists turned out – and more than a dozen of them even came knowing full well that they wouldn’t see the rad after-party because of space restrictions. So we started a waiting list. Name tags hit the chests and we hit the pavement, trucking east over the L.A. River to our first stop, Ramirez Liquor. Memorable: the number of peeps snapping pics of the tommy-gun-shaped tequilas; the ceremonial ornament decoration of Will Cambell’s bike-mounted christmas tree; amused LAPD officers who warned us to switch routes on account of a motorcycle gang parading down Soto St. Memorabilia: Stone’s Holiday Collaboration
Our merry travelers hit one hell of a stride on the second leg. Careening over freeways, past two abandoned hospitals and a slew of craggy potholes, everyone gelled with our makeshift decision-making on when to “cork” a street, whereby we commandeered the few intersections that our block-long procession could almost comfortably clear in one traffic light. The first signs of vehicular impairment and sloshy-headed bike operation began to emerge among the riders who’d chugged breakfast Guinness. This was also about the time Marino’s bike stereo system landed on a set of raunchy Snoop Dog songs. Once safely at the infamous rock and roll 7-11, we pushed Pliny the Elder on anyone who would listen. Memorable: two beer-bloggers (Pat and Dave) meeting face-to-face; owner Charles hobnobbing with his new clientele; Westside friends who showed up at last! Memorabilia: Ola Dubh 15-year for $2 off
Always the tiniest leg of our rides, the party train jogged seven blocks to Galco’s and took over the store’s sleepy, suburban parking lot. Jon, the owner, came out for a bit when he had to grab more shipping peanuts from a storage room and surprisingly just chilled out with our scabbier, brown-bag sippers. Memorable: a fashion shoot with enlarged, edible candy lips; learning the old-school Delorian parked outside was Galco owner Jon’s; the Hub Street house! Memorabilia: six-pack of fermented, 6% alcohol Baby Agave Juice (purchased at Ramierez, chugged at Galcos).
We lost a couple people en route to Glendale and our fave house of booze: Red Carpet. We trucked through Eagle Rock, past our Alma Matter and the Yellow Signed Liquor Store where we, Hot Knives bloggers, drank our first Rogue ales together years ago. Upon our arrival at Red Carpet, beermonger sweety Alex Macy met us with cases upon cases of the new and rare sellers, at a 10% discount no less! Memorable: Kevin, owner of Artisan Ales, joins the pack after setting up the kegs. Ben, the owner of Pure Luck prompting an entire case of Cantillion Iris to virtually dissappear, Trenway Bike Crew’s new rose: Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout. Memorabilia: Bourbon County Stout, Cantillon Iris 2006, Fred From the Woods, Alesmith Yulesmith
About $1000 of purchases later, we rolled down Verdugo Ave. to our final resting point a Glassell Park community center, to say some goodbyes and prime ourselves for the kegs awaiting us at Verdugo Bar, where owners Ryan and Brandon had dutifully set out their custom beer pong tables for us to display vegan treats from Pure Luck (dill potato salad, Greek wraps, fish tacos) and an insane cheese board. In the corner, the Hot Knives ‘hot nuts’ factory was assembled. A hot plate and two pans produced about 3 pounds of steaming, roasted, holiday-spiced legumes: sea salt and smoked soy pepitas, vanilla bean-honey cashews, and Indian curried peanuts. Behind the makeshift bar, riders started pouring themselves one of three libations: Telegraph winter warmer, Coronado winter warmer and Craftsman Holiday Ale. All local-ish and all amazing tasting. At some point after twilight one of the ‘Trenway Team’ gang who has ridden with us before pulled out a fat Santa suit. The crowd dwindled by 7 pm and Hot Knives was left swigging our kegs. We finally gave up and donated the last quarter of the Coronado to the bar. </form
There's already been some kindly comment chatter thanking the Hot Knives blog for organizing this ride, and we humbly accept only if thanks get thrown at all four stores, the Verdugo Bar, Meanstreetz, Stephen “Rollers,” Hair-of-the Dave and Wildbel. But we’d do the whole damn thing a disservice to pretend like its not about something grander: that the best things to do come from friendship and people pitching in and contributing when there’s nothing, really, in it for them but a good time and some love. And whether it’s a holiday you celebrate or not, around the end of the calendar year it’s worth giving thanks for those who see things for what they are rather than what they cost.
For all we know people go on 65-person, citywide beer runs by bicycle any night of the week in San Fran or Newark or Chicago. But we kinda don’t think so. So cheers to an L.A. institution that’ll rear its head again in a few months!
Posted inGastronomy|Comments Off on LA Grand Crew: Road to Joy
Where exactly the tip came from, we don’t remember. But a few long blocks from Mariachi Plaza, on a potholed stretch between 7th Street and Whitter Blvd. in East Los Angeles, there’s an impressive tequila wonderland that more than minors in beer. Just look for the unassuming liquor store façade and ‘Ramirez Liquor’ in red block letters.
Inside, glossy, turquoise blown-glass bottles of 100 percent blue agave and curly-cued clay casks of smoky Mezcal hang above the cashiers like sacred spoils of an arts and crafts fair. Old wooden shelves boast standard snack-attack prada like lime-chile Cheetohs, but the closer you stroll toward the long diagonal wall of beer fridges, the crammed shelf space slowly gives way to dark, corked bottles waiting to take their place in the ice.
At Ramirez, the Cali-beer selections veer into welcomed territory, with lots of hoppy bombers from Port Brewing, Russian River and Beer Valley (Leefer Madness ale anyone?). Poke deeper in the fridge and you’re likely to unearth some rarer surprises. Shopping here is truly all about the corners: check top-shelf nooks and side-space crevices. We spotted niceties like Fantome and Skullsplitter scattered among the SoCal bargains. And if there was a discernable logic to the stocking, we’re not sure we cracked the equation. The result: rather than shuffling through anally categorized styles you find yourself caught off guard by what’s next in line. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt at Ramirez: like picking punk rock compact discs from off your high school buddies’ bedroom floor.
The fun spills into a fridge we seldom venture into: the large smattering of 40 oz bottles. That’s because alongside Mickeys Wide-mouth and Old English sits respectable Rogue bombers like Double Dead Guy ale and their Dad’s Little Helper, a craft-brew take on malt liquor. The notion of neighborhood bros nursing a Juniper pilsner ale instead of a Pacifico reminded us of the beginning of our beer dorkdom, subbing Shakespear Stout for Steinlager.
As it turns out, the place does cater quite a bit to bike business too. Alex, the beer monger, said small, rowdy packs of fixed-gear cyclists usually show up on weekday night to stock up on brown-bagged treats and drink ’em on the streets. Good to hear. We think we’ll stop by more often.
Ramirez Liquor is the first stop on our upcoming LA Grand Crew ’08. Staff: Alex (pictured above) rules the roost. Refrigeration: All of it except overflow and 3-liter specials. Split Six Packs: No. Belgians: Most of the traditionals but not the obscure stuff. Microbrews: California is well-represented, hopped-up bombers aplenty. Special Powers: Surprising surplus of German brews and herbed/pine needled Scotch ales. Achilles’ Heel: Real Lambics and Geuze are noticeably absent. Location: Here.
We’re 5 days away from the second coming of LA Grand Crew…
According to the weather service, the rain will be gone in two days time, meaning Saturday will be a sweet and swell day for biking and merrymaking: sunny skies, clean streets and a pack of 40 booze hounds!
Here’s the thing though: we only have 10–whoops make that 9–spots left for the party at the Verdugo after the ride. Of course, anyone who wants to can show up for the day of riding and shopping but our gracious hosts at the bar have asked that the party be capped at 40. The good news, or bad news if you snooze on this one, is that we’re almost there!
Sign up now on the previous post to ensure your spot in the kegline! We’re really excited to see and meet all of you! Radical Flyer: Michael “Sweet-Thing” Meanstreetz
As the stock market ping-pongs lamely around this season and the financial doom-and-gloom casts shadows even on a good old fashioned night of heavy drinking, we see but one quick fix: beer that’s strong, dark and cheap. Easier said then done, right? Some of the fancier American concoctions that fill the “dark” bill — Batlic porters, artisinal, hand-numbered flasks of Scotch barrel-aged stouts — can be just as heavy on the wallet. Lately the $3.99 bombers from Firestone — especially their “Robust Porter” — has been drawing us away from the glitzier beer-fridge all-stars. Paying less than $4 for a thick 650-ml bottle of roasty, toasty squid-ink colored beer nowadays is more satisfying than many finer pleasures.
The question is: Once you get Firestone Walker’s Reserve “Robust Porter” home and popped, can this penny-saver deliver? First off “robust” might be a bit of a misnomer. At 5.9% alcohol by volume, it’s a little kid’s porter.
A whiff into the glass rim brings sour-blood iron notes and a little toffee-chocolate. At the end, the smell is not unlike unearthing an old Marlboro carton from your childhood closet and huffing the cardboard for high-school memories: a faint stale tobacco perfume. At first sight, the stuff looks dark but not menacing, chocolate milk with big, caramel bubbles. Swishing this beer around in your mouth is a pleasure, light and slurpy. And the gulps that follow come easy. In fact, it feels like drinking stout soda — maybe an RC Cola. And this makes sense for these times. At a time when some of us are veering toward drippy burgers and paper bags of French fries on Saturday nights, this is the stuff to wash it down with, or even submerge vanilla bean ice cream in for a beer float. Especially considering you can afford three.
Dairy Pairy: Trader Joe’s 3-year aged cheddar ($6.00) Soundtrack: Mogwai’s “Happy Songs for Happy People”
What happened, where did the time go? It’s been nearly 18 months since the smashing, first-ever annual LA Grand Crew beer-bike ride and we at Hot Knives HQ completely slacked on organizing our second event. But we’ve got it together now. We’ve really done it. And it’s gonna be gooooood.
Listen up people. On Saturday, Dec. 20 , the extended Hot Knives blogging crew will lead a roughly 22-mile bike ride and holiday shopping spree to four of our favorite beer stores on L.A.’s eastside. Some of the stores you may know, some may be new! Most of the owners have graciously offered our beer riders a discount, so it’s a perfect chance to grab a rare bottle of holiday ale, stout, porter, saison, lambic, winter warmer or whatever for your loved ones this holiday seaz. Think of it like Christmas shopping on spokes, without even going to the mall! And no Santas!
But wait, the best part is: Our ride will culminate in a private, all-you-can-drink keg party at the beloved brew joint Verdugo Bar in Glassell Park where we will feast on Hot Knives-made bar snacks and vegan food courtesy of Pure Luck vegan restaurant. Not to mention said kegs will be amazing, locally brewed holiday beer.
Why are you still reading? Go pump your bike tires already! The details, like our exact easy-riding route, will ferment by next week. But we’re expecting a bigger turn-out than last time so go ahead and reserve a bike seat now so we know to expect you, and spread the word or just re-post the above video! Registration is $10 per person to cover the fancy kegs and all the food. The rest is up to you!
2nd Annual L.A. Grand Crew Beer-Bike Ride
When: Saturday Dec. 20, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Where: We start at Union Station & end at 3408 Verdugo Rd, LA (map forthcoming) Bring: Bike, backpack, helmet, water, ID, money for beer and lights for your ride.
Freshly arisen from a snoozed-out weekend, we dug through the video snippets of our Thanksgiving meal and smooshed ’em together like a leftover cranberry and mash sammich. Like most years, we cooked all day, but instead of setting our own table this time we packed our goodies up in milk crates and hit a potluck with dear some friends and neighbors. Prepare your swollen belly for more food and watch the above footage!
The day broke to Alex tiptoeing downstairs to massage and ferment his ten bubbly loaves of sourdough foccacia and ciabatta before letting them sit and catch a windowsill breeze. By mid-morning the Hot Knives kitchen crew grew to four, coffee in tow, and we manned our respective stations. Meagan set to mixing up a green-chili meatloaf. Lake sautéed Indian spices for a cranberry chutney. Evan worked the mashed potatoes and gravy. By beer o’clock we had found that ‘good stopping point.’ So while the oven did its thing, we trolled the Echo Park hills for an hour looking at cats and houses.
Back to gussy up before sundown, we turned the kitchen lights on for the first time. We hurriedly whipped dairy into the porcini-portobello gravy. Mixed the salad greens and toasted cayenne-pumpkin seeds. Shoved loaf after loaf of dough into our jerry-rigged “hearth” oven. Put on fancy clothes. And when we finally found the house a couple blocks away, half of the Thanksgiving party was already assembled. We added our own dishes to the table, where a serious smorgasbord of vegetarian wizardry lay in wait.
Thanksgiving 2008 Menu
Layered Noodle Kugel
Cauliflower Gratin
Baby Eggplant and Artichoke Stew
Pesto Smashed Potatoes w/ Crimini Mushroom Gravy
Marscapone Mashed Potatoes w/ Portabello-Porcini Gravy
Blue Cheese-Oyster Mushroom Tartlets
Stewed-Cabbage Pierogies
Long-Cooked Anasazi beans
Indian Cranberry Chutney
Green Chili Seitan Meatloaf w/ Cranberry-Kriek Coulis
Spicy Mixed Greens and butternut squash w/ maple-beer dressing and pumpkin seeds
Homemade ciabatta loaves
Homemade Sourdough Foccacia w/ truffled herb oil and porcini mushrooms
Cheeseboard featuring Stilton, x,x,x
Crème Brulee
Gingered Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Mini Souffles w/ homemade “Cool Whip”
Beer Cave Selections
Cantillon Iris Lambic Aged 4 Years
Decadence Red Ale Aged 2 Years
Avery’s ‘the Czar’ Stout Aged 2 Years
Jolly Pumpkin’s Fuego Del Otono Aged 1 Year
Sprecher’s Imperial Czar Stout Aged 2 Years
Allagash Curvieux Aged 1 Year
Five hours later, the 20-plus eaters had conquered less than half the feast. Here’s to leftovers!
Panic!! You’re off from work/school. Brother/mom/in-laws are coming into town tonight. The lines at your local, thieving Whole Foods are curling closer to the juice station every minute you procrastinate. Stage fright!
This year, we too felt brief, unexpected pangs of indecision. Not because we don’t like fantasizing about food, but because we get so stoked we start obsessing. What do you cook when you don’t want to recreate past meals, but you can’t bring yourself to abandon key vibes like sage and tubers, pumpkin pie? What do you cook when you don’t want to be bound by tradition, but you swear by seasonal sauteing? Plus, we tend to draw a line at deconstructing T-day favorites (think heavy cream poached french fries with mushroom gravy dipping sauce, [ok… that sounds pretty good]).
Actually, this year we patented a new word game designed to come up with quasi-crazy dishes for us using the magic of unlikely pairing. It’s simple and requires a pencil and paper. Make a list of all the types of dishes you want on the table (salad, bread, pie, mash, stuffing, gravy, sauce, you get the notion). Then make a second list of the most basic, key ingredients you know you wanna chow on (mushrooms, yams, cranberries, fennel, pears, pecans, whatever) Now comes the action: write this out on tiny tabs and stick ’em in a cornacopia, pilgrim hat or giant sack. Pick two out and voila! You’re making a pecan loaf, fennel stuffing, cranberry mash, mushroom sauce, pear pie and yam salad).
And if that’s too conceptual or potentially icky for ya, here’s another idea! This is after all our third year of hosting Thanksgivings on the web, maybe take a note from previous some Hot Knives menus. Just cuz we ate this stuff last year does’t mean it’s not new to you.
