Now then, down to drinking
It's as deep burgundy as fresh arterial blood, and the first whiff out of the glass has my fangs coming down dripping with drool. Its general smelliness is of soft buttery tones, with a sweet plum note and a hint of sharpness.
It is also sensibly alcoholic, so the smells don't march up your nostrils and sodomise your brain like the vicious barbarian hordes of the 14%+ Huns.
I like to create little alcoholic whippets in my sinuses with most wines, just to grease the cockpit a little before the main whack of the rest of the bottle. Apart from creating a dizzying high, it also helps with trying to fathom the taste. Which is where this gets difficult.
Every aspect of the experience of drinking this is extremely good, apart from getting to the end of the bottle and ESPECIALLY having to share it with the Reaper.
So get your own!
Bribes will be accepted to bring some home, it's $35 per bottle plus, you owe me one!
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Wine reviews #2
Vashon Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 12.5%
10317 SW 156th Street
Vashon, Washington 98070
206.567.0055
vashonwinery@yahoo.com
Cabernet Sauvignon
This 'uns a bit old. I'd better leave it open a bit
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Full tilt
Got my lab at last, got a bit lost in work for two days...
I did find time to go out with some reinforcements from the UK and Belgium and indulge in pizza and cigars while me and Too Much Coffee Man
watched them keel over with jet lag, hurr hurr.
The cigar was naaaasty. Let Castro sell his stogies you miserable vagrants!
I did find time to go out with some reinforcements from the UK and Belgium and indulge in pizza and cigars while me and Too Much Coffee Man
watched them keel over with jet lag, hurr hurr.The cigar was naaaasty. Let Castro sell his stogies you miserable vagrants!
Monday, August 01, 2005
Wine reviews #1
We've found a wine shop, and have asked the feller there to find us a bottle or 6 based on what we bought already and what we like.
So, to our first wine.
Camaraderie Cellars Grâce 2002 14.2%
Columbia Valley
Washington State
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Malbec
A 'Bordeaux' style wine, we should not have opened this until 2009. It's very tannic and monstrously alcoholic, so even smelling it puts the ethers up you. The finish promises what it might be like with a few more years on it, it was too aggressive for me to whip out a few ludicrous adjectives on it's taste
So, to our first wine.
Camaraderie Cellars Grâce 2002 14.2%
Columbia Valley
Washington State
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Malbec
A 'Bordeaux' style wine, we should not have opened this until 2009. It's very tannic and monstrously alcoholic, so even smelling it puts the ethers up you. The finish promises what it might be like with a few more years on it, it was too aggressive for me to whip out a few ludicrous adjectives on it's taste
Move aside, we're British you know....
Aggh, everything hurts!
A rigorous gym programme, then a huge hike up Rainier have done me in, I'm walking like a cowboy.
Beautiful weather and a leisurely cruise through verdant loveliness made the arrival at Sunrise visitors centre all the sweeter
I may have miscalculated what counts for a respectful distance to the car in front. It looked to be at least three times that of the UK, but it must be more as I found 3 US drivers pulling over to let me pass when I hadn't consciously signalled them to.
I've never been as high up as this with my feet on the ground and I found getting out of the car a bit of a strain at first, perhaps it was the wine
A lousy hot dog and some caffeine, and one 500ml bottle of water and we were set. It took an age to get up the steps on the first 400 yards, but once through the altitude barrier, I wanted to get as high as possible. We wandered through stunning meadows
the like of which I haven't seen since I was in northern Morocco, then upwards to more aggressive rocky terrain to find a dome shaped seat where we reclined to take in the upper half of Rainier and its shining glaciers
Once home, we had more Martini's and watched Resident Evil
A rigorous gym programme, then a huge hike up Rainier have done me in, I'm walking like a cowboy.
Beautiful weather and a leisurely cruise through verdant loveliness made the arrival at Sunrise visitors centre all the sweeter
I may have miscalculated what counts for a respectful distance to the car in front. It looked to be at least three times that of the UK, but it must be more as I found 3 US drivers pulling over to let me pass when I hadn't consciously signalled them to.
I've never been as high up as this with my feet on the ground and I found getting out of the car a bit of a strain at first, perhaps it was the wine
A lousy hot dog and some caffeine, and one 500ml bottle of water and we were set. It took an age to get up the steps on the first 400 yards, but once through the altitude barrier, I wanted to get as high as possible. We wandered through stunning meadows
the like of which I haven't seen since I was in northern Morocco, then upwards to more aggressive rocky terrain to find a dome shaped seat where we reclined to take in the upper half of Rainier and its shining glaciers
Once home, we had more Martini's and watched Resident Evil
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Ran, you facka ran!
Leeroy Nikeholes (his new US name) was so bereft of entertainment today he decided to chase an old man with a walking stick around the car park for a few cheap jollies. How we laughed!
Then, we set about driving in search of a bar L'roy (his new African US name) had heard about from 'a friend of Dorothy's' called 'errr, Blue sammink or avva'. Alarmed, I feared 'tasches and caps and men that do not take no for an answer. Luckily, it was the BluWater Leschi and it sat happily on the side of Lake Washington where we each had a nice salad and a big gin.
We both went shopping for gym stuff so we can train together.
Hi Mum!
Then, we set about driving in search of a bar L'roy (his new African US name) had heard about from 'a friend of Dorothy's' called 'errr, Blue sammink or avva'. Alarmed, I feared 'tasches and caps and men that do not take no for an answer. Luckily, it was the BluWater Leschi and it sat happily on the side of Lake Washington where we each had a nice salad and a big gin.
We both went shopping for gym stuff so we can train together.
Hi Mum!
Friday, July 29, 2005
Good news week
Terrorists rounded up or turned MP, continued sunny weather, friends breeding, water on Mars and at last I get to play with Vista.
Gladys continues to drink too much caffeine though, wanting to buy ant farms, replica light sabers, tank mounted web cams and electromagnetic metal crushers in his efforts to Take Over The World!
(somebody call the poliiiice!)
Gladys continues to drink too much caffeine though, wanting to buy ant farms, replica light sabers, tank mounted web cams and electromagnetic metal crushers in his efforts to Take Over The World!
(somebody call the poliiiice!)
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Limes for the Limeys
Tonight, we were mostly drinking 2003 Walla Walla Valley Syrah. Their website clearly marks them out as a big bunch of shakers of hot white coconuts from the veiny love tree, but the wine is delicious despite.
¿Sr. Music, usted jugará?
Classic Margherita
1 1/4 parts (pints if you're feeling a bit Besty) tequila
3/4 parts Cointreau (or De Kuypers Triple Sec if you are facing US Cointreau prices)
1 1/4 parts freshly squeezed lime juice. Not bottled Eazy Squeezy you chav plebs!
Freeze the margherita glasses!
Yes, like the one in the picture. Martini glasses will do if that's all you could find you idle swine!
Freeze the cocktail mixer!
Freeze the tequila!
Freeze the Cointreau! (not the Triple Sec, not enough ABV%, chilled will have to do, you cheap bum!)
It means you use less ice, you FOOL!
Before relieving the delicious round plump innocent little limes of their spasm inducing juices, wash them.
Halve along the equator of the lime and juice, you'll get more juice if the limes are at room temperature. Refrigerate or partially freeze the squeezings.
So, now all your ingredients are well chilled, put them in the mixer and SHAKE those monkeys! With ice if you screwed up the chilling bit or if you want to take the edge of that drool inducing, spine shaking sourness.
Salt the rims of the cold cold glasses, then pour the cocktail and drink that sour goodness until your face looks like this...
¿Sr. Music, usted jugará?
Classic Margherita
1 1/4 parts (pints if you're feeling a bit Besty) tequila
3/4 parts Cointreau (or De Kuypers Triple Sec if you are facing US Cointreau prices)
1 1/4 parts freshly squeezed lime juice. Not bottled Eazy Squeezy you chav plebs!
Freeze the margherita glasses!
Yes, like the one in the picture. Martini glasses will do if that's all you could find you idle swine!
Freeze the cocktail mixer!
Freeze the tequila!
Freeze the Cointreau! (not the Triple Sec, not enough ABV%, chilled will have to do, you cheap bum!)
It means you use less ice, you FOOL!
Before relieving the delicious round plump innocent little limes of their spasm inducing juices, wash them.
Halve along the equator of the lime and juice, you'll get more juice if the limes are at room temperature. Refrigerate or partially freeze the squeezings.
So, now all your ingredients are well chilled, put them in the mixer and SHAKE those monkeys! With ice if you screwed up the chilling bit or if you want to take the edge of that drool inducing, spine shaking sourness.
Salt the rims of the cold cold glasses, then pour the cocktail and drink that sour goodness until your face looks like this...
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Left foot, right foot, blood spurts out nose...
Took a while to sleep off those martinis...
Not much happened, except at the gym, I saw someone walking on a treadmill at about 1 mph almost losing his balance taking strides. He has a long way to go before the Olympics start
The weather here is still clear blue skies and lovely lovely heat....
Not much happened, except at the gym, I saw someone walking on a treadmill at about 1 mph almost losing his balance taking strides. He has a long way to go before the Olympics start
The weather here is still clear blue skies and lovely lovely heat....
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
RRraaaayyyy, martinniiiis
I looove you, yeahhhh, aaah camm 'errreee
time for a little fff-fffaint zsdcrtfdrtgukll,
fdg
kl;
'''
.
time for a little fff-fffaint zsdcrtfdrtgukll,
fdg
kl;
'''
.
It's a very pretty colo(u)r in here
Fee webernet e-stripping
Yayyy! I got to see my girl over the cams, once she'd figured out the nasty software I was treated to a full show! It's good to see people as you talk to them, I'm on MSN for those of you with cams and my usual email address.
If you want to see flesh, I shall need your credit card numbers, I'll even throw in a bit of adult shadow puppetry for free. Belly Savalas and Cobumbo for every $20 spent, if I have cigars handy.
Boring day, bought more stuff to make the lab a bit more pretty, and a bit of tinsel to brighten up Titus Groan.
Marmite on toast, oohh yeah baby! For tea though, when The Crow was supposed to be making bolognese.
Hmph!
Say hello to my little brother
If you want to see flesh, I shall need your credit card numbers, I'll even throw in a bit of adult shadow puppetry for free. Belly Savalas and Cobumbo for every $20 spent, if I have cigars handy.
Boring day, bought more stuff to make the lab a bit more pretty, and a bit of tinsel to brighten up Titus Groan.
Marmite on toast, oohh yeah baby! For tea though, when The Crow was supposed to be making bolognese.
Hmph!
Say hello to my little brother
Monday, July 25, 2005
Seattle from the point of view of a needleful of caffeine
Too much work, too much shop talk with my well travelled Dutch chum Ahojky, time to see People!
There's nothing as relaxing a sport as People Watching. Get yourself to a festival type fairgroundy sort of thing, and park yourself somewhere to observer the comings and goings of all sorts of folk.
Then up to the Space Needle for a lungful of up high air and the most arresting views of mountains, volcanoes, trees, water and stuff.
And coffee, mmmmm.
There's nothing as relaxing a sport as People Watching. Get yourself to a festival type fairgroundy sort of thing, and park yourself somewhere to observer the comings and goings of all sorts of folk.
Then up to the Space Needle for a lungful of up high air and the most arresting views of mountains, volcanoes, trees, water and stuff.
And coffee, mmmmm.
Cool Hand Texas No Name Neil the Kid
All those late nights watching tournament Texas Hold 'em and a poker kit from my girlfriend's Uncle Mushy Peas have paid off. Leopold the Strangely Pale and I were invited by our upper ranks and his neighbours to play poker, with a $7 dollar buy in. We got towering piles of chips in return which looked like endless lakes of wealth when we got a good pot going.
The Dark Side sadly let a good straight flush 'go' so that our project benefactor won the pot, the big lick. I was much less merciful, and bullied most of the other players out of their cash, or was just downright lucky.
I was a gracious winner and failed even once to crack a smug grin until we got home, and I threw my winnings on the bed and rolled around on them, well, it. It was a $20 bill.
The Dark Side sadly let a good straight flush 'go' so that our project benefactor won the pot, the big lick. I was much less merciful, and bullied most of the other players out of their cash, or was just downright lucky.
I was a gracious winner and failed even once to crack a smug grin until we got home, and I threw my winnings on the bed and rolled around on them, well, it. It was a $20 bill.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Giz ten pee forra cuppa memory, ya focka!
Beg borrow and steal will be my career epitaph
I have a rudimentary lab. Better than a simultaneous kick to the larynx and testicles. That reminds me, it is time for Severus Snape's punishment
I have a rudimentary lab. Better than a simultaneous kick to the larynx and testicles. That reminds me, it is time for Severus Snape's punishment
Friday, July 22, 2005
Whining maggot!
I have to live with this guy! I'm thinking of moving in with a Vogon instead
I'm going for lunch.
You see if I don't!
CamCamCam
Hello the internet
I was able to tour chums around the flat at work with the cam, and the beautiful Mac Mini serving the wireless.
Okay, the recipe from earlier needs a method, so here is the whole thing in full. This easy sauce was created by my girlfriend...
So - Fennel & Chorizo pasta sauce
All ingredients from UK Tesco
300g spanish chorizo
Yes yes, but some devils call their non-Spanish sausage chorizo. Add more if you like it meaty, and try and find the big cylinders rather than the little wieners
1 fennel bulb
The more hairy bits the better
1 med brown onion
Not white, not red, NO!
1 garlic clove, no more than 2
Especially not elephant, or smoked or any gimmiky interfered with garlic. Fresh is best, not pickled, or 'Lazy' you bone idle buggers! Back to the tin opener with you!
1 tblspn paprika
Fresh, not that nasty old bag of rock hard cludge you have in the back of your poor neglected cupboard
Salt and Pepper
Lots of pepper, the chorizo will be plenty salty
Dash of red wine
Only if you have some open. If not, open a bottle anyway, splishy splashy, and don't be a miser, break out the good stuff. None of this Vin de Pizz d'Hoick rubbish
Tomatoes
Get them from a grower\garden centre, and on the vine is good. If you rub the top and it doesn't have that fresh hairy tomato plant smell, then they are not ripe or have been force ripened by the evil conspiracy of supermarkets that are ruining our palletes and making everything taste the same so they can start mincing old people into the food to offset the pension crisis. Tinned is sinned.
Basil
Fresh! I mean it. If you use those tube things, remember, old people! You only know what you are eating if you can see the stuff.
Light olive oil
From Olives, and don't ponce about with your extra virgin first cold press with the feet of virgins crap. Use it to bathe in like normal people.
Fusilli
How to make it
Boil up enough water to fill a saucepan and cover the tomatoes. Put water in pan, bring to a fierce boil, then turn off the heat. Stab a small cross in the base of the tomatoes. When done, plunge them all in the water until the skin begins to peel away from the cross, or anywhere else, then remove and skin. Halve them and scoop out the seeds, then puree them all
Get a big pan, a thick bottomed metal one like what they use in restaurants. Teflon is for the space shuttle.
Put in oil, to your own personal tolerance, but not so little as to burn the veg:-
Chop the onion and fennel, not too chunky, not fine. Don't use the green stalky bits, too tough, but do save the hairy bits for later
Gently fry the onion with the pepper and fennel until both are almost soft, then add the garlic. Fry until soft
Dice the chorizo and fry until the colour and fat bleeds into the veg, about 15 minutes is usually enough
Add the paprika, stir and fry for another 5 mins
Add the tomatoes, bring to a vigourous simmer, then turn down the heat. If you like the sauce thick, leave the lid off
Boil up the pasta without salt or olive oil or anything. Don't dick about with it and leave it slightly undercooked if you are going to incorporate it into the sauce
Finally, rip the basil leaves and add as much as you can bear, and throw in the chopped hairy bits
Drink with wine! Just drink wine, it's incredibly good for you.
I was able to tour chums around the flat at work with the cam, and the beautiful Mac Mini serving the wireless.
Okay, the recipe from earlier needs a method, so here is the whole thing in full. This easy sauce was created by my girlfriend...
So - Fennel & Chorizo pasta sauce
All ingredients from UK Tesco
300g spanish chorizo
Yes yes, but some devils call their non-Spanish sausage chorizo. Add more if you like it meaty, and try and find the big cylinders rather than the little wieners
1 fennel bulb
The more hairy bits the better
1 med brown onion
Not white, not red, NO!
1 garlic clove, no more than 2
Especially not elephant, or smoked or any gimmiky interfered with garlic. Fresh is best, not pickled, or 'Lazy' you bone idle buggers! Back to the tin opener with you!
1 tblspn paprika
Fresh, not that nasty old bag of rock hard cludge you have in the back of your poor neglected cupboard
Salt and Pepper
Lots of pepper, the chorizo will be plenty salty
Dash of red wine
Only if you have some open. If not, open a bottle anyway, splishy splashy, and don't be a miser, break out the good stuff. None of this Vin de Pizz d'Hoick rubbish
Tomatoes
Get them from a grower\garden centre, and on the vine is good. If you rub the top and it doesn't have that fresh hairy tomato plant smell, then they are not ripe or have been force ripened by the evil conspiracy of supermarkets that are ruining our palletes and making everything taste the same so they can start mincing old people into the food to offset the pension crisis. Tinned is sinned.
Basil
Fresh! I mean it. If you use those tube things, remember, old people! You only know what you are eating if you can see the stuff.
Light olive oil
From Olives, and don't ponce about with your extra virgin first cold press with the feet of virgins crap. Use it to bathe in like normal people.
Fusilli
How to make it
Boil up enough water to fill a saucepan and cover the tomatoes. Put water in pan, bring to a fierce boil, then turn off the heat. Stab a small cross in the base of the tomatoes. When done, plunge them all in the water until the skin begins to peel away from the cross, or anywhere else, then remove and skin. Halve them and scoop out the seeds, then puree them all
Get a big pan, a thick bottomed metal one like what they use in restaurants. Teflon is for the space shuttle.
Put in oil, to your own personal tolerance, but not so little as to burn the veg:-
Chop the onion and fennel, not too chunky, not fine. Don't use the green stalky bits, too tough, but do save the hairy bits for later
Gently fry the onion with the pepper and fennel until both are almost soft, then add the garlic. Fry until soft
Dice the chorizo and fry until the colour and fat bleeds into the veg, about 15 minutes is usually enough
Add the paprika, stir and fry for another 5 mins
Add the tomatoes, bring to a vigourous simmer, then turn down the heat. If you like the sauce thick, leave the lid off
Boil up the pasta without salt or olive oil or anything. Don't dick about with it and leave it slightly undercooked if you are going to incorporate it into the sauce
Finally, rip the basil leaves and add as much as you can bear, and throw in the chopped hairy bits
Drink with wine! Just drink wine, it's incredibly good for you.
Down th' pits
Cables guys came. I wish they'd not have bothered with the telly, what a load of junk
But now the internet is on, I'm worrying about the next thing, the super size hunk of work still to do. And when will I get to climb Mt Rainier?
JamJamJam
I have a web cam now. Once I have some suitable software, you'll be able to see me and wherever I am.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
A new hope
The flat people promised to wire us up to the outside world today, so we can operate this project from home, instead of the hobo lifestyle at the library.
No wierdies today, so far
I made us our first cooked meal last night, a pasta sauce, exactly as I would in the UK. The US version tasted nothing like it.
Chorizo
Fennel
Brown onions
garlic
paprika
s&p
splish of red wine
tomatoes
basil
I had to swap brown for white onions, used elephant garlic and the chorizo was a bit dry and not too flavoursome. We have a bunch of places to find good ingredients so I can try again. Everything here has high fructose corn syrup, I must find a dentist!
If you ever have to live here, avoid shopping in Safeway. It is one shelf after another of TV dinners, processed food, poor fruit and veg and lousy bread
People here of all ages wear their shorts just above the knee, with belts and WHITE socks pulled right the way up and WHITE trainers. They look like they fell out of a '70s Freemans catalogue. I tried to buy shorts. I'm still trying.
No wierdies today, so far
I made us our first cooked meal last night, a pasta sauce, exactly as I would in the UK. The US version tasted nothing like it.
Chorizo
Fennel
Brown onions
garlic
paprika
s&p
splish of red wine
tomatoes
basil
I had to swap brown for white onions, used elephant garlic and the chorizo was a bit dry and not too flavoursome. We have a bunch of places to find good ingredients so I can try again. Everything here has high fructose corn syrup, I must find a dentist!
If you ever have to live here, avoid shopping in Safeway. It is one shelf after another of TV dinners, processed food, poor fruit and veg and lousy bread
People here of all ages wear their shorts just above the knee, with belts and WHITE socks pulled right the way up and WHITE trainers. They look like they fell out of a '70s Freemans catalogue. I tried to buy shorts. I'm still trying.
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