Banana Rack

Banana Rack.

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Well, Chef Jeremiah would like to apologize for another late blog update.

It was Christmas not too long ago, and as per usual family custom, we all exchanged our Christmas lists. There was a multitude of items on CJ's list, including a banana rack. No, Heather, not a banana hammock - a banana rack.

The purpose of a banana rack is to keep your bananas off the counter, and thus minimize any bruising they may experience. Does anyone like bruised bananas? Of course not!

This is what my sister-in-law had in mind:




But this is what I was looking for:

And who gifted the rack? None other than Jack:

How do I know Jack gave CJ the gift? He signed the tag, of course:

What a horse! Such pleasant hand(hoof?)-writing!



The grade: 7.0 out of 10.0

Orange Eggnog Smoothie

1.5 cups Commercial light eggnog ("Commercial"? really?)
Half Banana
2 tbsp. Orange juice concentrate
Pinch each nutmeg and cinnamon

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Well, it is back to my favourite time of year. Well, that's only because eggnog comes back out to the supermarkets. I've written before for my affinity of eggnog products here. By gosh, I think I've even written about a smoothie as well...

Regardless, the latest smoothie/eggnog incarnation is pretty tasty. I've managed to have about 4 last week when I came home for lunch. It only takes about 2 minutes to make.

Taste-wise it's a thicker, more frothy version of eggnog. The banana thickens it up and the orange juice concentrate adds a little citrus flavouring to the drink.

A-ha! Refreshing!

The photo:

The grade: 7.3 out of 10.0.

Mead

1 Bottle of Mead - Suggested serving is cold, over ice.

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Well, we can thank Sherbrooke Liquor for allowing me the opportunity to pretend I was a (drunken) knight at the Round Table. I think they have the widest beer selection in Western Canada. They even sponsored an oak-aged beer tasting event that a friend and I attended back in March. Great place with a great selection of beer.

Mead you ask? Aye, m'lord.

Made from honey. Alcoholic beverage. Sweeter than peaches in June. Honestly though, if I had to describe it, I would say that it tastes like cheap ice wine. not bad, but nothing fancy. It smells like the Yorkton, Saskatchewan man's favourite after-shave.

Here's the photo. Sorry, I think I misplaced my receipt (with price details to add up top) while I was harassing the serving wench (just like in Savage Sword of Conan). Crom's Gut! It's hard to get good service here!!

The grade: a 6.2out of 10.0.

Kit Kat - Edamame 枝豆 Flavour

Kit Kat - Edamame Flavour

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Well, this was an unusual one.  All my sous chefs know about my love of Nestle products. Here is one I've never had before.

To be honest, it has a very mild flavour - I can't taste the edamame at all... It's basically a white chocolate bar.

The photograph:

The grade: 7.2 out of 10.0.

Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer

1 500ml bottle of Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer - $4.49 (CAD)

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I think what really captured my interest in ginger beer was a conversation I had earlier this year with my mother after I had read an article in what I think was the Edmonton Journal. It was basically a "how-to" instructional guide on how to make your own ginger beer (I think I have misplaced the article, unfortunately). After I commented on the article to my mother, she noted that either her dad or her paternal grandfather used to make their own ginger beer, and that sometimes you would hear a big "pop" under the stairs, as the bottles would lose their corks during the aging process. I somehow doubt that Ukrainians were big on ginger beer, but that matters not, it is clear that my love of ginger beer came from my forefathers.

The net result is that sometime later I had a conversation about ginger beer with my friend Allison, and she recommended that I go to one of the Liquor Depot stores in Edmonton and try a bottle of Crabbie's ginger beer. So that's exactly what I did this past weekend.

The bottle is cool - there are even pictures of elephants on it. So that must mean that Thais approve.

Supposedly it's best served chilled over ice with a slice of lemon or lime. In my case I used a wedge of lime.

It was fresh, sharp and fantastic! Basically a fancy Canada Dry ginger ale - but infused with the sweet taste of booze! It's pretty sweet, too. I don't think you could make a night of pounding these back - I think this is much more of a "dessert" beer that you enjoy while your minions clean the dishes...

The photographic evidence:

The grade: a solid if unspectacular 7.6 out of 10.0.

And what could be better than a bottle of Crabbie's ginger beer? A FREE second bottle of ginger beer. Many thanks to the sous chef Sean for leaving his beer Chef Jeremiah's car ;)

Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheddar Chowder

1 small bunch broccoli (1/2 pound)
1 large boiling potato (1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (about 6 ounces) (CJ used Old Cheddar - is Sharp cheddar an American term?)

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Well ladies and gentlemen, I've found my new favourite soup. I'm just going to throw out the grade right now: 9.0 out of 10.0. Yes, it's THAT good. It looks great, easy to make, creamy and that cheddar just adds a new level of flavour to it. Noooooo, I didn't add any Essence of Pure Flavour - I didn't have to.

I highly recommend you try out this recipe if you are into something simple (it will require 2 pots) and delicious.

Here's the photographic evidence: (notice the chunks o' broccoli?)