When BrewDog got taken over and closed its central Bristol bar something interesting happened: a firm called Saviour Bars took it over, lock, stock and barrel, and kept it trading. At first, it was just Not BrewDog, with the original signage blanked out with tape, and the menu full of BrewDog beers that needed drinking. Now, it’s been (just barely) rebranded as The Sceptre Tavern with about 20 beers on keg, mostly from the Big Craft end of the spectrum. What that means in practice is that it…
If you’ve ever wondered what to do with leftover mashed potatoes, this cozy little dish is the answer. Crispy Mash Hash is a quick, budget‑friendly side that turns simple mash into something golden, buttery, and irresistibly crunchy — just enough for two, and easy to scale when you need more. With softened onions, garlic, and plenty of those beloved crispy bits , it’s comfort food at its simplest. Whether you’re using frozen mash for convenience. or repurposing leftovers so nothing goes to…
Daikanyama is a super upscale neighbourhood in between Nakameguro and Shibuya. As well as all the expensive brand stores in the neighborhood (APC, Maison Kitsune, Barbour and so on) one of the spots where you can do some shopping at a bit more of a reasonable price range is the Daikanyama T-site. The “T” comes from Tsutaya, which popular book chain with fairly regular prices. But here they have a fancier version of the store befitting the Daikanyama area. It’s even made it onto a list of the…
The link: The paragraph: Part of this shift was driven by consumers discovering products they didn’t enjoy. In other cases, drinkers simply developed a clearer understanding of their preferences. The result was a return to familiar styles, including lagers, pale ales, and traditional IPAs. h/t Alan McLeod.
Enlarged and realThe potato chips on this potato chip bag may look a bit "off". That is because a real potato chip from inside this bag has been placed on top of the "enlarged to show texture" potato chips. The real potato chip is close to size to that of the "enlarged" potato chip. That was not the largest potato chip found inside this bag. A real potato chip as large as the "enlarged" potato chip had been found; it was consume before its size could be recorded.
Haiti is one of the earliest nations to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup. After just two matches, they lost 0-1 to Scotland on June 14 and then lost again 0-3 to Brazil on June 20.But if we check the archive, their World Cup journey was actually much longer than those two matches. The qualification stage started in 2024, and they had to endure at least ten matches before securing their place at the World Cup. Before being eliminated by Scotland and Brazil in the group stage, they had…
Another from James of Lakeside, California – thanks again! So this is the third and I’m guessing final variant in the Thai Connext range. This sounds incredibly up my alley. It’ll be the third review on a Friday and the last of this week. All over it – let’s cook! MAMA Thai Connext Instant Panang Noodles – Thailand A distributor / import sticker (click to enlarge). Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Contains fish. To prepare, boil noodle for 4 minutes in 300ml water. Add in sachet…
Did the milk expire? California bans ‘sell by’ food labels to cut food wasteFor years, I’ve been fighting a lonely battle against throwing away perfectly good groceries. Those random dates stamped on the packaging are just a giant scam to make you throw out your food and buy more. And it fills up the dumps for no reason. That’s why I was so pumped to read that California finally passed a law to get rid of those confusing labels. It feels amazing to have the state government officially back up…
If you’re looking for a light, wholesome meal that still feels indulgent, this Bacon & Egg Salad is just the thing. Made with simple, everyday ingredients put together in the most delicious way , it features crisp lettuce, juicy roasted baby plum tomatoes , lean smoked back bacon baked to perfection , and boiled free‑range eggs. Everything is finished with a bright, creamy dressing made from low‑fat mayonnaise, lemon juice, Parmesan, and black pepper — proof that healthy food doesn’t have to be…
I baked some pogácsa today. You can read more about my story of this pastry in my post about it.
The Golden Gate Bridge fireworks were of interest to Mrs Mai Tai, but the high threat of fog made elaborate plans seem risky, so we took a sort of safe route by heading to Emeryville to have some drinks at Trader Vic’s before heading to the end of the peninsula to see if we could see any fireworks. Powell Street was closed at Access Rd before you get to the Watergate complex but we knew we could park at the Hilton Garden Inn, then walk down the street to Vic’s and the marina later. Trader Vic’s…
Here’s yet another from James of Lakeside, California – thanks! Here we have a fusion of Indian and Chinese flavors. I recently reviewed one in this style by a different company from India. Let’s try this one out!. Maggi Spicy Manchurian 2-Minute Noodles – India A distributor / import sticker (click to enlarge). Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, break block into 4 pieces, add contents of 1 sachet, and boil in 200ml water for 2…
My favorite roaster in Japan.
Happy July, fellow Sweets lovers!With America's Independence Day this weekend, you know I had to find some pretty red, white, and blue numbers: (By Sugar Hero, who has a complete tutorial on her site) Plus this one has a drool-worthy surprise inside! WOWIE. Our flag has never looked more delicious. And look how sweet this old-fashioned bunting is: (By Wild Orchid Baking Company in New Hampshire, now closed) Ahhh, but I have some goodies for my non-American friends, too. Check it out, rainbow…
After having watermelon and feta salads at restaurants, Ina said she was never all that impressed by the combination. So, naturally, she went home and started tweaking, which resulted in her Watermelon & Arugula Salad. Rather than just tossing diced watermelon and feta together, she adds peppery arugula, fresh lemon juice to wake everything up, and shaved Parmesan instead of feta, which makes it feel like a much more Ina-y salad. It’s sweet, salty, peppery, and exactly the kind of thing I want…
Acqua che gorgoglia in lontananza. Un piccolo ruscello in un fosso che taglia a metà un prato verde. O forse non è verde. È giallo, viola, bianco, azzurro. Fiori. Un mare verde sporcato da macchie di fiori. Si sente solo l’acqua. O forse no. Fischi. Uccelli che fischiano. Dove sono? Alberi? Solo lontani. Non possono arrivare da così lontano. Cielo? Blu. Blu e bianco. Nuvole. Nuvole bianche. Bianche e grigie. Piove? No. Pioverà? Forse. No, troppo bianche. Forse stasera. Che ore sono? Tarda…
Here we are, another Sunday, another Meals of the Week post. The one where I share with you all the main meals I have cooked and enjoyed over the past 7 days. If I eat out for one or two of them, I also always share a homemade alternative. I really like doing these meals of the week posts. It helps to keep me accountable and helps me to see what I am eating, if I may need to make improvements in my diet, and keeping track also helps to keep me fresh. Being able to share these things with you…
I used to bake a lot. Despite my usual protests and grievances about baking, as baking is a precise art whereas cooking is a whole YOLO approach, I used to bake because I felt like we could always have more spinach quiche and chewy chocolate cookies in the world. That said, I stopped baking back in 2019, “coincidentally” with the time I started my job at Automattic, since the job occupied most of my time and energy. Fast forward to 2026, now I have a teenager and a pre-teen in the house, and…
Cabo Verde pronunciation in Portuguese. Is it “KAH-boo VEHR-duh” or “KAH-boo VEHR-jee”? I think Brazilian Portuguese would be the latter “-jee” version (at least in the NE where I visited some 20 years ago).
UPDATE – When I originally posted this, it was review #2023. I thought it a fitting throwback for today. Happy 4th of July – the 250th anniversary of the country, aka the semiquincentennial I saw this at the local supermarket the other day and just couldn’t pass it up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an instant noodle showing such patriotism before! Also, before anyone starts sending me comments saying ‘how dare they use our flag – that’s made in South Korea,’ I have news for you. Nongshim America…
The sea of World Cup revelers parted for the afternoon on Sunday, offering the opportunity for Dr Funk to hold their quarterly Rum Asylum rum club meeting. The featured rum this time was Worthy Park from Jamaica, one of our favorites. The session included tasting seven of Worthy Park’s expressions, including the recent 12 year bottle that is by no means inexpensive so that was a true treat. We also had a nice presentation from a couple Worthy Park reps and some informative Q&A. Each Rum Asylum…
Thin tender ribbons of kohlrabi make an elegant salad that's popular with many chefs I know. Surprisingly, it's also very easy to make at home. With a mandoline slicer and a vegetable peeler you can transform these vegetables into a simple dish worthy of any restaurant menu in just a few minutes. Read on and... Read More The post Shaved Kohlrabi Salad with Herbs and Lemon appeared first on Forager | Chef .
I haven’t read Martyn Cornell’s Porter and Stout, but I wanted to join this Session anyway, largely to pay my respects to Martyn. He was the first beer blogger I ever read, back in the mid-00s; the second and third were The Pub Curmudgeon (RIP) and Tandleman. (Peter, if you’re reading this, look after yourself!) Mudge and Tandleman, titans of the beer blogosphere though they may have been, were models I felt I could aspire to. Go to pub, drink beer, have (slightly contrarian) opinion, write it…
Every Saturday we round up the best writing about beer from the past week. This time, we’ve got deaths, rebirths and football. This week’s big news was something everyone’s been expecting for a while: Humphrey Smith, owner of the Samuel Smith brewery in Tadcaster, has died at the age of 81. Some of the tributes have a ‘don’t speak ill of the dead’ quality about them and use not-so-subtly coded language that indicates he was a difficult man to like. In the world of pubs and brewing, some have…
If you’re looking for an easy summer dessert that’s light, creamy, and bursting with fresh berry flavour, this Summer Berry Cheesecake Fluff is just the thing. It’s a no‑bake treat that comes together in minutes — soft, whipped cheesecake filling folded with juicy seasonal berries for a cloud‑like bowl of sweetness. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or those warm evenings when you want something delicious without turning on the oven, this simple fluff is refreshing, family‑friendly, and endlessly…
Tall bamboo stalks rising overhead in Arashiyama
Yes, we would break several laws to climb to the top of the Empire State Building to help everyone learn that the Mai Tai that Trader Vic brought to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1953 did not contain any pineapple juice. It is easy to see how this myth developed, as there weren’t a lot of vintage 1950s era Mai Tai recipes floating around and there was no effort to tie these loose ends together until our work on this started in 2021. Once all the pieces were gathered it was clear that not only did…
Creeping bellflower is a common edible weed in yards and gardens, spreading aggressively through seeds and rhizomes. It's one of the most difficult invasive plants I know of to eradicate. The good news is that it's edible, tastes great, and since it's invasive you can eat as much as you like. In this post I'll... Read More The post Creeping Bellflower appeared first on Forager | Chef .
The post Have you ever seen an avocado do this? appeared first on Greg Alder's Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening.
This year's shincha is an unusual one. Harvested in April, this niche tea cultivar is called benitachiwase (ベニタチワセ), and it's commonly processed into black tea, but this is a shincha - a first flush green tea, you could say - so I have no idea what to expect. Let's dive in. The tea came in an unlabeled, vacuum-sealed package, so sadly I don't know which specific tea farm produced it. I was only able to narrow it down to the Shibushi area in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu. Right out of the bag,…
