[Houdini]

A thread where you get the chance to rate The Good Things in Life of an edible/drinkable nature.  (vis-a-vis The Port thread).

Sherry, you say Yoss?

[Fiend]

Holy Crap, everything.

I like Maccy Ds and I like foie gras. I like like a plate of boiled green veg with cheese on and I like like fried haggis on toast. I like blue fizzy drinks and I like 9% Belgian ales that you can't see through.

[Houdini]

You nit wit!  I said The Good Things in Life.  Maccy D's are not a Gout Club TM approved product, Feind 

You could go the Good, but Bad route;  but this would be more Havana cigars, than fast food. Get it?

[andy popp]

Cognac, definitely cognac.

[Fiend]

Sorry. Spanking duly accepted *snort*.

Errrr. How about firm (not squishy) goat's cheese with a crusty rind??

[Houdini]

That's more like it.  But is it the best?  What brand?

(A thread to discuss White Widow but not eurohash etc.. Pointers to the shit.)

For example, thus far, if it was port I'd recommend Do Noval ports.  What cognac?  What's hot - what's not?

[Yossarian]

i'm sorry. it's lost in the ether.  i trusted my former employers to hold on to that shit. but they seem to have disposed of it all, and have replaced it with the witterings of some latvian cunt.

so, port. i can't remember the good stuff. other than the article starting with an account of myself, at a new years bash, dressed up and pretending to be sultan shaizar, protector of the empty quarter, and drinking port in pint glasses.

sherry - last time i drank it in quantity i sleptwalked out of a window and smashed my calcaneus. however, a nice chilled fino is the way forward with a rich, spicy paella. and i would kill for a fine oloroso...

[andy popp]

I just finished a bottle of Camus VSOP - that was nice (cool existential name too) but not quite as smooth as some. Remy Martin is reliable. You want to go for VSOP or VS at least. Might go the extra mile next time and splash out on XO. Sherry is down to taste, I like Fino or Manzanilla - very dry and almost salty. But I like all drinks on the dry side.

A proper dry martini is very fine, Tanqueray export would be my choice of gin for this.

[Houdini]

OK I'll keep it rolling:  Halosarcia pergranulata AKA Samphire.



Grows in abundance on the salt marshes of the N Norfolk coast, Blakeney etc..  Picked, boiled, pickled (usually to accompany seafood) - it's fucking gorgeous.

(Thanks Andy.)

[andy popp]

Yes, samphire is lovely but almost never seen in the shops. There is almost nothing better than some quality veg, in season and cooked properly and simply - asparagus being the perfect example.

[Houdini]

Frau Houdini rates sushi.  Unspecific but I'm not allowed to punter her.

I'd offer Nepalese Temple Ball hashish.  Inimitable, always worth the extra in The 'Dam.

[Yossarian]

A proper dry martini is very fine, Tanqueray export would be my choice of gin for this.

and there you start another thread.

i had a fine hendricks martini with a twist of grapefruit not long back. that was a winner.

i guess my house martini would be plymouth, with a flick of noilly prat. and a stoned olive transferred from oil to vermouth sometime beforehand.

please would jim fix it for me to mix martinis for famous 8b+ climbers. they would get really fucked, and i could tell my grandchildren that when i was a free man i did bad things to famous athletes...

[Houdini]

Liv. 



Stretching caveats here but...

OK OK:

Smoked Garlic, oh so fine.

[GCW]

Whisky.
I love my single malts.   

[Houdini]

Single malt?  Ambiguous. Go on.

[fatdoc]

Yes, samphire is lovely but almost never seen in the shops. There is almost nothing better than some quality veg, in season and cooked properly and simply - asparagus being the perfect example.

just sooo right andy...

if i may, here we have the son of the thread *FOOD glorious FOOD*, i applaud the progression seen the sport today, even in the space of 12 months I see developments no one could have foretold...

my 2 peneth is this:

the perfect home made bearniase (needs 250g butter, 6 egg yolks, a good chablis, the patience of a saint - and some good luck.. aka cold basin full of water to stop splits if attention to the sauce wayvers), tons of tarrogen, a great vinegar reduction and near as rare steak, the blood runs into the sauce on the plate as the meat rests... add asparagus and french bread... with the soft (not IMO a claret) french red awakening the tastebuds

once a month max... or your coronarys will hate you..

decadent western culture, there are times when you just cant beat it

[andy popp]

A proper dry martini is very fine, Tanqueray export would be my choice of gin for this.

and there you start another thread.

i had a fine hendricks martini with a twist of grapefruit not long back. that was a winner.

i guess my house martini would be plymouth, with a flick of noilly prat. and a stoned olive transferred from oil to vermouth sometime beforehand.

please would jim fix it for me to mix martinis for famous 8b+ climbers. they would get really fucked, and i could tell my grandchildren that when i was a free man i did bad things to famous athletes...

Indeed, a thorny topic. Had Hendricks once but with tonic - very nice. Plymouth is v.good but I just like the extreme dryness of Tanqueray. Always liked Winston Churchill's recipe for martini: place jug of gin on sideboard, let sunlight fall through bottle of vermouth on to said jug. Job done.

[Houdini]

Nice one Fat Doc.  Mmmm...



Zotter handmade marzipan from Austria.  It's divine and not too expensive - comes in a bajillion flavours, some of which are well doogy rev.

[GCW]

Single malt?  Ambiguous. Go on.

Argue with this, GoutBoy:
Ardbeg 18 year old
Ardbeg 1975
Bowmore 21 year old
Bowmore Darkest
Cragganmore 12 year old
Highland Park 12 year Old
Highland Park 18 year old
Highland Park 25 year old
Lagavulin 16 year old
Laphroaig 15 year old
Macallan 12 year old
Macallan 18 year old Gran Reserva
Longrow 16 year old
Talisker 10 year old

And my personal favourite:
Macallan 25 year old

My late Gran used to get samphire from Morecambe bay.  Foul stuff though it is.
French sausage like the ones you buy in Bleau then spend an hour chewing.  95% lard but I love them, along with very mature, soft Brie.
Green olives.
Pickled gherkins.
Good quality stilton.
I used to love my cigars until I gave up smoking and put on weight.

That better, Hou-drankalltheport?

[Houdini]

No comp, like.  More pointer to the best so we all waste less on lowgrade muck.  No introductory periods - straight to the good shit.  With bells on.

Wine is a minefield, one worth entering. Anyhows, you sound a right     

[GCW]

Anyhows, you sound a right     

Thee be a reet perceptive lad.  A hippocritical one but, hey 
A decent bottle would last 3 days......   

Cashew nuts.

[Houdini]

I've got you on Pisshead-to-weight ratio!

Bottle of 17% ABV Marsala tonite (minus 1 glass for her).  I don't drink every day.



My body is a temple.



Marsala is ace.  It reminds me of Tawny Port but I like it more than that.

[GCW]

I've got you on Pisshead-to-weight ratio!

I very much doubt that 

[Jim]

tanquary no. 10 gin
cohiba half corona cigars

[lagerstarfish]

Smoked tuna - lovely thin slices.
Kedgeree with a soft poached egg on top.
Socca with a little pepper - a thousand thanks to Mr Picalli for this.
HP sauce.
Toasted crumpet/pieclet with melted stilton and Tesco's Finest caramalised red onion relish.
The salmon and tuna tartare from the bistro/restaurant on the corner of Place de Franklin Roosevelt in Font.
Crispy roasted belly pork from Vietnamese Noodle Bar on London Road, Sheffield.
Bulots - sea snails - lots of them - if you like shellfish, you need to eat these.
Got a thing for Peroni at the moment.

No wonder I weigh so much