Saturday, July 13, 2013

Three Beautiful Things 07/12/13: Food Prep, Making Biscuits at St. Mary's, Old Speckled Hen at the Bier Stein

1.  Usually in the morning I'm outside moving sprinklers around, getting lawn and flowers watered, but this morning I didn't do that and spent the morning mostly making food and doing a little bit of writing.  I am really happy with the farm fresh tomatoes I combined with farm fresh cucumbers and farm fresh Walla Onion and farm fresh basil and oil, vinegar, and pepper and also really happy with the rice salad I made with tomatoes, farm fresh cucumbers, kalamata olives, almonds, feta cheese, and a ton of farm fresh basil, finished with olive oil and lemon juice.

2.  I had a great time over at St. Mary's Episcopal church this afternoon helping Kathryn prepare biscuit dough for tomorrow's Saturday breakfast.  Kathryn even baked a sheet of biscuits and we took them downstairs and made some church staff, volunteers, and others who happened to be hanging out at the church very happy.  I can see why.  They are called angel biscuits and, well, hot and fresh they are heavenly.

3.  I ran a couple errands upon leaving St. Mary's and then I settle onto a stool at the elbow of the bar at the Bier Stein and savored some Old Speckled Hen on nitro.  For starters, it's a gorgeous beer coming off the tap, such a deep amber and the nitro gas makes the beer so alive.  As far as taste, it's almost perfect for me, a perfect balance of sweetness and hops, with all the perfection I enjoy in an Extra Special Bitter.  In addition, drinking an Old Speckled Hen always takes my mind back to Brooklyn and my visits to the Chip House, both in Park Slope and on Atlantic, enjoying fish and chips, and once, enjoying the company of Scott Shirk.  If Old Speckled Hen had no inebriating effect, I swear, I never would have left the Bier Stein late this afternoon.  But, alas, I kept it sane and did walk away! 

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