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Post by whatagain on Sept 5, 2020 12:07:24 GMT
Yes. Apero. We are too much into dessert and bot into cheese at dinner. Remember, we are Belgians, not French. We lack some education...
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Post by lagatta on Sept 5, 2020 12:47:05 GMT
For that matter, I'm not French either. There is too much sugar here as well, but I try to avoid it.
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Post by tod2 on Sept 5, 2020 14:39:49 GMT
Dare I say "pink Champagne"? No, I'd be shot down in a plume of flames …..So, I'll just say Pink Dry Sparkling Wine. Lovely and fruity and absolutely just the job for a roasted chicken at 4pm in the afternoon.
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Post by whatagain on Sept 9, 2020 20:44:01 GMT
Glenmorangie. The nectar d'or. 'The'. Scandalous. But it is good. Whisky ages in caskets that wete used for Sauternes. A discovery. I recommend.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 10, 2020 2:41:38 GMT
*want!*
I just finished a fruit smoothie. It was very nice, but something I could have any time. What wouldn't I give for a little of your Glenmorangie as a nightcap!
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Post by lagatta on Sept 10, 2020 13:07:43 GMT
Actually, Tod, I've been very impressed by the quality of ZA wines, including some very good dry rosés. Haven't happened to come across a sparkler yet, but will look.
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Post by kerouac2 on Sept 19, 2020 19:06:44 GMT
I fear that I am drinking cheap French red tonight.
I will buy more South African wine when I manage to return to Luxembourg.
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Post by whatagain on Sept 20, 2020 21:19:34 GMT
Berr today. Chouffe the Lutgarde. Bith belgian beers of course. Bith from tap. Both excellent.
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Post by htmb on Sept 21, 2020 3:00:34 GMT
Gin and lemon seltzer on ice
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Post by bjd on Sept 21, 2020 5:47:14 GMT
I opened a bottle of Cahors Malbec on Saturday to go with the chili con carne. Still have some left.
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Post by tod2 on Sept 21, 2020 10:19:53 GMT
Into the box wine and found that the TWO. OCEANS Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot is quite decent and has some body to it. The previous box wine, with a name I have forgotten just this minute, was like dishwater - I suppose was made to chuck into a punchbowl with lots of other hard tack.
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Post by tod2 on Sept 22, 2020 7:32:57 GMT
I will buy more South African wine when I manage to return to Luxembourg. May I suggest two names that won't disappoint:
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 9, 2020 18:58:08 GMT
I brewed a pot of Earl Grey and I must admit that with a dollop of sweetened condensed milk, I am feeling as though I am in England tonight (yet I know that I would probably be stoned for using milk out of a tube rather than a silver pitcher).
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Post by tod2 on Oct 10, 2020 16:01:01 GMT
NO! Earl Grey was described as the "dust residue swept up from the floor" by a Master Tea taster. Ok, that's alright with me if the dust actually tasted like proper tea instead of hot cheap perfume. Breakfast tea is the only alternative tea we have found.. And if adding milk of any kind must be very strong. Our tea of choice is Five Roses or Pitco Tips. We always bring our own teabags to Paris. The 'breakfast tea' offered by cafes is very weak.
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 10, 2020 16:03:38 GMT
I have started brewing tea the nasty strong way -- putting the tea directly in the pot when I am heating the water. It turns nearly black then, which is how I like it. I also like to throw in a few cardamom pods.
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Post by tod2 on Oct 10, 2020 16:17:46 GMT
Although I am not desperately poor, I have a terrible sense of re-using tea bags over at least twice. The first brew is our morning tea in bed, the second brew is pouring more boiling water onto those same teabags and microwaving the pot a minute or so for a cup at breakfast. 3 hours down the line it's morning tea and I microwave the teabags again and add one more fresh one and boiling water before another pot of tea is ready. I am horrified when a single teabag is used for only one cup of tea. Thats not the end for those tealeaves…..they go onto my compost heap and that's why my roses and veg look so healthy!
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 26, 2020 20:06:27 GMT
I finally cracked open a new bottle of saffron liqueur. It is such an amazing unusual flavour.
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Post by fumobici on Oct 27, 2020 3:13:07 GMT
Was it Strega? I actually like that sometimes.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 27, 2020 4:42:52 GMT
I cannot accept that all Earl Grey tea is a bad product. Who was this Master tea taster? There are so many different brands of tea, so obviously some of them will have sub-standard products. The one I have right now is Dutch -- a lovely black tea subtly but distinctly flavored with bergamot.
I like well-steeped black tea, which I usually drink straight. But I pour the water over the leaves, as I think heating the leaves in the water pulls out too much tannin, the feel of which I don't like in my mouth.
Tod, why do you call breakfast tea "alternative"?
After reading Fumobici's post, I looked up Strega. Never knew that yellow color was from saffron -- in fact, I always wondered why it was that color. It is a nice thing to have sometimes.
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 27, 2020 6:03:28 GMT
What I have is a product from the French Alps with 41.5% alcohol.
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Post by tod2 on Oct 27, 2020 7:32:04 GMT
Ooooh! questions to answer …. Bixa, I think that Master Tea Taster was poo-pooing Earl Grey in comparison to the "breakfast" or Black tea we drink here. The majority of teas have to be a blend of several sources around the world. In black tea here there is a lot of tea bought from "Rhodedsia" but who knows if Zimbabwe is still delivering the goods?! Other tea leaves were from Ceylon /Shri Lanka, and other tea producers around the globe. As for me, I have tried drinking Earl Grey - Not strong enough and not got that "tea" flavour. But then I think it should be drunk without milk. When offered tea in Paris they always ask "Breakfast' tea normal?? One weak teabag later, dangling from a cup is all we have to wash down our croissant... One tea I saw often on the desks of fabric manufacturers run by Chinese owners was Green Tea. The whole leaves, sitting in a huge jug looking every bit like the seaweed wafting in the Seine on the tip of Quai Bourbon, , This jug pf greeness was continually topped up with boiling water all day long. Now this is of course a medicinal way of drinking tea for the health properties. Never took to Green Tea myself.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 27, 2020 17:37:12 GMT
I agree about no milk for Earl Grey. That said, there are times when you just want to load your tea or coffee with milk and sugar, just because you need childish coziness. When I have coffee that way, I always think of it as hot ice cream. Rather amusingly, I bought my big stash of PG Tips teabags in Paris, in a store catering to all things UK. Since I have coffee with breakfast, I've never had tea in a Parisian eating establishment. Years ago I gave up coffee entirely for a time and began exploring the joys of tea. There are pleasures to be had from the more subtle teas, even if those aren't the ones you might prefer for your morning drink or afternoon pickup. Good green tea benefits from not having boiling water poured onto -- just very hot water will do. Those fabric manufacturers at their desks were doing a version of that, since the wet, used leaves weren't likely to be "bruised" by the boiling water.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 27, 2020 17:47:39 GMT
We also have Earl Grey and sometimes Lady Grey but never with milk. I think there’s an Empress Grey too.
Only one coffee a day.
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Post by mich64 on Oct 27, 2020 18:33:19 GMT
My kettle is boiling as I signed in a few minutes ago! I have a cupboard shelf full of different brands of tea. I like mine strong and even buy a brand called Bold. I grew up on waiting for my parents to have had their fill of the morning pot, then would add milk and sugar because it was so strong. Now I only add milk but do occasionally have Earl Grey without.
Like Tod, I bring tea bags (and instant coffee for Mr. M.) with me on when on holiday but I also visit the shops to bring home brands I can not get at home.
Kerouac, I will be searching for that saffron liqueur, I am not familiar with it but intrigued.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 27, 2020 18:58:49 GMT
I love Strega but not easy to find.
My Dad always brought Strega back after his Italian holidays.
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Post by mich64 on Oct 27, 2020 19:07:56 GMT
I love Strega but not easy to find. If I can not find it here, I will check across the border (Quebec), they seem to have a better selection of hard to find liquors and liqueurs that do not show up when doing on-line searches at the LCBO or SAQ.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 27, 2020 20:17:30 GMT
It's a long way for me to go though...
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 27, 2020 20:54:15 GMT
Kerouac, I will be searching for that saffron liqueur, I am not familiar with it but intrigued. Actually, the reason that I bought the one that I have is because it is impossible to find online that first one that I ever tasted, which was in Switzerland. It is so good that I did one of those things that people stupidly do -- I never finished the bottle, and I keep it untouched with about two servings left, as though it will magically reproduce or something. Actually, I also keep it so that I can copy the details of this tiny place for a web search from time to time -- but no results ever appear. So I got what I bought online by typing "liqueur de safran" on Google. There are plenty of results, so I chose one that delivers free of charge, because it is already not the cheapest thing in the world. The only drawback as far as I'm concerned it that they put in a bit too much saffron and the taste becomes a bit overwhelming. I think I might experiment in ways to mix in something to reduce the flavour a bit.
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Post by mich64 on Oct 27, 2020 22:31:39 GMT
Kerouac, the only result I could find here is Strega, nothing found locally but I will put on my shopping list for my next visit to Sudbury, where it is available at the LCBO. I searched ideas of what to mix it with and the suggestions were, lemonade or Grapefruit juice on ice, soda water and then warm suggestions were tea, coffee, hit chocolate. I would try the grapefruit juice myself.
Mick, indeed, too far for you! But I am about 45 minutes from the Quebec border and there is a SAQ there with many different options than here.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 28, 2020 7:22:24 GMT
My father would turn in his grave at the thought of mixing anything with Strega.
It's available here on Amazon and The Whisky Exchange.
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