Just be aware

By 6000 | 6000 | April 12, 2011

Just be aware:

Is this true for you…?
And if so, is that a problem? Discuss.

4 Comments | Posted in learning curve

How did I miss…

By 6000 | 6000 | April 11, 2011

…this?

as I was told earlier, anything deep fried – even a scorpion – is edible. But to deep fry beer? That’s something very special indeed.

The beer is placed inside a pocket of salty, pretzel-like dough and then dunked in oil at 375 degrees for about 20 seconds, a short enough time for the confection to remain alcoholic.
When diners take a bite the hot beer mixes with the dough in what is claimed to be a delicious taste sensation.

Inventor Mark Zable said: “Nobody has been able to fry a liquid before. It tastes like you took a bite of hot pretzel dough and then took a drink of beer.”

I have never been tempted to visit the USA before, but Mark Zable’s remarkable invention may have changed all that. And he beat me to it. I was desperately working on a recipe for deep-fried beer, but kept drinking the ingredients. And I continue to do so. This is the same issue that has also held me back in my quest to produce the world’s first Castle Milk Stout ice cream.

Mr Zable previously invented dishes including chocolate-covered strawberry waffle balls and jalapeño corndog shrimps.

And how did I miss them?

3 Comments | Tagged | Posted in learning curve

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside

By 6000 | 6000 | April 10, 2011

image

despite the somewhat patchy internet connection.
Lunch today is geelbek and chips at the Agulhas Fish Shop. Sassi wouldn’t be too impressed, but it tastes pretty good, so get it while you can (before it’s fished to extinction). Imagine telling your grandchildren:

Geelbek? Yes, I remember eating some of that – it was bloody lovely.

over a Werther’s Original or two. They’ll be so impressed.

1 Comment | Tagged , | Posted in this is south africa

Quota Quote

By 6000 | 6000 | April 9, 2011

Here’s something a bit different – a quota quote.

The heaviest armour afloat, when attacked by an 18″ gun, would not appear to be, metaphorically speaking, much better than cardboard.

Sir Robert A Hadfield, 1925

Hadfield was referring to these armour-piercing shells, made in Sheffield and used extensively to great effect during the First World War:

Hadfield‘s was the only firm in the UK to make 18 inch shells. Between 1916 and 1919 only 500 were produced.
The shell could penetrate up to 1.2m of steel plate – rendering it effectively useless as a defence and hence his likening heavy armour to cardboard.

This shell is held at Sheffield’s brilliant Kelham Island Industrial Museum. [photos]

Leave a comment | Tagged , | Posted in learning curve, sheffield, uk

This weekend

By 6000 | 6000 | April 8, 2011

It’s been a busy week in the lab and I am more than deserving of a decent break.

The decent break in question will feature braais, a log fire, some red wine and one (or more) evenings spent with some Uitkyk 10-year old potstill brandy. It will also thankfully be spent a couple of hundred kilometres from Koeberg Interchange, which has recently re-become the bane of my life.

For many years, the Koeberg Interchange has been the bane of many other people’s lives as well. But despite the contractor’s assurances that they will complete the work they are doing there 4 months ahead of schedule, it’s recently got a whole lot worse before it (hopefully) gets a whole lot better.

The photo above was taken 14 months ago and scaffolding is still the major feature of this most remarkable of road intersections.

More Koeberg related pics here.

2 Comments | Tagged , | Posted in this is south africa
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