Cats love SLEEP

            

Black Albert - De Struise Brouwers (Belgian Royal Stout)

NO 14
Lot B-6-BB (I wish I knew what that meant).

Dark cola brown. Head is fluffy and bubbly brown marshmallow hue. 

Scorched dark cherries, raspberries, and plums with caramel coffee undertones.  Spiced barley and coated in vanilla.

Roasted figs, sweetened chocolate malts, candies, and rounded with peppered lemon bread.  Licorice and rum. As this warms closer to room temperature the flavors develop and with 100 IBU's the hops finally kick in. 13%.

I didn't listen to The Brabanconne while drinking.

Feline Trifecta

The Colonel.

Samson creepin'.

Bob Barker would be proud.

TOP 5 XMAS FLICKS

1. A Christmas Story (1983): Drink your Ovaltine.

2. Die Hard (1988): When gas was .74 cents a gallon.
3. Gremlins (1984): Never let them eat after midnight.
4. Black Christmas (1974): Billy?!?!
5. Christmas Evil (1980): Negative body hygiene.

Leo Kottke - Greenhouse (1972) - 99¢ Record #5

Fifth album from American guitarist Leo Kottke.

I had never heard any song by him before and what sold me on this record was the cover art and the quote on the back: "In the sense that my guitars were once plants, this record's a greenhouse."

Picking across the fretboard with a haunting balance between bittersweet pessimism and heartfelt inspiration.  Techincally rich and twistingly complex guitar playing.

Seven tracks are instrumentals and the others drenched in vocals from the savanna.

Tracks:
1. Bean Time
2. Tiny Island
3. Song of the Swamp
4. In Christ There Is No East or West
5. Last Steam Engine Train
6. From the Cradle to the Grave
7. Louise
8. Spanish Entomologist
9. Owls
10. You Don't Have to Need Me
11. Lost John

Everyday is all the same, going from the cradle to the grave.

Firestone 13 - Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (American Strong Ale 2009)

Dark caramel brown body with burgundy highlights. Head crimson spiked beige. Lacing melts around the glass.

Warming bourbon with wood smoked Belgian chocolate, banana, and black licorice.  Berries and vanilla soaked oak.

Coffee, raisins, caramelized toffee. Roasted figs and brandy. Bourbon is present and intertwines with ashy maple, molasses drenched coconut, and oat soaked port wine. 12%.

“Barley wines, imperial stouts, and an imperial brown are just a few of the beers making up the final blend. Many of the component beers have spent over 2 years aging in a combination of retired bourbon, rye, and wine barrels.”

Expensive beers are not metal.

Blanket Monster

Diamond Darrell (08/20/66 – 12/08/04)

R.I.P. to the four victims. Terribly sad.

"Vulgar display of f'n liquor."

Pantera were awesome.  Their home video releases are classic hilarity and pure badassery. I like the story about how the NHL won't permit teams to take the Stanley Cup home after Pantera and the '99 Dallas Stars dented it up in a post championship shindig.

People who don't like Pantera, lose at life.

Bigwood 2009 - Brouwer's Cafe (Seattle, WA)

Over 50 wood aged beers from sours to stouts served in 12oz snifters.

12/03/2009:
Elliot Bay Brandy Barrel Imperial Brown (4/5)
Hair of the Dog Bottleworks 10 Matt (5/5): Delicious and complex. Dark brown color with cherry candy, pine, vanilla, apple, and figs. Aged in 33 year old Bourbon barrels and Apple Eau de Vie barrels for about one year.
Flyers Bottleworks 8 140 Schilling Scotch Ale Laphroaig (5/5)
Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek '04 : 6oz (4.5/5)
Port Brewing Brouwers Imagination #2 Strong Sour (4.5/5): Great balance with delicate bourbon and sour cherry undertones.
Stone Brewing 12th Anniversary Bourbon (4/5): Massive!
Allagash Interlude Merlot/Syrah Barrel Belgian (4/5)

12/05/2009:
Schooner Exact Hoppy the Woodsman (4/5): Nicely shaded. Woody vanilla rounds out the hops. This one came in second at this years Washington Winter Beer Festival for People's Choice.
Double Mountain Terrible Two Bourbon Brown Ale (5/5): Nose smells exactly like bourbon. Well balanced with vanilla and caramel. My favorite of the festival.
Elysian Jack Frost Jack Daniels Winter Ale (3.5/5)
Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin Wood Oatmeal Stout (4/5)
Fremont Bourbon Barrel Abominable Winter Ale (3.75/5)
Cantillon Framboise 2006 : 6oz (5/5): Fruit Lambic. A tad darker than the Lou Pepe Kriek. Fluffy cotton candy pink head. Raspberries, red wine, vinegar.

Check your liver at the door.

NW Thanksgiving

First meal in the new place with a gas stove older than me.

1. Dungeness Crab Dip, Mussells, Avocado. Fremont Brewing Universale Pale Ale.

2. Yukon Mashed Potatoes with Shrimp, Crab Cake. Deschutes Jubelale 2009.


3. Butter and Thyme Bombed Scallops, Asparagus. Chimay Blue.

4. Pan Seared Salmon, Crab Cake Stuffing. Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2009.

5. Pumpkin Pie. Stone Double Bastard Ale Vintage 2004.

So long Belltown and hello to the new humble abode in Fremont.

Nirvana - Live at Reading (2009)

A proper DVD release, with 5.1 surround sound and great picture quality, of the 08/30/1992 performance at the Reading Festival. Worth the wait and purchase.



No gimmicks, screens with artsy graphics, or spinning stages. Just three dudes casting waves of maniacal energy and distortion that's just as awesome seventeen years later.

Tracks:
1. Breed
2. Drain You
3. Aneurysm
4. School
5. Sliver
6. In Bloom
7. Come As You Are
8. Lithium
9. About A Girl
10. Tourette's
11. Polly
12. Lounge Act
13. Smells Like Teen Spirit
14. On A Plain
15. Negative Creep
16. Been A Son
17. All Apologies
18. Blew
19. Dumb
20. Stay Away
21. Spank Thru
22. Love Buzz
23. The Money Will Roll Right In
24. D-7
25. Territorial Pissings

Greatest rock band ever?

Nirvana - Bleach (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition 2009)

If you have a pulse and a radio you've heard Nirvana. Sub Pop has done a perfect job here. A re-mastered version of the debut with a previously unreleased live show and a fifty page booklet for a criminally affordable price.

One thing Nirvana could do was write consistently catchy tunes. Bleach treads with both lurching and frenzied grooves. A simple recipe of chunky chainsawing guitars, billowing bass, and grimy harmonies that became a part of the collective conscious. Punk infused fuzz coated in primitive pop undertones. A lot to be said for being able to take basic chords dripped in dissonance and making them a fun.

Rasping vocals compliment the abrasive melody. Trippy lyrics that know when not to take themselves seriously.  Production is organic and rusty and rightfully unpolished.

The additional live tracks are a high quality bonus. The recording captures an unapologetic rawness. Plus it has a few of my all time favorites including "Dive", "Molly's Lips", and "Sappy."

Tracks:
1. Blew
2. Floyd The Barber
3. About A Girl
4. School
5. Love Buzz
6. Paper Cuts
7. Negative Creep
8. Scoff
9. Swap Meet
10. Mr. Moustache
11. Sifting
12. Big Cheese
13. Downer

02/20/90 @ The Pine Street Theatre (Portland, OR)
14. Intro
15. School
16. Floyd The Barber
17. Dive
18. Love Buzz
19. Spank Thru
20. Molly's Lips
21. Sappy
22. Scoff
23. About A Girl
24. Been A Son
25. Blew

Feedback will free your mind.

NW by SW Eggs Benedict

Alaskan smoked salmon can easily replace ham in an eggs benedict recipe. Pico de gallo and hot sauce to compliment the traditional hollandaise sauce.
INGREDIENTS
3 English Muffins
7 Eggs (4 Yolks for Hollandaise, 3 for Poaching)
6 oz. Salmon
1 Tomato
1 Lemon (home grown in Emily's backyard)
1 Jalapeno
1 Stick Melted Butter
2 Tablespoons of Yellow Sweet Corn
2 Tablespoons of Black Beans
1/2 Cup Cilantro
1/2 White Onion
Olive Oil
Hot Sauce
Salt, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper
White Vinegar
H2O

Prepare Pico de Gallo
Combine following in bowl:
1) 1/2 medium white onion minced
2) 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
3) 1/2 red tomato chopped
4) 1/5 cup chopped cilantro
5) Lightly browned sweet corn and black beans
6) Squeeze lemon juice
7) Season with salt, dash of olive oil, & refrigerate

Prepare Hollandaise Sauce
1) Whisk 4 egg yolks and lemon juice in stainless steel bowl
2) Place bowl over saucepan of lightly simmering water & continue whisking
3) Slowly pour melted butter into saucepan until sauce thickens
4) Remove from heat, season with cayenne, & cover

Prepare Poached Eggs
1) Simmer saucepan with 6 cups water
2) Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
3) Gently pour eggs into simmering water
4) Cover for 2 minutes
5) Remove cover and lightly spoon underneath eggs
6) Simmer another 1.5 - 2 minutes
7) Remove eggs with slotted spoon
8) Place on paper towel

Combine
1) Toast muffins
2) Pour hollandaise
3) Lay salmon
4) Place eggs
5) Drizzle hot & hollandaise
6) Scoop pico de gallo

A Northwest by Southwest conspiracy.

Kitty Pull-Ups

HalloweeniversarY

5 year anniversary on top of seven months apart plus the best holiday of the year falling on a Saturday.

Elysian Brewering Company (Capitol Hill): October 29th. Oasis platter and two Elysian burgers. Perfect atmosphere and even better service. Eyehategod and free shots. Beers: Night Owl (Pumpkin Ale), Trip III (Flanders Oud Bruin brewed in collaboration with New Belgium), Sour Power (Sour Ale), Haleakala Sour (Sour Ale), and The Wise (E.S.B.) on cask.

Taphouse Grill: October 29th. California rolls and volcano goat cheese. Thursday night in dead center downtown during happy hour and all the pumpkin beers were out. Beers: Dogfish Head 90 Minute I.P.A.

Artisan Cafe: October 30th, take out. Salmon fresca and caprese sandwiches. Friendly around the corner location with excellent coffee and fresh food.

Brouwer's Cafe: October 30th. Smoked salmon, bison, lamb. The salmon was delicious but the entrees were not top tier as with previous visits. They changed the frites which is confusing. Devil's Night atmosphere and beer were redeeming factors. Beers: He'Brew Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah 13th Anniversary Ale (Imperial Stout - 13 malts, 13 hops, 13%), Ram's Pumpkin Ale (nitro), Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (Pumpkin), Brouwerij Bavik's Petrus Oud Bruin (Flanders Oud Bruin), Russian River's Publication (Saison), Elysian's Mr. Yuck Sour Ale, and Southern Tier's Pumking (Pumpkin).

Blue C Sushi: October 30th. Sake bombs and sushi. Top notch service and free drinks.
Shallots Bistro: October 31st, take out. Nine flavor beef, kung pao chicken, vegetable lo mein, and quart of hot & sour soup. Delicious post pumpkin carving food with Elysian The Great Pumpkin (Imperial Pumpkin Ale), Elysian Dark 'o The Moon (Imperial Pumpkin Stout), and Deschutes The Abyss (Imperial Stout).

Bleu Bistro: October 31st. Hummus, salsa, and chicken soft tacos. Eclectic bar with a huge mixed drink selection. Perfect late night Halloween vibes. Impressive food. Beers: Speakeasy Big Daddy I.P.A. and North Coast Old Rasputin (R.I.S.). Children thought I was Satan.

Top Pot: El Día de los Muertos. Pumpkin glazed doughnuts to wrap up a three day Halloween extravaganza.




Pumpkin carving, costumes, and indulging in the All Hallows Eve spirit with the one I love.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1) 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil on dry seeds

2) Garlic Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Cajun Spice, & Paprika

4) Bake @ 300° for 25 mins

H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N

McGwire to Cardinals in 2010

Mark McGwire's return to the St. Louis Cardinals, as hitting coach, in 2010 is worth a line. I met him at a Texas Rangers game in 1990. A class act and the reason I do forearm curls. Major League Baseball will never see a dime from me unless he is voted into the Hall of Fame. I'm glad he's coming back to coach but his 583 home runs deserve a proper recognition.

Is having dainty wrists a prerequisite to becoming a sports journalist?

Dover Sole Fish Tacos

Fish tacos have been a favorite of mine since discovering them in San Clemente, CA. There are tons of different ways to do them as well. For these I used dover sole. A white fish that works well and which is relatively cheap compared to halibut.


INGREDIENTS
3/4 Pound Dover Sole
1/2 Lemon
1/2 Mashed Avocado
1/2 Chopped Heirloom Tomato
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs and White Flour Mixed
1/4 Cup Black Beans
1/4 Chopped Red Pepper
1/4 Cup Chopped Cabbage
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1/4 Cup Spanish Olives
3 White Corn Tortillas

1) Wash and pat dry dover sole
2) Coat in bread crumbs & flour
3) Place in heated pan with oil
4) Cook 3-4 minutes each side
5) Heat black beans
6) Combine fish & beans
7) Pan heat tortillas
9) Rub mashed avocado on each tortilla and dress with fish/bean mixture, red peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, cabbage, lemon juice, and olive juice

Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind (2009)

Fifth studio release from Japan's Mono. Produced by Steve Albini who once again proves why he rules. The album comes with a twenty page booklet complete with illustrations and trippy prose-like linear notes.

An orchestra of roughly thirty musicians is credited. Seven instrumentals, averaging ten minutes a piece.  Sweeping multi dimensional cinematic sonic narration. Each song beginning, building, and ending in colossal layers.  Seesawing between haunting ambiance and ecstatic heaviness.

Tracks:
1. Ashes In the Snow
2. Burial At Sea
3. Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn
4. Pure As Snow (Trails of the Winter Storm
5. Follow the Map
6. The Battle to Heaven
7. Everlasting Light

Made my two brain cells collide.

Trip

Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder (2009)

Shrinebuilder are like Tyson, Louis, Frazier, and Ali but leaving your consciousness on the canvas with another kind of pummeling.

Composed of doom heavyweights Scott Kelly (Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot), Al Cisneros (Sleep, OM), Dale Crover (Melvins, Porn, Nirvana), and Scott Weinrich (Saint Vitus, Wino, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand). The previous mentioned bands should be medically required anesthesia and this debut is equally prescription worthy.

A seamless drift between tectonic plate shifting grooves and ashen soaked astral planes.  Psychotropic merchants bringing concussions.  A cohesive blend equal parts hypnotic and narcotic.

Tracks:
1. Solar Benediction
2. Pyramid Of The Moon
3. Blind For All To See
4. The Architect
5. Science Of Anger

Riffs like meteors filled with boiling chili showering down on the Salem witch trials.

Lingcod

Forget piranha, the lingcod looks like it should be headlining an underwater horror movie.

I like beer battering and frying fish but this fillet is fresh and simple.


INGREDIENTS: 1/2 Pound Lingcod Fillet, Lemon, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Pepper, Thyme

1) Preheat oven to 350
2) Rinse and pat dry fillet
3) Lightly smear olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice on both sides
4) Lightly season with salt, pepper, and thyme
5) Place in dutch oven (or oven safe dish) and bake for 22 minutes

Served With:
5 small boiled red potatoes
5 pan seared white shrimp chilled in a bowl of cucumbers, tomatoes, red and green peppers

Vanishing Point (1971)

Made six years before I entered this world, Vanishing Point is an achievement in cinematic anti-establishment greatness. It's loosely based on a true story and a testament to living on the fringe of Orwellian society.

Set against the badlands of Western America this is "the maximum trip at maximum speed." Barry Newman plays Kowalski, a former cop and vet, who is Polish and therefore bad ass. A pilled up Viking chalk full of integrity and navigating a 1970 Dodge Challenger from Denver to the City by the Bay.

Having to pull this journey off in under fifteen hours can only mean super charged mayhem lies ahead. One adrenaline spiked car chase after another with epic desert landscapes and counterculture heroics. A movie that defines tune in and drop out.

Destruction is the only road you're headed for.

Baroness - Blue Record (2009)

Second full length from Baroness.

Retaining an atmosphere of textured heaviness but with more complexity and wild dual leads. They sling a panorama of swirling sonic intricacies fully cooked in progressive rock flavors. Engaging melodies with a galloping Southern tinge.

Psychedelic and cryptic. Vocals that remind me of a hoarse Torche. Bruising drums and impenetrable production.

Disc 1 Tracks:
1. Bullhead's Psalm
2. The Sweetest Curse
3. Jake Leg
4. Steel That Sleeps the Eye
5. Swollen and Halo
6. Ogeechee Hymnal
7. A Horse Called Golgotha
8. O'er Hell and Hide
9. War, Wisdom and Rhyme
10. Blackpowder Orchard
11. The Gnashing
12. Bullhead's Lament

Disc 2 Tracks (Live at Roadburn Festival 2009):
1. The Birthing
2. Isak
3. Rays on Pinion
4. Wanderlust
5. Grad

Mastodon on dianabol.

Between Bach & Zoroaster

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth / Mico de Noche – Split 10” (2009)

Leading off are Seattle based Brothers of the Sonic Cloth. At the helm of this glacier splitting vessel is Tad Doyle. Known for his stellar work in the early 90's grunge band TAD. He also recently took vocal duties when Soundgarden (minus Cornell) did a one off gig earlier this year. "Fires Burn Dim in the Shadows of the Mountain" has smokey distant vocals but is primarily a crushing instrumental. An eerie discordant start before the rumbling tidal wave of quaking amplitude crashes down. A turbulent riff voyage with titanic drumming, burgeoning bass, and a band that gets locked into rhythmic flow. A calm sailing violin thrown in before the surging groove engulfs. 

Side two comes brings us two rupturing tunes from Mico de Noche.  "Misanthrope" begins with a maniacal dual guitar explosion coupled with a gruffed vocal barage before settling into a concussion inducing groove. "Ganges" has a boozy and bluesy Southern style riff mixed with their own potent brand of boiling evergreen swag.  A feral thrashing bender towards the close.

Tracks:
1. Fires Burn Dim in the Shadows of the Mountain
2. Misanthrope
3. Ganges

Ear candy and one of the best of 2009.

5th Annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival - Elysian Brewing Oct. 10th - 11th 2009

30 PUMPKIN THEMED BEERS FROM 15 BREWERIES.
1) 8472 Dark Sour Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.): Wheat, oats, rye, corn and pumpkin in the mash and kettle. 6.6%. Notes: If Jolly Rancher made a Halloween candy.

2) Dark O' The Moon Pumpkin Stout (Elysian Brewing Co.): Brewed with Great Western Pale, Crisp 77° Crystal, Cara-Vienne, roasted chocolate and special B malts with roasted pumpkin seeds in the mash. Pumpkin in the mash, kettle, and fermentor. Bittered with Magnum and finished with Saaz and crushed cinnamon. 6.5%. Notes: Reminded me of the Abyss both in flavor and appearance. Not as much pumpkin in the taste as I had hoped.

3) Ichabod Imperial Belgian Pumpkin Ale (Iron Hill Brewery): Over 6 pounds of pumpkin per barrel. Clove, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice. 9.5%. Notes: Delicious aromas. Great color and strong on pumpkin flavor.

4) Jackobite Barrel-Aged Scottish Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.): Brewed with Pale, 77° Crystal, Munich, and Cara-Hell malts. Bittered with Glacier hops. Pumpkin in mash, kettle, and fermentor. Aged in Jack Daniels and wine barrels for 6 weeks. 6.4%. Notes: First beer I tried this was rich in toffee pumpkin tastes and both grape and scotch finish.

5) Mr. Yuck Sour Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.): Brewed with Pale, Munich, Cara-Hell and 150° Crystal malts and malted and unmalted wheat. Lightly hopped with UK Fuggles and aged in fermentation for 10 months with second generation sour Belgian yeast blend (culture kept alive for seven years). Pumpkin in mash and kettle. 5.1%. Notes: Lighter take on the 8472.

6) Pie Hole Pumpkin Ale (Ram Northgate): Brewed with Munich, wheat, light crystal, brown, and Kiln Amber malts. Classic pumpkin spices and 150 pounds of sugar pumpkin. 6.5%. Notes: Poured from a pumpkin this was one the richest and most pronounced pumpkin tasting beers I have had.

7) La Parcela No.1 2008 (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales): Brewed with Pilsner, Munich, Vienna, wheat, and crystal malts. Hopped with Aurora and Mt. Rainier and spiced with cocoa, nutmeg, and ginger. Keg conditioned and aged in oak. 6.1%. Notes: Nice spices and underlying hops. Woody toasted pumpkin undertones.

8) Bruce Camp-Ale (Iron Hill Brewery): Ichabod Imperial Belgian Pumpkin Ale aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. 9.5%. Notes: Best of the day. Subtle spiced bourbon undertones with vanilla and pumpkin complimenting.

9) Organic Mashing Pumpkin (Elliott Bay Brewing): Brewed with organic pumpkin in mash. Bittered with Magnum and finished with organic cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Served from cask with toasted oak soaked in Maker's Mark bourbon. 7.6%. Notes: Second best of the day. Light appearance with massive pumpkin tastes. The smoothness of the cask conditioning with the bourbon flavor made this truly unique.

10) Ich Bin Ein Pumpkiner (Nodding Head Brewery): Berliner sour wheat served with Elysian made pumpkin syrup. 3.75%. Notes: Last beer of the day and my least favorite. I was probably soured out at this point but I did like how they coated the glass with the syrup before

11) The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.)
12) Hansel & Gretel Ginger Pumpkin Pilsner (Elysian Brewing Co.)
13) Pumking (Southern Tier)
14) Punkin (Dogfish Head Brewing)
15) Night Owl Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.)
16) Abbey Squashington (Stewart's Brewing)
17) Bete N' Owl Dark Belgian Spiced Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing Co.)
18) Biere de Gourde (Cambridge Brewing)
19) Boom Sticke Pumpkin Ale (Iron Hill Brewery)
20) Cerveza Calabaza (Rock Bottom)
21) Ghouleschip (Allagash Brewing)
22) Great Pumpkin Ale (Cambridge Brewing)
23) Hop Goblin (Big Time Brewery)
24) Kaiser Kurbis Pumpkin Hefeweizen (Elysian Brewing Co.)
25) Mischief Night Pumpkin Ale (Stewart's Brewing)
26) Olde Pumpkin Porter (Cambridge Brewing)
27) Punk Rauchin' Smoked Pumpkin Lager (Silver City Brewing)
28) Punktoberfest (Iron Hill Brewery)
29) Sasquatch (Big Time Brewery)
30) Snoqualmie Extra Special Butternut (Snoqualmie Brewing)

Robin Trower - In City Dreams (1977) - 99¢ Record #4

Fifth solo album from underrated English guitar legend Robin Trower. The first track and songs like "Falling Star" and "Farther up the Road" spill out impressive bluesy guitar funkiness. The second side continues with spiraling guitar elegance. "Smile" even has a bit of a disco vibe going on. One thing common in each tune is that both guitar and vocals share center stage with surging proficiency and emotion. From dreamy to spectral.

Tracks:
1. Somebody Calling
2. Sweet Wine of Love
3. Bluebird
4. Falling Star
5. Farther on up the Road
6. Smile
7. Little Girl
8. Love's Gonna Bring You Round
9. In City Dreams

I wonder how many kids were conceived because of this album.