Damp, Brown Ale and Chili

It's a chilly, damp evening here, but Happy Friday all the same!

Maybe a little early, but with the temps tonight expected to dip into the 30s it's perfect for a Sierra Nevada - Celebration Fresh Hop Ale!

We had "Team Building" this week at Hawthorne's Pizza. I pass it nearly everyday, but have never been. Well now I know I've been missing out on some really great NY-style pizza. I had the "Elizabeth Special" with Pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, white onions and mozzarella cheese - momma mia, was it good!

I also tried a beer I haven't had literally in ages, Newcastle Brown Ale. Last time I had a Newcastle Brown Ale was at this place in Somerville, Mass., which is just on the other side of Cambridge coming from Boston. This had to be some time around 1997-98.

I'll tell you what, the Newcastle Brown tasted amazingly good. I say that because I've noticed how my tastes have changed over the years. There are some beers I'll go back to and I find myself wondering what was I thinking. I can say for the record Newcastle Brown Ale is not one of those, and was a wonderful re-discovery.

While we're on the subject of food and beer, I made chili for the second time ever last weekend and it came out great - if I do say so myself. I'll have to post the recipe once I have it perfected, but I will say that this was a ground turkey and sweet Italian sausage chili with pinto beans, one bottle of Guinness and two habanero peppers among other ingredients. The original recipe, which I derived mine from, actually used a bottle of Stella Artois, but I went with Guinness for its chocolate and coffee notes.


This weekend I'm thinking of making some beef stew, also for my second time ever. I try to find a recipe online that I can change a little bit and make my own, which for me includes adding a little dill weed to the mix. My Gram and Pop (my Grandparents on my Father's side) grew it in their garden, and seemed to put a little in everything. Now every time I taste it, it reminds me of them and meals at their house.

- Salud!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summer Mix 2025

Image
This year's summer mix spans 56 years with 20 tracks from 1969 to 2025. The mix opens with the tranquil sounds of a gentle stream on a summer's day, and closes with a nighttime melody of crickets chirping and a crackling fire with thunder rumbling in the distance of an approaching summer storm. Pour a few cocktails and enjoy on an afternoon or evening. Sunshine In The Room (feat. Jon Batiste) - James Bay (2024) Miles And Miles - The Heavy Heavy (2020) Woodstock - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970) Only Love Matters - The Black Keys (2024) Red River - Eddie 9V (2024) I Feel Good - Pink Sweat$ (2021) Love Is Alive - Gary Wright (1975) She Wants To Go Dancing - Mt. Joy (2025) Tell Me Why U Do That - Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge (2024) Dream Come True - The Brand New Heavies (1990) Invincible - Tom Misch (2024) Grazing In the Grass - The Friends of Distinction (1969) Outlaw Blues - Queens of the Stone Age (2012) Back Again - Soulive & Chaka Khan (2006) If I Got It (...
Read more

The Long Road: A Music Lover's Concert History

Image
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO, in 2008 -  Dave Matthews Band w/ The Black Crowes. UPDATED - Sept. 29, 2025 I've been doing some extensive research lately, compiling all the concerts and music artists I've seen since over my lifetime. Maybe a little nutty, but what a long, great trip it's been. So many amazing memories, I should really do some in-depth posts about the times and places, but for now just wanted to get the entire history together and sorted all in one place. I'm actually thinking of building a web app/site to do this that's better than what's out there, if even for myself. What's funny is the memories I've run across. I also found that social media is good for helping track down and determine certain event dates in my timeline, or to rule out a date because I was out of town or doing something else. This will be great if I ever go back in time and need to find myself, I'll know exactly where I was and when 🙂 I've compiled these so f...
Read more

Halloween Mix 6 (2025)

Image
Halloween Mix 6 has some tricks & treats, and spans 67 years with 25 tracks from 1958 to 2025 and touches every decade in between. As usual, this year's mix features new and old horror movie & TV clips. Hope you enjoy - Happy Halloween! Halloween Mix 6 (2025) Howlin' for You - The Black Keys (2010) I Can't Hear You - The Dead Weather (2010) Dyin' to Know (Scooby-Doo Intro) - Joanne Shaw Taylor (2016) I Was Made For Lovin’ You - YUNGBLUD (2024) Evil Woman - Black Sabbath (1970) I Ain't Superstitious (feat. Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman & Charlie Watts) - Howlin' Wolf (1971) Super Freak - Rick James (1981) Friends on the Other Side - Keith David (2009) Spooks! (feat. Gordon Jenkins) - Louis Armstrong (1959) Moon Over Bourbon Street - Sting (1985) Raise a Little Hell - Trooper (1978) Stay In Your Grave (feat. Alice Cooper) - The Black Keys (2025) Black Magic Woman - Santana (1970) The Dead Dance - Lady Gaga (2025) So Into You - Atlanta Rhyth...
Read more