What better on a hot day that a Ginger Beer that is really beer?

It looks like today will be a hot one without the benefit of an evening shower. So what could be better to have to cool you down on a hot day than a ginger beer that is actually a ginger BEER and not just some sort of ginger flavored soda pop? I say, very little, which is why I am now a big fan of Crabbies Alcoholic Ginger Beer.

Now if all you have had is a ginger ale, like Canada Dry, Schweppes or whatever then you probably think that ginger beer and ginger ale are the same thing, a not-too-sweet soda pop with a faint flavor of ginger. Like most Canadians you only ever drink this when you are sick or as a mix with Rye. Well, I can say that a real ginger ale/beer actually tastes like, well, ginger. Crabbies takes it to the next level by not just making a ginger flavored beverage, but creating a drink that IS ginger beer.

According to their website they take "4 secret ingredients" and then steep them for 4 weeks with ginger brought from India to craft their brew. And I am here to say that it is darned tasty stuff. They suggest it as I have it pictured here, over ice with a wedge of lime. It is cool, nicey gingery without clubbing you over the head, and about 4% alcohol, so it has just enough kick to it to make it interesting. These are lovely on a hot day, so I am going to go and mow my lawn and then treat myself to a Crabbies.

I first discovered Crabbies at my local Sobey's Liquor Store. They were brought in as a trial, but flew off the shelves. The keep ordering more and they keep selling out, so hopefully they will prove to be popular enough to stick around. They sell as singles and cost about $3 per bottle.

The World's Best Salad

As most of my friends know, I like to eat. What I think that many of them do not know, is that I love a really well made salad. Now, I am not talking about a bag of mix from the store with a bottle of Kraft dressing and maybe a box of croutons if you're feelin' fancy. I am talking about a well made, fresh ingredients, interesting flavors and textures, damn tasty salad. This evening, I made what I think is a really damned fine salad and thought I would share the recipe.

I would love to take credit for coming up with this, but I can't. It belongs to Chef Christine Cushing. About 8 years ago, she gave a cooking demonstration at the summer fair here in Edmonton (back when it was Klondike Days) and made this salad and gave everyone a taste. It is an awesome salad. There is some work that needs to go into it, including using your oven, but the meal is absolutely worth the effort.


Salad Ingredients
1/2 lb. (250 grams) cipollini or pearl onions peeled
2 TBSP (25 ml) olive oil
1 pint (500 ml) grape or cherry tomatoes
1 bunch of fresh baby spinach (3oz/75 grams. I find 1 box of spinach leaves from the produce cooler works great)
1 small head romaine lettuce (again, a box of baby romaine saves time and effort, portion is great)
1 cup (250 ml) Fresh basil leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Tamari-Glazed Walnuts
1TBSP (15 ml) fennel seeds
1/2 tsp (2 ml) anise seeds
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground black pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) tamari (or other really good quality soy sauce)
2 TBSP (25 ml) corn syrup
1 cup (250 ml) walnut halves

Dressing
1/3 cup (75 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP (25 ml) sherry vinegar
1 tsp (2 ml) Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp (4 ml) grainy mustard
1/2 tsp (2 ml) honey
1/4 tsp lemon zest (2 ml)
pinch of dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Roast veggies -

1. Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit
2. In a medium bowl toss onions with 1 TBSP of olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet.Bake in oven for 10 minutes.
3. In same bowl (why dirty another?) toss tomatoes with 1 TBSP olive oil.
4. Add tomatoes to onion pan keeping them from touching (you can use 2 pans if you prefer and like doing dishes) and bake for an additional 15 minutes until onions are browning and tomatoes have split open.
5. Remove from oven and cool.
6. When cool, cut onions into quarters and set both aside till later

Make nuts -

1. Turn oven down to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Roast the fennel and anise seeds. I find a couple of minutes in a small fry pan over medium high heat works. You'll know as they release their aromas more.
4. Grind or crush the fennel and anise seeds with the pepper into a powder (I use an old coffee grinder to do this, but don't use it for coffee again if you do. A mortar and pestle would also work.) Set aside.
   
5. In a bowl mix the tamari and the corn syrup.
6. Stir in 1/2 the spice mixture.
7. Add the walnuts and toss to coat with the glaze.
8. Spread the coated walnuts on the parchment paper-covered sheet.
9. Bake on top rack for 35 minutes or until glaze is almost dry, but not burned.
10. Remove the walnuts and dust with the remaining spice mixture..
11. Let cool completely and break nuts into pieces.

Make dressing -

1. In a bowl add the oil, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, honey, lemon zest, oregano, salt and pepper
2. Whisk together until they emulsify.
3. Adjust seasoning if needed (add more salt, pepper, oregano, etc)

Make salad -

1. In large bowl combine the spinach, romaine and basil leaves. (Break/tear the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces if they are large)
2. Add the tomatoes and onions.
3. Toss with the dressing.
4. Add the walnuts and serve.

I suggest serving this with some nice crusty bread and a good white wine (we had a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc which we love). It may look like a lot of effort for a "mere salad", but trust me, this salad is absolutely worth the effort. Plus, if you know some vegetarians or vegans, this salad even works for them.

Movie Review: The A-Team. Turn off your brain and enjoy

The A-Team. Starring Liam Neeson as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper as Face, Sharlto Copley as Murdock and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as B.A. Oh yeah, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson and others are in it too.

I just got back from The A-Team and I have to say, I really enjoyed myself. Now, don't get me wrong, this is a DUMB movie. This is not an academy award contender. This is not going to be the highlight of these actor's careers (well, maybe Rampage), but this is a whole lot of fun. Non-spoiler summation: If you want an enjoyable "popcorn" movie, go see The A-Team. Now I will go into a little more detail on the film and my thoughts. Again, I will try to avoid any important spoilers, but read the rest at your own risk.

The "plot" of the movie is that 4 Army Rangers band together to right a wrong. There. That's the plot. Sure, there is a little more meat to the movie, but that is what you really need to know about the story. Yes, there are details about how they all meet, who done them wrong, how they right said wrong and so forth, but really they are all rather superfluous to enjoying the film. If, like me, you were alive in the 80's you know what the A-Team was/is, even if you didn't enjoy it back then and it is still pretty much the same this time around. There is an older, white haired leader, a handsome con-artist, a crazy pilot and a huge bruiser with an odd haircut. The actors are different from the 80's, but the characters are basically the same. Everyone in the film does a pretty good job with their roles with 2 stand outs. One is Sharlto Copley. You may (and should) have seen him in District 9 as the nebbish Wikus who gets turned into an alien. He has the funnest of all the characters as the certifiable Murdock. He has the funniest lines and the least "drama" to his character. As this is only his second exposure to North American audiences, I think folks will like him. The other is Quinton Jackson. For those of you who do not know him, he is known as "Rampage" and is a Mixed Martial Arts fighter in the UFC. This is his first acting gig and I think he does a fine job. This role was initially done by Mr. T, who came from a background as a bouncer and fighter to become who he is today. I think Rampage could do the same thing if he chooses to stop pounding on people. The writers even throw him a little existential angst to show he is more than just 2 fists, and he handles it well.

So why is this movie dumb? Well, without spoiling anything and assuming you have seen the trailer or TV commercial, they fly a tank. Yes, fly a tank. And this is not the most unbelievable part of the movie. But you should NOT go into this thinking "Oh that could never happen" or "guns don't work that way" or "they'd never actually survive that" or whatever. That isn't the point. The point of this film is for the actors to have fun with the audience while you sit back in your seat, munch a fistful of popcorn and laugh at the screen and cheer for the good guys. And I think it does a pretty fine job of it. I recommend you see The A_Team, I just recommend you turn off your brain once the theater lights start to dim.

On Beer: #3 Twisted Thistle IPA

While not yet "hot and sunny", the weather has turned warmer and the sun is trying to break through the clouds. Perfect day to, put down Red Dead Redemption, get a little housework done followed by something cool to drink. Can anyone tell my wife helped me with today's plans? Anyways, after vacuuming, tidying and all the good stuff I should have been doing all week (never do today what you can put off till tomorrow I always say), I chose to refresh my self with a new IPA I haven't tried before Twisted Thistle IPA.

For those of you who do not know what an IPA is, it stands for India Pale Ale. The origin of the name, obviously, has to do with India, but I used to think this was because they were made, at least initially, in India. The truth is they gained this name as the beer was brewed in England and fermented (or at least benefited greatly) from the long sea voyage between England and India. Coupled with the fact this is a hoppy, pale colored ale beer, that was where the name came from. Enough of this education, how was the beer?

Overall - Made doing the housework worthwhile.
Look - A slightly cloudy, orange color with a nice clean white head. A bit darker than most IPAs with some floaties, but don't be put off.
Aroma - Plenty of hops and a citrus aroma.
Taste - Some hints of caramel and bread from the malt, but nicely dominated by a strong hoppiness. Finishes well.
Purchase - Sold as single bottles in larger liquor stores. Cost about $4 per bottle. Smaller brewery may make them scarce.

Summation - Very tasty and one of the best IPAs I've had in some time.

Devastation Double Bill - The Road and Book of Eli reviews

I love a good "end of the world" movie. Whether it is a zombie apocalypse, nuclear war, plague, George W Bush Presidency (admit it, we came pretty close), etc I love them all. It doesn't matter to me if they are reasonably sensible like The Day After TV mini-series, inventive like 28 Days Later or flat out hokum such as The Core, I usually watch them with my brain turned off waiting to see how humanity will survive. So when I saw that both The Road and The Book of Eli were available on Blu-Ray, I snatched them up and had a mini-endoftheworldathon. Here is what I thought of each picture. As always, I'll try to avoid spoilers, but reader beware.

The Road.
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Kody Smit-McFee, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Robert Duval. Directed by John Hillcoat. I have told friends before that the book The Road, written by Cormac McCarthy, is possibly my favorite book of the past decade. It was a devastatingly bleak novel and, overall, the movie stays pretty faithful to the novel.

This is NOT a happy disaster movie. This is not one where Bruce Willis saves us all by blowing himself and the asteroid up. It is a very bleak look at what life might be like about a dozen years after (what we assume is) a world war. Things are extremely bleak. Food is short, water is poison and needs to be boiled, many people have resorted to cannibalism to survive, etc. Things look hopeless.

Through this world walks "The Man" (played by Viggo) and "The Boy" (Smit-McPhee). The Man is taking his son down the road to reach the ocean in the hopes that things will be better. Along the way they meet the good and the bad, played by folks like Duval, Pearce and more. We also learn why the Man and Boy are alone and what happened to, I guess, The Mom (played by Theron in a role much larger than in the novel). The movie stays otherwise true to the novel with encounters and happenings as written by the author.

This is a good film, despite how drained it leaves you at the end of the film. Mortensen is, as usual, very good as the Man who's entire world is keeping his son alive. Smit-McPhee is innocent and someone you want to take care of yourself. And, as I said, the world is chaos. Fires rage, cannibals hunt, earthquakes knock over dead forests, and through all this, The Man and The Boy travel down The Road. Definitely worth seeing as long as you can stand the path is. If you are looking for something in a slightly lighter vein there is always...

The Book of Eli
Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson and Jennifer Beals. Directed by The Hughes Brothers. Now, I say this is "slightly lighter" than the Road, but don't think that makes this much easier. Whereas The Road is a story of survival, The Book of Eli is the story of a man on a Mission.

Washington plays Eli, a combination preacher and warrior monk who is on a road of his own. Eli has the titular Book in his possession and he has been told by an internal voice (maybe God?) that he has to take it West. As he walks down the road he shows off his lightning fast, brutal survival skills against a biker gang intent on robbing him. This is not some gentle traveller, this is a defender of his task.

Eventually, Eli arrives in a town ran by Carnegie, played by the always impressive Gary Oldman. Carnegie and his right hand man Redridge (Stevenson) have been on the look out for the Book, using roving gangs to rob and murder other travellers seeking it. Also in town is the attractive (and far too naive for the circumstances) water girl played by Kunis and her blind mom played by Beals. As you can expect, Carnegie wants the book, Eli doesn't want to give it up, Kunis is drawn to the mysterious stranger and leaves town with him, gunfights, heads do roll, battle for the book and a rather nifty outcome.

I liked this more than I expected to. Rotten Tomatoes only rated this at 47%, but I would rate it closer to around 75%. The general story was straight forward and sensible. Washington and Oldman are two of the finest actors in the business today and do a good job here. Kunis is, as I mentioned, too naive but is good in her role. There are also a number of cameos from folks like Michael Gambon, Tom Waits and Malcolm McDowell. There are also nice details to post-apocalyptic life and a few shout outs to other "disaster movies" like the poster hanging on the wall of Eli's room for A Boy and His Dog. This is a pretty fun movie that I'd like to say more about, but there are some pretty important spoilers here that you should see for yourself.

Overall, I recommend both movies. As film, I think The Road is a better movie and it is certainly bleaker, but both provide enjoyable viewing and make me happy that the end of the world hasn't happened around here. Yet.

Indulgence: Think of it as a quality 20 course dinner with unlimited wine for 50 dollars

Monday night my wife and I attended Indulgence 2010 at the Delta South Hotel. Indulgence is a dining experience put on by Slow Food Edmonton who partner innovative local chefs with local farms, ranches and producers to create some excellent items. These items are paired with Canadian wineries (and one beer brewery) to create an awesome dining experience.













After you have checked in and been given your guidebook and biodegradable plastic fork (yes, concern for the environment was also considered), and picked up your wine glass (which you reused, but water was provided to clean the glass at each station), you entered a large ballroom with 20 different stations, each with a food item and winery partner. You move from station to station, trying the food and sampling the wine, talking with the chefs, ranchers, wine experts and then move on to the next station. There was also a silent auction and raffle with money raised going to The Junior League of Edmonton which is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism and community improvement (although I think it would also make the name for a kick-ass group of superhero midgets, but I digress).

I have broken up the 20 items into 4 tiers with the top tier being best and tier 4 being the least enjoyable (but still pretty darned good). I won't really go into the drink much as I want to concentrate on the food that was offered. And finally, at the bottom, is my choice for what I thought was the best item available. (Please forgive my pictures, I missed a few but did the best a low quality camera used by a man full of wine in a crowded ballroom could do). Keep in mind the ranches, merchants, etc named in the food below are all local merchants and can usually be found at local Farmer's Markets or nearby. Keep an eye out for them.

Tier 1



Bison brisket slow cooked in a balsamic Barbecue sauce served on a biscuit with horseradish-spiced marinated onions. This was from the chefs from Culina. The onions complimented the brisket wonderfully and the biscuit was small and light.







Braised Irving's Farm Fresh Bacon with a confit of Granny Smith apple, peach and sour cherry bacon jam garnished with taro root frittes. Made by the chefs from LUX Steakhouse. I have raved in a previous blog about Irving's Farm bacon. This was thick cut belly bacon, done until fork tender with the fruit jam accenting the delicious bacon-ness.






Cranberry basil Highwood Crossing organic oats oatmeal cookie served with a lime tequila aioli. From the Blue Chair Cafe. Totally unexpected treat. A simple (but tasty) cookie elevated with an amazing aioli. This station was also paired with Edmonton's Alley Cat Brewery and offered 4 different beer selections, making it stand out amongst the wineries.








Green Eggs and Ham duck egg quiche with heritage greens pesto and duck ham. From Moriarty's Bistro. This was a light, airy quiche topped with their farm greens as a pesto and a slice of duck ham (they call dam). Truly greens, eggs and ham.








Greens with blueberries, red onion, pumpkin and hemp seeds tossed in Lola Canola honey poppy seed chili vinaigrette. From Skinny Legs & Cowgirls. A seemingly simple salad that was elevated by fresh blueberries and an amazing dressing lightly used.








Pulled Berkshire pork chili with a blueberry buttermilk cake and a salt-roasted shallot and smoked cheddar cream. From Tzin Wine & Tapas. Pork again provided by those smart people at Irving's Farm Fresh, this time as a delicious chili packed with flavor and mild heat that was deliciously off-set by the cream on top.





Tier 2



Waskwei Creek White Tail Venison smokie with blueberry relish. From 4404 Restaurant (Delta Edmonton South Hotel). A deliciously little "hot dog" smokie with a ton of flavor that went well with the blueberry relish.









Paddle River Elk tenderloin wrapped in boar bacon with chocolate jus, chokecherry glaze, and an Alberta wild rice crisp. From Creations Dining Room in the Sawridge Hotel. The very tender meat served on a crispy rice cake was certainly delicious, but maybe a bit too much going on to let the product stand out.



Mona Foods wild mushroom stuffed aranchini with house made rustic tomato cream sauce and porchini oil. From Lit Italian Wine Bar. The better "mushroom" dish at the event with a lovely earthy aranchini on a robust tomoato sauce. (Sorry, no picture for this one.)



Hickory-smoked Carmen Creek bison strip loin with a canterelle and beefsteak mushroom ragout, watercress and potato creme. From the L2 Grill in the Fantasyland Hotel. A mini "steak and mushrooms" with potato all playfully done. Not too much going on allowing the bison to come through.





Four Whistle Farms lamb meatballs and pulled lamb shank with a white balsamic mint glaze on asparagus and sweet pea couscous. From Madison's Grill in the Union Bank Inn. Lovely lamb flavor in the meatball overshadowed the shank and the mint glaze was lost under the delicious sauce.






Cranberry and honey mustard-rubbed braised Nature's Green Acres nouveau beef brisket topped with Gouda, garnished with sauerkraut and carmalized onions on an organic spelt sourdough slider. From The Manor Casual Bistro. A very tasty little slider/burger with a slightly too large bun. This was almost beyond a single portion and I saw many 1/2 eaten left on plates as it was just too much. Still, the taste was excellent with all the toppings serving to accentuate the beef.





Salad of arugula, roasted beets. shaved Sylvan Star Gouda, candied walnuts with pear vinaigrette and Gouda-walnut biscotti. From Red Ox Inn. The second best salad at the event. The gouda did come through well, but the biscotti seemed tacked on and the candied walnuts overshadowed the salad.







Hog Wild wild boar tourtiere, confit rhubarb salad, asparagus, sauce Soubise and wild boar jus. From the Shaw Conference Center. Very tasty "pork pie" served on onion sauce (soubise) with rhubarb tartness contrast in teh sauce. I didn't see any asparagus though.





Tier 3


Barbecued Spring Creek Ranch brisket on corn bread. From d'lish urban kitchen. The brisket was very tender, but the cornbread was dry and one note. It was also an especially small portion, which seemed odd amongst the other generous portions.





O Sol' Meatos air-dried charcuterie and soft sheep's cheese with house made walnut pecorino crackers served with cherry tomato/shallot confit. From 4th and Vine Wine Bar and Bistro. 3 variations of charcuterie (dried meats) were nice, but greatly overshadowed by the other offerings. I would have loved to try these as my first station, but they ere about 16th and were lost amongst the rest. (Sorry, no picture for this one).



Inspired Market Gardens lavender gelato. From Leva Cappuccino Bar. A simple lavender gelato sprinkled with fresh lavender. Nice, but the fresh blossoms overpowered the subtle lavender flavor of the gelato below. Still, cool and lovely.






Tier 4


Spice-crust roasted Belle Valley Alpaca with Yorkshire pudding souffle and shiraz pan jus. From Cafe de Ville. While the alpaca had lovely flavor, by the time we reached this station, the pudding was cold and solid with the "crisp" on top being anything but. I think they also ran out of the pan jus, which left this quite dry.




Broth of Mo Na mushrooms with duxelles garlic green crostini. From Jack's Grill. Mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms. I love mushrooms, but the broth was an earthy one note and the crostini needed mroe than the garlic greens to make it stand out. All too similar with no contrast. (Sorry, no picture for this one).



Sunworks chicken roulade with wild mushrooms, pistachios and apricots on a fresh corn waffle with cranberry and apple relish. From the Nait School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. Very dry with a none-too-fresh corn waffle. Taste was nice, but not really designed well as should have been made to order which for time reasons didn't work in this venue.



So, what was my favorite dish of the night? Obviously it is going to be one from what I labled as the Tier 1 items. Is it the cookie, the quiche, the brisket on a biscuit, the salad, the bacon or the chili? I know my friends would automatically say "Priestly will choose the bacon" and you are almost correct. It is my #2 most favorite, but the #1 choice is the Green Eggs and Ham Quiche!I was amazed that they could make duck eggs, something I normally think of as quite dense, into something so light and airy. Plus the fact that Green Eggs & Ham supplied not only the duck eggs, but the greens for the pesto and the Dam (duck ham, just remember Dam, that's good) made the whole dish come together.

Overall an awesome night. A few minor quibbles about the lack of space to stand around, put down your plate and maneuver through the crowds , but otherwise an awesome night. This is an annual event with tickets (this year) costing only $50. This is among the most fun dining experiences I have had this year and will definitely be going back next year. Hopefully next time with a big crowd of friends.

On Beer: #2 VB Victoria Bitter

Victoria Bitter

When we were in Australia in the fall of 2008, we saw this beer EVERYWHERE. Whether you call it "Veeb" or "VeeBee", this is Victoria Bitter and is one of the most popular, prevalent beers in Australia (or at least the parts we visited). We tried a LOT of Aussie Beers while we were down there (Coopers, Boags, Bluetongue, etc), but this was the basic, ever present beer that seemed to keep popping up.

Looking back on this with a non "Wow, we're in Australia!" eye, this is because it is, pretty much, the equivalent of Budweiser or Molson Canadian. It is everywhere because it is mass produced, cheap and, to be honest, not all that good. Still, it didn't prevent me from picking up a 6-pack when I saw it in the import section to see if my happy memories stood up. Sadly, they really don't.

Overall - Sadly, the memories of the beer are far better than the real thing.
Look - Pale golden in color, with a short lived white head.
Aroma - Very little and comes off clean. Slight bitter hint.
Taste - A rather flat, almost metallic taste. Very forge table.
Purchase - Sold in the traditional stubby bottles, they are a pricey import in Canada at around 23 bucks for 6. Not worth it.

Summation - Unless you are in Australia reading this (Hi Sam and others) and can get this super cheap, I don't recommend it. In fact, even if you are in Australia, go get some good Aussie wine instead.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. Whoopie!

So to thank my wife for taking such good care of me, I made one of her favorite treats while she was at work today, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.

Now, I loves me some whoopie pies, but I have to admit that I am not a big fan of Red Velvet cake. If you have not heard of "red velvet" cake, essentially it is chocolate cake with added red food coloring. I don't see the need for the red color, but my wife likes it, and these were made for her. If, like me, you would be rather turned off by a bowl of red chocolate pudding, you could always omit the red food coloring and these would still be excellent.

I also have a set of whoopie pie baking tins. I assume most people do not, so I will write the recipe for people who would use a baking sheet. I used this before I bought my pans and it works fine. Please use parchment paper as these will stick without it. Parchment paper is now super-cheap in all major grocery stores near the wax paper and tin foil.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Ingredients for pies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg (large)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1-oz bottle red food coloring (2 tbsp) OPTIONAL

Ingredients for filling:
1/4 cup softened butter
4 room temperature cream cheese
1 7-oz jar of marshmallow creme

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In medium mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on high for 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
4. Then alternately add in flour mixture and buttermilk, beating each addition until it is combined, then adding the next addition. Stir in food coloring.
5. Spoon batter in 1 or 2 inch diameter rounds, about 1/2 inch high on the baking sheets covered in parchment paper. Allow 1 inch between each round for expansion.
6. Bake 7 to 9 minutes for 1 inch cookies or 9 to 11 minutes for 2 inch cookies (basically when the tops are set).
   
7. Cool completely on baking sheets on a rack. Remove cookies from sheets.
8. In medium mixing bowl beat 1/4 cup softened butter and 4 ounces of cream cheese until smooth. Fold in one 7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme.
9. Take 1 cookie, generously dollop filling on the flat side of the cookie and then sandwich the filling with the flat side of another cookie.

This will make approximately 42 cookies, which combine to make 21 whoopie pies. They should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will generally keep up to 4 days (or so I am told. Mine never make it that long). Let them stand at room temperature about 15 min before serving, but are nice cool on a hot day. Enjoy with coffee or a cool glass of milk.

The Pain of it All

I really had intended to update this blog at least once a day during my sabbatical,I really did. I bought a bunch of good (I hope) beer to drink and review, some fine chocolate, a few new video games and movies, etc. I was all prepared to do a little work around the house, relax and blog a bit here and there. Sadly, my back had ideas of its own.

I was winding down my evening Friday night and stood up out of my chair to go get a drink when I thought I had been shot or tazered on my right side just above the kidney area. For the first time in years, I actually screamed out in pain. My wife, who was downstairs, came running to see what was wrong and found me hunched over, gripping the edge of the chair and sweating profusely. I could not stand up straight. I couldn't sit back down. I couldn't take a step. Even with her help, I could barely get back into the chair as it was agony.

Now, in the past I have had kidney stones a few times and both my wife and I thought this might be what it was. I doubted it as I did not have the usual symptoms or discomfort with kidney stones like I've had in the past, but I had no other explanation for what it was. My wife went and got me a couple of extra-strength pain pills and I sat there hoping the pain would go away. Well, after an hour or two, where any slight movement would again send pain arcing up my back, I chose to go to the emergency room at a local hospital. It took a long time to get my shoes and coat on and to drive as every moment hurt, but my wife doesn't drive and I wasn't willing to call for an ambulance.

I will spare you the minute by minute 6 hour wait to see a doctor. Canada has a great health care system, but it means waiting rooms can get full. I checked in (they test you to make sure your heart is ok and not a danger or issue), left a urine sample and waited till I saw the doctor. As dawn started to appear overhead, I finally got to see a doctor. He was pleasant enough, but obviously so busy he didn't have time to chat. He examined my side, asked me a few questions and said that since the urine sample I had left was fine, he believed I was having a "simple" back spasm, likely in my erector spinae muscle, which is one of the muscles that keeps your spine in place and straight. He said that there wasn't much that could be done, so he gave me some very strong prescription painkillers and sent me home.

For the first 2 days, I didn't even try to go downstairs. I took my pills, stayed in bed, read and occasionally very slowly, I shuffled my way to the PC. My wife has been great through the whole thing, bringing me food, sleeping in the spare bed, and putting up with my whining. If you are even thinking of getting married, I strongly suggest the "in sickness and in health" part should be in your vows someplace.

It is now Wednesday night. I had to miss out on taking a first-aid course at work (which I wanted to do and was willing to give up 2 sabbatical days to be a part of), I couldn't have any of the beers I had bought (no alcohol with the painkillers I was given) and generally let things go around here. Well, I'm still not 100% and I am doing things a little gingerly to make sure I don't re-aggravate my back, but hopefully, this is the end of things and I can get back on track.

Get it? Back on track? See, my sense of humor has returned. Everything is normal again. Tomorrow, beer. =)

Werewolf? Over there behind the CGI effects.

The Wolfman

I love movies, but have a special place in my heart for horror movies. I enjoy being scared when I see a movie. I love the "I bet the creature is going to pop around that door..... huh? I thought it would have been Aaahhh!!!" anticipation of what is going to happen and where and to whom of horror films.

Now, I should say that I generally do not appreciate what I call torture films. Sure, there are a few that do things well, but generally the "take 1 psycho, add teenagers, multiply by weapons = corpses" doesn't interest me much. I like either fruaght with tension psychological horror films, or old timey monsters. So when I saw someone was making a new Wolfman film, I looked forward to seeing it.

*Note I will try to avoid any plot or story spoilers, but read at your own risk*

The movie stars Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving. Benicio plays the Wolfman in question with Blunt as the woman he loves, Hopkins as his grizzled old dad full of wisdom and secrets and Weaving as Inspector Abberline of Scotland Yard (yes, the same character from From Hell, but no relation to that movie).

Del Toro is the wayward son who returns to his family home after his brother is killed "by something horrible". He meets and falls in love with his brother's ex-fiance, trades pithy wisdom with his estranged dad, meets some gypsys, gets bitten by something, becomes the beast, heads and viscera fly, Wolfy gets caught by Aberline of the Yard, taken to London, rampages, returns home, plot twists, secrets revealed, conflict and it all ends on the moors.

Overall, if you like monster movies, this is worth seeing, but only barely. If you do not like monster movies, avoid this as there is nothing to redeem it otherwise, although Weaving does a good job in an underused role. The actors, generally quite talented, are all as wooden as fenceposts in this. The movie is too long by about 20 minutes (cut out some walking around please) and the "romance" is tacked on and unbelieveable.

The only thing that saves The Wolfman are the scenes where he is a wolfman, transforms, rampages, etc. Even this, I almost disliked as it again relied too much on CGI and not enough on reality, but there were enough scenes of him in makeup to save it for me. Back in 1981 there was a film called An American Werewolf in London. It was AWESOME. David Naughton was the werewolf and, without any CGI, had the best transformation scene in film. Since then, film makers have embraced the computer as a source for special effects and I get why. It is a long process to transform an actor without them and time is money when filming. However, for me, the key is realism. Take for example the recent Underworld movies that also feature werewolves. I see the effects and do not believe at all that there are actually werewolves in the scenes. I know it is a CGI animated wolfman doing impossible things. I personally would rather see a well made up actor, possibly on wires for big jumps or whatever. I want my werewolf to be as real as possible as for me, that is what scares me, not pixels.

So, if you like monsters and have the patience to put up with the rest of the movie, The Wolfman is passable. However, if you're in the mood for quality lycanthropy, go rent An American Werewolf in London instead.

On Beer. #1 Duchy Originals Organic Beer

So I like beer. I didn't always as during my teenage.. er.. post teenage years, the guys I hung out with drank Molson Canadian or Coors Silver Bullet. I generally thought that beer was sour tasting and, aside from the buzz, rather silly when there were better, tastier things to drink.

As I grew older, I came to realize that not all beer is created equally. There are all different sorts of beers like ales, pilsners, porters, lagers, stouts and many more all depending on how they are brewed, where they are brewed, what they are brewed from, how long and much more that only a trained brewmaster would actually be able to explain. What this means to me is that there is a host of hundreds and hundreds of beers to try. Now, to paraphrase a TV commercial, I do not always drink beer, but when I do, it better be good. As part of the blog, when I try something new, I'll post about it here.

Duchy Originals Organic Beer

So this is Prince Charles' beer. By that, I mean that he created Duchy Originals back in 1990 to promote Organic farming in England. They make many different products, this is one of their beers.

Overall - If it is good enough for royalty, it's good enough for me.
Look - As you can tell from the picture this pours as an orange/amber color that is medium cloudy with light bubbling and a fair white head.
Aroma - Not overly strong smelling and comes off mildly hoppy with fair citrus notes and a hint of malt.
Taste - Good. Mildly carbonated, so not too many bubbles. Tastes of a good ale with some caramel malt hints and lightly citrus at the end.
Purchase - Sold in bottles found at my local Sobey's liquor store, but not a mainstream beer.

Summation - I'd have this again and would recommend it to friends looking for a lighter ale.

I come to tell you of bacon.

I was in the mood for a nice BLT. For me, a BLT is 5 ingredients: good bread, fresh lettuce, firm tomato, mayo and bacon. Good bacon. I realize you can use any old bacon as bacon is pretty versatile. If bacon is a flavor in my food, I am less picky, but when it is the feature item, like in a BLT, then I want to get the good stuff.

For me, there is no better bacon available here in Edmonton than Irving Farm Fresh Bacon.


This is quite simply, the best bacon I have ever had anywhere. Irvings does not smoke the bacon. Instead they use curing salts and dry cure the bacon for a period of days. There is no water used in the process, so the bacon comes out lean, and cooks quickly (1 minute per side at most) without much fat or water spatter. It comes out like a delicious sliced porkchop and makes for excellent bacon based food.

BLT Recipe (Yes, simple, but good)
2 pieces of frozen fresh bread
2 pieces of bacon per sandwich
1 good lettuce leaf
2-3 slices of tomato
schmear of mayo

Cook bacon, about 1 minute per side
Wash and slice tomatoes.
Peel off a few lettuce leaves and wash them. Pat them dry (prevents soggy toast).
Toast the bread while it is still frozen. Trust me, this really makes it better no matter how crazy it sounds.
Then, in order, layer toast, schmear of mayo, tomato, lettuce, bacon, toast. I find that keeping the bacon and tomato nearest the bread allows the toast to soak up any spare deliciousness.



You can buy Irving's Farm bacon at Careit Urban Deli in the Callingwood district. It may be a bit of a drive (depending on where you live), but the bacon is great and Careit has loads of other great deli items and pre-made foods. If you know any other locations, please let me know.

Alice in Wonderland. Plenty of style, not enough story.

I am on sabbatical. Having worked for BioWare for almost 10 years now, I have built up lots of vacation time and sabbatical period, and our HR team suggested that I take some time off (I think they were scared of me) before it got out of control. It would have been about 105 days off by Christmas if I didn't, so after making sure I wasn't missing anything too important by being away, I have taken June off and am basically sitting on my butt, drinking beer, playing games and watching movies.

Yesterday, I rented Alice in Wonderland (the new Tim Burton/Johnny Depp version). And yes, I still rent movies too. Netflix or whatever, is not for me, I actually like going to the video store and browsing the shelves, finding what I'm looking for, dithering between what to get, etc. But I digress, this is what I thought of Alice in Wonderland.

Alice in Wonderland
So this is Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. He was, as he usually is, among the best things in the movie. Now I generally like Tim Burton films. Yes, they tend to trend to the "goth-poseur" side of things, but since he is the guy doing that, and since he doesn't churn out too many movies, I like his look in films and Alice is no exception. The visuals in the film are great. The Queen of Hearts, her castle, the Jabberwock, the bandersnatch, Tweedles, flowers, playing card guards, etc are all top rate. Yes, maybe a little too much CGI instead ofreal life (this is an ongoing complaint of mine that you will see in the next review as well), but generally the visuals are great.

As for the cast Depp is enjoyable in a rather odd turn as the Hatter. One minute he plays a lisping delusional Hatter full of sweetness and giggles and the next a much darker psychotic Scottish warrior Hatter full of dark rage that threatens to bubble over. Helena Bonham Carter is a wonderfully big-headed Red Queen and Crispin Glover makes a fine, if underused Jack/Knave of Hearts. However, I didn't like Mia Wasikowska's Alice very much. I think this was mostly due to the lack of a story and less so the acting she did (or as they say, she did the best with what they gave her). The rest of the cast, mostly voices for CGI characters like the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) or Catterpillar (Alan Rickman) are fine as well, but again, mostly hidden away. Although I did like Sir Christpher Lee returning in another Burton role.

Overall, it is the story that lets the film down. The plot is Alice, now 20 and not the little girl from the animated movie most of us know, returns to "Wonderland", doesn't remember things, gets befuddled, meets all the characters and ends up fighting the Jabberwock because it is the frabjous day and that is what Alice's do on the frabjous days. To me, it seemed that Burton spent huge amounts of time designing sets, creating creatures, working with effects teams, but only a day or so with the writers. I wish Alice had been stronger and that the story had given something for us to follow rather than just move from character to character, effect to effect. Yes there are attempts to make this more new Burton version and less old Disney version, but they seem rather weak. "Wonderland" is really Underland, but Alice as a child during her first visit got the name wrong. Ok, fine but so what? Why does it matter? Or there is one bit where the White Rabbit talks of being on the surface where the animals don't wear clothes and how much this creeps him out which is funny, but we later meet a bloodhound that doesn't wear clothes (neither does the Cheshire Cat, bandersnatch, JubJub bird, etc) so again, why does this matter? The Mad Hatter has been so depressed that he hasn't done teh "Flutterwacken Dance" under the Red Queen's rule. So? Did we really need a CGI-infused breakdancing Hatter to express discomfort?

"Why does this matter" is basically what I came away with after watching Alice in Wonderland. As I said, this visuals a great, but without the story to tie it down, it just kind of floats away and I was left with a feeling of emptiness.

If you want this cast (mostly) with this director, cool visuals and a retelling of a Disney animated film, go rent Sleepy Hollow. Plus it has better beheadings.

Welcome to the inner workings of my brain

How to begin this? A more formal "hello"? A rather pompous "greetings"? Some sort of trendy saying like "wazzup"? No. I'll start off the way I start off meeting most people: Hi.

My name is Christopher James Priestly, but I go by Chris. I'm 41, married, gainfully employed and generally pretty content with things. I love food, drink, movies, TV, comic books, travel, animals and video games. Video games are a big part of my life currently as I work for BioWare as part of the Community team in the marketing department. It is a great job, not always without frustration or rage, but as a life long nerd it makes me look forward to going to work each day and not many people can say that.

Now if you're reading this hoping to see me 'dish the dirt" or reveal inner company secrets or whatnot, you'll probably be disappointed. Why not? Well, as I teach to other people in the company, what you say publicly on forums, blogs, Facebook or whatever you are representing BioWare. Sure, you can say "this is my opinion NOT that of BioWare", but you're still going to be representing the company. If I say here that Assassin's Creed 2 is a fun game (which it is, I'm playing it right now. More on that in another blog.) thats fine. If I say "AC2 is good, but I think BioWare makes better games", well then we have a discussion as to why I am right and you're wrong or whatever. Things are nice and friendly. But if I come here and say how WW2 was caused by Neptunians working with the Mob to overthrough our way of life! Then people will think you are a loon (aside from the few who believe such things who then try to become kindered spirits and that is never good) and things get messy. Now I will say what I think here. In my going on 10 years with BioWare I've seen lots of good stuff, but we've made mistakes as well and so have I. But I'm not coming here to give away company secrets or to reveal stuff that'll get me fired as I like my job too much (and paying my mortgage, buying gas, etc).

So why, if I am so content, do I feel the need to write a blog about myself and my opinions? Well, partially because it is rather cathartic. It is nice to have someplace to come and give my opinion that isn't hosted by BioWare. Don't get me wrong, I owe much of my success and cushy life to BioWare, but it is nice to get away a bit. I also use the BioWare forums as my job day to day. I intend this blog to be more for me to talk about things I find interesting (or upsetting). I'm a big foodie (and I do mean "big", but my weight problems are grist for a future blog entry) and drink person (is there a "drinkie" to go with foodie? Or do you just go straight to alcoholic?) I love animals and own 2 cats (but I hate spiders). I enjoy travel. I collect comics and read books when I find time. I watch LOTS of movies & TV and play as many games as I can fit in the time for. And I plan on making this blog someplace I can give food tips, movie reviews and generally all the stuff I think I know that I think you should know.

So, this is the opening, the start and the first. Hopefully you'll read it and want to come back when I update again. Hopefully, more will come, both blogs and readers. Hopefully this'll be the start of something fun, informative and worthwhile.

Hi.