if only life were all beer and skittles

I'm a brand new beer enthusiast, so bear with me as I slowly start to dabble into this whole new world. 

On a whim a friend of mine bought the Shock-Top Belgian White, bottled by Anheuser-Busch Inc. 

The beer is light with floral and citrus notes that give an extremely clean finish. If you look hard you'll get a taste of the "spices" (I'm assuming it is coriander because they seem to always put coriander in white ales). It's cloudy with an orange tint that's nice to look at when poured into a frozen glass. This beer is great on its own, especially because the citric flavor is juxtaposed with a slight sweetness that it's really accessible to those that don't like heavy beers. It's also not too carbonated, which is my favorite part. It's not as good as Blue Moon's but with a slice of orange it's great for a warm sunny day (if that ever happens) 

For only $6 at the Joe's Liquors in New Brunswick, this is quite the bargain. At 168 calories, the 5.20% ABV also helps, because my biggest problem with beer is having to drink several of them to to get me in my party pants mood. 

the only sausage fest you'll find me in:

KIELBASA

Every Easter my boyfriend's family goes to a local Polish market to get smoked Kielbasa, which is perfectly accompanied by honey mustard. But I've found that Stop & Shop has very tasty (and cheap) fresh Kielbasa (pictured on the right). I still need to refine cooking sausage on a skillet because I always char the skin -but I kind of prefer the crispiness. You can kick up your Kielbasa by trying it with Gold's Horseradish and Beets and a Three Philosophers Belgian Style Ale (it's slightly sweet with dark cherry) 

SPINACH AND FETA CHICKEN SAUSAGE 

I couldn't get a picture of Nature's Promise version of Spinach and Feta Chicken sausage because I think that one is better. It's green for starters, and is bursting with the natural flavors of spinach, feta, garlic and even some notes of onion. And they don't overdo it with the cheese either. I love chopping up the sausage on top it on various kinds of pasta dishes (especially tortellini). But this is also amazing wrapped in pita with some fresh cucumbers and tzatziki sauce

CHORIZO

Chorizo goes in everything. I've put it in an omelette with some cilantro. I've stuffed chicken breasts with chorizo, gorgonzola and spinach. I've put chorizo into chilli and never deny it in homemade paella. My favorite Cuban restaurant in the city makes a delicious appetizer, Montadito de Chorizo, which is grilled Spanish chorizo with jalepenos and chimuchurri. But quite possibly the easiest thing to do with chorizo is to put it on a pizza before sticking it into the oven. The best snack food I've ever made goes as follows:

Ingredients:

Sliced & sauteed Chorizo

Grated Manchega and Gruyere Cheeses (those were the only ones I had in the fridge, but you can use whatever you like)

Cilantro

Red Onions

1 Garlic Naan

Directions:

Put the chorizo, cheeses, and onions on the naan and stick it into an oven until the cheese melts.

Sprinkle with cilantro. 

<- Portuguese chourico, flambeed to perfection at the Alfama Restaurant in the city. 

Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon

I have a very deep appreciation for the Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon, partly because it's $9 at Joe Canal's and never more than $12 at most places. But the reason I love it most of all is that in indulges me in my three favorite smells on a wine -and a person : 

oak 

smoke, 

and a touch of leather.

Depending on the bottle it might be a little too much for some, and maybe it would be better if it were aged and more restrained. The guy who works in the liquor department of Rite Aid told me the Bogle wine tastes soapy to him. But then again he recommended a Louis M.Martini Cabernet Sauvignon which is no nose, no tannins, and no fun.  

Just one whiff of this Cab and you'll get those cherries and plums too. The truth is I was intemperate with my fascination with this wine a few months ago and got sick of it. This isn't an anytime drink, it's the typical type you have when you're young and about to eat something as rich and loud as this wine.  

If you decide to discover wine on your own there are many disadvantages you must face:

1.) Reading several books on wine will still not prepare you on which wines to buy. the whole process is experimentation and that winds up costing several, several hundreds of dollars and several hours spent staring blankly into the shelves of your local Wine Country. 

2.) If you don't have parents that drink wine or don't happen to know at-least one seasoned connoisseur on the topic it's hard to know what to expect from a perfect Merlot, or know when you have a corked wine or a foxy wine. 

3.) If you don't go to wine tastings you will not learn what the difference between a French Cabernet Sauvignon and a Californian one. Waiters, Bartenders and Wine shop owners always push you to buy the more expensive wines, whereas in tastings they only bring you what they think is the best (and many times the wines are under $20) 

Being the strong proponent of education that I am, I had to jump through hoops to get into the Wine Insights course Rutgers offers to seniors who are over 21. 

but luckily the University of California, Irvine Extension is offering a new online course: "A Sommelier's Secret Guide to the Wine List: Wine and Food Galore", which is a very reasonable course on not just the foundations of wine (the vinification process, various grape species etc.) but you get to apply what you learn to the real world immediately by learning how to talk about wine with a waiter at a restaurant -without mispronouncing the wine labels. 

Classes run between May 18th to June 14th. (And they're online so you don't even have to worry about commuting your butt anywhere!) 

St.Urbans-hof Riesling

Why should you try this wine?

Not being a huge fan of white wines with a high acidic content, or the sour tang of Pinot Grigios and Sauvignon Blancs, I was delighted to have my first real encounter with a Riesling not too long ago. And St.Urbans-hof is everything you expect a Riesling to be. Headed by Nik Weis, who inherited the estate from his family,  this semi-dry wine  is perfect on its own or as a precursor to a more intense red wine later on in the meal. The slight carbonation paired with the citrus and floral notes make for a refreshing wine, while the mineral nose adds balance and nuance and a clean finish. Unlike many red wines, Rieslings do not necessarily have to be aged or tucked away in a cellar, but are ideal for opening up right away after they have been chilled. 

St. Urbans-hof is composed of grapes grown in the slaty Mosel Valley in Germany—described  as one of the best terroirs to harvest Riesling grapes.  St.Urbans only runs you $13 at Joe Canals on Route 1, making this particular wine an excellent value for its quality. With only a 10% alcohol content  this bottle won't knock you off your feet, but is an excellent way to kick off an afternoon-into-evening of casual drinking.  This wine is best served cold or on the rocks and is a perfect gateway wine into the Riesling's German brother: Gewürztraminer. St.Urbans is also a good fit if you think sweet wines such as Plum or Honey wine are just a little bit too syrupy. 

Type: Riesling

Prince: Reasonable ($11-$16) 

Food Pairing: Asian fare (Indian, Thai, Malaysian etc.) But honestly there's nothing better than a few ripe fruits (such as clementines and apples to pair this bottle with) 

Cheese Pairing: Things that have a soft rind, such as a goat milk brie (Trader Joe's has a really good one for only $2.95), Munster (the French version) 

Occassion: Anytime and with anyone. Grab a few glasses and a blanket, and try the field behind Gibbons on Douglass campus.  

*This review also appears in this week's issue of the Johnsonville Press 

*Mike Stuzynski contributed to this article. 

not as good as the original

Kati Roll and Platters

56 Easton Ave.

(732)-253-0507

Banking on the reputation and success of the mouth watering chicken and rice platters on 53rd and 6th St. and the Kati Roll Company in the West Village, Kati Roll and Platters is a semi-good imitation for those of us that can't always afford to make the trip up to the city. With the relatively high population of Asian college students in New Brunswick, and the desperate need for a good hole in the wall Indian restaurant after the failure of Thinisu, I eagerly awaited the completion of this place over the summer.

What to eat?

Skip the Chicken and Rice platter with all the greasy white sauce and opt for the more fragrant and colorful Chicken Biryani. The Chilli Chicken is a fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisine, reminding those that have been lucky enough to try it, of Manchurian Chicken. But beware of their liberal use of starch to thicken the sauce, and more importantly: the long dried red chilli peppers that are hiding in the soy sauce, cause they pack quite the kick. While the curry chicken is not completely bland, it's too reminiscent of something your Indian mother/your friend's Indian mother has cooked for you, and done better. While the typical Chicken Tikka Roll and Lamb Achari rolls are pretty good, paying $10 for some plain paratha that wraps a little bit of spiced meat provides for a really unsatisfying meal and a weak reproduction of the original in the city. For a REALLY good Kati Roll go to the Hot Breads on 1665 Stelton Rd in Piscataway.

What to know before you go here:

While the purpose of a hole in the wall restaurant is that they can get you your food quickly, try to call ahead for pick up, unless you like waiting in a cramped room with drunk college students at 1 am. And don't kid yourself that you are eating better by going ethnic. This food is no better than the western fat sandwich, and equally decadent in calories. But it never hurts to try anything once and a platter or a kati roll is perfect after a long night of drinking cause we all know food tastes better when you're trying to sober up. While the menus are not explicit as to what you get in your platter, every order of mine has varied. Sometimes I get pita and a side salad and sometimes I don't. Sometimes they charge me for hot sauce, sometimes they don't.

What they could do better:

Cheaper prices or more food. Faster service. More helpful kids working the register. If they can afford to sell Lamb Kati rolls, they need to venture out and have Lamb and Rice platters. And this might be going out on a limb here, but FALAFELS. No place in New Brunswick, including Sahara, Kairo Cafe and other pseudo Mediterranean restaurants know how to make an authentic, perfectly golden and crunchy falafel. Take a cue from Mamoun's by the NYU campus: the success from selling delicious falafels for under $3 led them to buy a bigger restaurant without compromising taste and price at all.

Jamaican Me Hungry

Cool Runnin's (Caribbean)

25 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ

(732)-246-2800

By far my favorite hole in a wall establishment, Cool Runnin's on Easton Avenue often seems overlooked by the average passerby, perhaps due to the bleak interior and usual lack of traffic in the store, or the slightly intimidating Jamaican woman behind the counter.. But there is nothing more satisfying than picking up a spicy Jamaican beef patty or a chicken and rice platter when you are facing that long uphill walk from the train station to your house on Senior St.

What to Eat?

The Jamaican Jerk Chicken, obviously. Traditionally rubbed with allspice, cinnamon, garlic along with scotch bonnet peppers, this dish is meant for those who love the dry heat and smoky charcoal nature of Memphis style ribs. Cool Runnin's does not offer boneless chicken, for the spices can only be expressed through a flavorful dark meat portion. So be prepared to suck those bones dry to get the full experience. While the meat tends to be more succulent earlier in the day, it is never dry. The Curry Chicken or Shrimp will both pander to your curry needs, especially if you like the strong flavors of ginger and garlic in your dishes. The platters come in small and large ranging from $7 to $11, stuffed with Jamaican rice and beans, a cabbage stew with carrots, and my favorite part: caramelized plantains! If you like experimenting with condiments, I would strongly urge you to use the Asian hot chilli sauce Siricha with your meal. We don't know why, but the sauce goes perfectly with the spices.

What to know before you go here:

Because this place is pick up only, it's ideal for those date nights you stay in, with a cheap bottle of red wine and a good movie. This place also has a $10 dollar credit card minimum but there is an ATM inside.

What they could do better:

While this place does work better as a small run down cafe lacking a dining room, the option for delivery would surely boost their sales. With the lack of parking on Easton Ave, it hasn't always been feasible to make it all the way down (and back up again). And for some reason the later you go here, the more likely it is for something to run out—even if it's dinner time! For a year now I've been trying to have the elusive full Red Snapper grilled to Jamaican perfection but it is rarely available, so always keep a few options in mind.

Singapore Sling

Who knew a little Thai restaurant in Highland Park could give you the best bang for a $5.95 drink? Hidden in a menu packed with equally exotic drink names (i.e. the Bangkok Blessing); the Singapore Sling at the Pad Thai is as bright as it is alcoholic. The red drink consists of half a glass of gin, layered with cointreau, cherry liqueur, lime juice, grenadine, and garnished with two maraschino cherries and lemon slices hanging off the sides.

Having never been a fan of the tart and biting kiss of the simple gin and tonic, it’s pleasing to see how much fun gin can be if it’s paired with equally intense flavors.

According to Wikipedia, the modern Sling is a revival of a once forgotten recipe, invented around 1910 at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. You may remember it as the drink the late great Hunter S. Thompson was having poolside in California when he got the call sending him to the Mint 400, making the Sling the birth of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

This drink is not for those under 5ft., weak hearted, boring, or Asian (females). For the true alcoholic drinking Long Island Ice Teas just for the taste, the Sling can be a fun and welcome change, and is an ideal cure for the first date jitters. But most importantly, there is nothing better than a Singapore Sling to cool a scorched tongue that’s had too much Sriracha in their Pad Prig King. So forget trying the carafe of 10 dollar red wine, cause if you get the right waitress to make you this drink (make sure to ask for it “strong”), you are set for the rest of dinner and prepared to conquer any awkward lulls in the conversation.

For those that don’t like going out for their drinks, the official Raffles Hotel Singapore Sling’s recipe is as follows:

1 1/2 ounce (30 ml) gin

1/2 ounce (15 ml) Heering Cherry Liqueur

1/4 ounce (7.5 ml) Cointreau

1/3 ounce (10 ml) grenadine

1/2 ounce (15 ml) lime juice

4 ounces (120 ml) pineapple juice

dash Angostura bitters

1/4 ounce (7.5 ml DOM Benedictine

But personally, I feel the heart of the drink lies in the first 5 ingredients, shaken and poured over ice with a slice of lemon and a maraschino cherry.

Pad Thai Restaurant

217 Raritan Ave.

Highland Park, NJ 

*This entry was originally published on the Johnsonville Press!