A hardwood fire is spitting and crackling and threatening to shoot holes in the hostas and singe my corneas when I come too close. Grass fed short ribs from Staubitz reclined in a soy bath before hissing and wafting wonderful smells into the Brooklyn evening. Thank you, dear beef.
In Brooklyn slugs get the best, because part of our living-in-Brooklyn contract stipulates that we sell our moist garden pests to the local restaurant (in our case the Henry Street Public) down the road as bar snacks. 90 minute Dogfish Head Indian Pale Ale will tenderise and flavour the gentle creepers. I like slugs, somehow. But when Hurricane Irene passed us without damage she did only one bad thing: all the pots went onto the floor of the terrace, and the slugs that live there suddenly discovered: strawberries; and moved into the pots. And I have noticed ominous holes in the plectranthus and even basil so it's time. Beer trap for the basil-infused slugs.
The good beer, very expensive beer, was an experiment, but we hate it. Neither the Frenchie nor I is a fan of bitter beer. Both of us tend towards lagers and German style weissbrews. We slum it with Miller, or El Presidente, and we loved the Russian No. 5 at the Beach Farm. Deep roasts are just too toasty and overwhelming for us. We know that there are better informed persons out there (specifically on Union Street just north of 7th Avenue) who would disagree vehemently. So, we are weak in some departments.
Tomorrow will reveal what slugs think of the $4 Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA. Tomorrow generally reveals a lot. If you took care of today. Or not.
You're kidding about the bar snacks, aren't you?
ReplyDeleteAwww, you didn't like. So many others to choose from so it's okay...spoiled slugs!
ReplyDeleteGastropod gastronomy.
ReplyDeleteI like the more bitter beers with strong cheese. Used to go for a pint of 'Old Hook Norton' at a particularly nice pub called the 'Slug and Lettuce'. Long time ago.
When I discovered a crater in one of my strawberries I officially declared war. I forgot about the beer thing. We still have a case and half of a German beer from our last BBQ. All the Germans drank our American beer. Go figure. We will see what German slugs prefer.
ReplyDeletedon't forget the tiny pretzels.
ReplyDeleteI'm with John - are you serious? You must be since you included a link to the place, but...but...slugs?? Check out their "Punkin Ale" too - tasty seasonal :)
ReplyDeleteJajaja. You caught me last year with the selling produce from your roof farm mandate.
ReplyDeleteNever again Marie. Mwahaha
xo Jane
John, would I kid about something like bar snacks ? :-)
ReplyDeleteknithound, it's us, we know, we are Philistines.
Rob - good name for a pub!
Monica - well, the American slugs are divided. I caught 13, but two dishes were not touched. Maybe Bud Light?
Donna,! That's what I forgot...
Paul, surely, you've never had a slowcooked beer bred slug dipped in breadcrumbs and then fried with parsley and brown butter? Tsk.
I may be lying, of course.
Jane! You get a prize. Packet of slugs?
ReplyDeleteoh, marie, that's what you mean by appetizers! i had some of sort breaded fried slugs at a south african restaurant in provincetown. i am squeamish about crawly slimey things, but they were indeed yummy, altho i am not sure if i would have the stomach to do pre-meditated ordering in the future. human silliness.
ReplyDeleteDonna, now you are kidding, right? South Africans have never eaten slugs. Are you sure they weren't something called mopani worms? No better, just different (I have never eaten them...but we used to get them on our willow tree every year).
ReplyDeleteCould they be conchs without their shells? They are quite good with beer, altho I, too, am not really a fan. Conchs are good with wine, too.
ReplyDeletei guess they call them snails, but now that i look at the menu, this looks like fusion to me. but boy, i don't remember the fusion --or more notably, the cream cheese. i would not hesitate ever to get deep-fried cream cheese.
ReplyDeleteSnail Rangoons - $6.95
Snails in a garlicky cream cheese blend, wrapped in a wonton, fried and served with a soy, ginger, honey dip.
http://www.karookafe.com/app.asp
Donna, good god, that menu. The worst of South African cooking and then a whole lot of stuff that has nothing to do with South Africa. I'm being mean...It's just...it can be good. Snails. Not by any stretch of the imagination are they South African.
ReplyDeletewebb, hmmm, conch. Makes me think of a dive in Miami.
I love slugs, and presidente, but read this first before eating. Although deap frying solves the issue
ReplyDeletehttp://flandrumhill.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/eating-slugs-and-snails/
Chris - worry not. I shall never eat a slug :-)Take my slug-selling bravado with a shovelful of salt. Interesting about the leopard slugs, though, I didn't know that. These slugs also have spots!
ReplyDelete