You didn’t think this 1982 Top 20 hit from Steel Breeze was Rick Springfield, did ya?
It’s mostly the chorus that sounds Springfieldian, but I would swear I had a Limewire download that said it was Rick.
I’m not going to waste your time with beers I don’t like – unless I spend a lot on it and the review proves it was a business expense. Big Swell IPA from Maui Brewing Company is one of my favorite semi-nationally available IPAs. Bell’s Two Hearted and Cigar City Jai Alai are nice too, but today, we’re talking Big Swell.
Big Swell is dry-hopped, meaning hops are added after brewing/boiling. That helps cut down on the bitterness that makes some folks hate IPAs. It’s still very “green”, but more delicate. Wine drinkers talk about notes of leather or cherry. Big Swell tastes tropical – orange, pineapple, peach. It also has the malt sweetness to take off the edge. If you absolutely hate IPAs, you might not like this one either, but it’s very balanced between grassy resin and barley. At 6.2 percent alcohol by volume, Big Swell can also sneak up on you. By comparison, Bud Light is about 4.2.
I’ve visited Maui Brewing Company’s production brewery/restaurant in the Kihei area of Maui and would recommend the tour. The brewery there is “off the grid,” 100-percent powered by solar and biodiesel. They even toast the coconut for their Hiwa Porter on site. On the other hand, the other national Hawaiian beer brand, Kona Brewing, is produced in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington state, and New Hampshire.
Remember Blessid Union of Souls and “I Believe?”
I’m linking out to the version of the “I Believe” video that uses the original album track. Until writing this, I didn’t realize until there was a radio edit. That version has the lyric “One day, daddy’s gonna find out she’s in love with a brother from the streets.” On the album, it’s not “brother.”
I’m inside. You’re probably inside too. Cooking something will help pass the time, but you’ve already got a bunch of leftovers, bits of that teriyaki chicken or green beans. If you’ve also got some potatoes, or cooked potatoes to mash, we’re halfway to something new.
Really, this is more a method than a recipe. That photo up there is bubble and squeak, the British way to use up leftover potatoes and leftover cooked cabbage. Mine also has some onion and a fried egg on top because the way you make any brown meal look Instagrammable is put an egg on it.
Choose leftovers that you’d put on the plate together. Mushrooms and steak, chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts and ham… Dice your leftovers and add the mashed potatoes until you get something that kinda holds together. You don’t want it soupy, but you don’t want it too crumby either. Put butter in a pan – I prefer non-stick – and once it’s melted, add your leftovers and mash. Stir it a few times over medium until it’s all warmed up.
Then, flatten it down a bit, lower the temp, and try for a brown crust on the bottom. Jiggle the pan so it doesn’t get stuck. If your pan is small, like mine, you’re get a round that you can flip out onto a plate. If the pan’s larger, just keep it all in one area and flip in pieces. If you’re worried about burning, flipping it in chunks will also help you keep an eye on that. Then, eat it!
Next time, maybe we’ll go over how a frittata is basically an open-faced omelet and a great way to use up leftover lasagna or even Caesar salad.