VittlesVamp

Ugly Beautiful

With a mandate to stay-the-fuck-at-home and the prospect of quarantine looming large, it's time to start cooking.

We're not talking doomsday prep, people! No need to start hoarding!

What we need are "think ahead" food strategies to keep culinary delight well within grasp - with limited resources. One of my favorite flavor-bombs to have on-hand? Slow-roasted tomatoes. A snap of the ugly beauties is above. (They kind of look like some sort of modern piece of art, don't they?)

The whole process is relatively simple: Grab a bunch of plum tomatoes, cut them in half, and scoop out the innards. Toss with a little olive oil and salt. Place skin-side up on parchment paper or tin foil on a large sheet pan. Bake for a half-hour at 350 degrees. Take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit before removing the skins. Lower the oven to 250 degrees and put the tomatoes back in for another hour and a half.

Voila. That's it. Toss them in with pasta. Put them on a sandwich. Saute with seafood. Can't see them on top of an ice cream sundae, but then again...

Beer Never Broke My Heart

Some of you may know the killer country tune by Luke Combs - "Beer Never Broke My Heart."

Admittedly, a beer hasn't broken my heart, but it takes quite the specimen to win it over.

So, I was delighted at the prospect of tasting some superlative brews at a tasting put together by Peter LaFrance, a local beer authority and author. He is the man behind the site Beer Basics and regularly is in front of the camera filming a series of tastings at the Henry Street Ale House in Brooklyn Heights. Three beers were to be sampled. I was more than obliged to partake - and even bring some nibbles to go with the various brews on hand. (Are you surprised by that? You shouldn't be!)

My fave among the three? A sour beauty - Area Two Experimental Brewery's Synopsis Blueberry and Acai. And, yes, it was brilliant with the pairing of blue cheese and blackberries that I brought along.

Do I expect to be drinking more beer in the future? Frankly, these days I expect to be drinking more than my fair share of many things - and hoping to have some more of that Synopsis sour soon. And, I'll take a little solace in this catchy number from Thomas Rhett - "Ain't Nothing That A Beer Can't Fix."