I don't drink, but my buddy Charles does—moderately. He told me he has a bit of a boozer past, but the Charles I've known since 2005 would never get sloshed, especially given that he's a married man with domestic responsibilities as well as a university professor. Not that Charles is so superficial as to be image-obsessed, but I guess what I'm saying is that his social roles come with a certain implied dignity. If anything, Charles says, he's doing what he can to pull himself away from Korean drinking culture. As a teetotaler, I can only approve.
Anyway, Charles is a discerning drinker (at least, he's way more discerning than I'll ever be), and during our time at California Kitchen last Friday, he sampled two types of beer—both sour ales, if I remember correctly. The first had a top note of raspberry, but the second—a Mago Sour—proved much more interesting. Its top note was basically apple pie: apples and cinnamon, but according to Charles, there were also notes of pineapple and vanilla, not to mention a small constellation of other subtle scents and flavors. This was a more sophisticated beer. I don't have a refined enough palate to pick up on much more than the most obvious smells, and when Charles gave me a chance to sniff that second beer, I definitely caught the apple pie, but what inspired me was the idea that there was pineapple in there as well. I started thinking about what might happen if you put pineapple into your apple-pie filling, and below, you can see (but, unfortunately, not taste) the result:
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| made fresh tonight, but it's to serve on Thursday |
This is the filling for the pie I'm making for Thursday. If you look very carefully, you might see chunks of pineapple floating around alongside the standard chunks of apple. After the filling had a chance to cool down a bit, I had myself a taste, and it was amazing. The pineapple provides a gentle tartness along with that pineapple-flesh texture. It's a joy both to taste and to chew. I think the Thursday luncheon crowd will really enjoy this. Can't wait to make the rest of the pie this coming Wednesday. For now, I just need to stow the filling until I'm ready.
A star is born! The flavor combination sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI didn't expect to see this so soon. I look forward to reports of the finished pie on Thursday. What ratio of apple-to-pineapple did you use?
ReplyDeleteAlso, as for my drinking habits, my reasons for drinking less than I used to are far more pedestrian than you are imagining. Back when I was young and stupid, I didn't care about the consequences of drinking too much. Now, though, I just don't feel like dealing with the consequences. I also just don't find getting drunk to be fun anymore.
As for dignity... heh. You have a very idealized image of the typical university professor. Things are changing as the old guard retreats, but one is almost expected to drink too much. If I'm being completely honest, part of me deciding to drink less is rebellion against these social pressures.
It was five apples and a bit more than half a pineapple. The pineapple really brightens up the filling's flavor.
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