Lemons Lemons are one of my favorite flavor enhancers but you need to be careful of the white pith. If you cook the pith, it turns very bitter. Cooking the rind or pulp is fine but never use the pith or seeds. I remember discovering this disturbing fact cooking chicken piccata for the first time. I thought I could enhance the flavor by cooking lemon slices in the sauce but instead I got a bitter taste I couldn't correct with sugar.
My Favorite Pan My favorite pan is a twenty dollar cast iron pan. I remember vividly how my step-father coveted his iron pan and warned us about not using soap to clean it. Seasoned and maintained properly, an iron pan can last forever. It is better than any non stick pan and far more durable. It's thick base holds heat better than any pan in my arsenal and prevents food from burning by dispersing the heat.
I look forward to this beer release every fall. But you gotta move fast cause they don't stay in stores long. I was able to find three this year without too much effort but I knew the release date. And, don't confuse this beer with it's younger cousin Velvet Merlin which is released later in six packs. Velvet Merlin is a great oatmeal stout but it hasn't been aged to perfection in bourbon barrels. Get ready for notes of chocolate, coffee, vanilla and, of course, bourbon. Make sure you get two bottles. Drink one now and age the other one for a year!
