Paw Paw, West Virginia Superthread

[The Sad Punk]

I totally need to try more port. I remember not really liking it that much when I first tried it around age 12-13, but my father had a bottle of 21 year old port on my 21st birthday and it was astonishingly good. Maybe next week, I'll try to find a bottle of port ...

You totally need to make these pizzas - they sound delicious! I'm bloody full right now and you're making my mouth water anyway. And with a fucking vegetarian pizza! I hate vegetarian pizzas normally. But that sounds damn good.

The first time I drank port was way too early, too early for someone to even drink a soft drink (it was an accident, after all), but evidently I thought it was nice then and I think it's nice now! I don't have it often at all, though, so I'm no expert on which ones to find. Perhaps I should buy a bottle for tomorrow night.

Yeah, the idea with that pizza was that, though it's vegetarian, an omnivore could just as well want to eat it. Feta and haloumi are enjoyed by a lot of meat lovers, probably because of their saltiness and perhaps texture. With the olives and tzatziki too, I was kind of going for a Greek mezze as a main course. I'm rather proud of it, just need to decide which brands of cheese I want for it.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Night, Daniel!

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Two hours until Chinese time.

It's Friday.

Good to know some things never change.

I'm trying to convince my friend to order from the deli down the street, best avocado sandwiches ever.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Ahh, right. I was getting the impression that even if the opposition didn't turn up, the Demons would still manage to lose.

The Super 14 has been going since 1996, and Canterbury has won it HALF THE BLOODY TIME. Auckland won the first two seasons, then since that point the ACT Brumbies have won it twice, the Natal Sharks once, Auckland once more and Canterbury SIX TIMES. Looking good for a seventh this year. Meanwhile, the best my Hurricanes have done is reach the grand final in 2006. Guess who we lost to? Yeah, fucking Canterbury.

You'd think that, but they weren't going to go without a fight. Especially since Neitz was retiring.

Oh god, that sounds absolutely painful. How does the drafting go? Surely the organisation needs to think about this - a massively dominating side over a young league really doesn't sound good for money.

 

[Axver]

The first time I drank port was way too early, too early for someone to even drink a soft drink (it was an accident, after all), but evidently I thought it was nice then and I think it's nice now! I don't have it often at all, though, so I'm no expert on which ones to find. Perhaps I should buy a bottle for tomorrow night.

Yeah, the idea with that pizza was that, though it's vegetarian, an omnivore could just as well want to eat it. Feta and haloumi are enjoyed by a lot of meat lovers, probably because of their saltiness and perhaps texture. With the olives and tzatziki too, I was kind of going for a Greek mezze as a main course. I'm rather proud of it, just need to decide which brands of cheese I want for it.

There's such a thing as too early? I've said before that I've been drinking alcohol all my life, and can't recall the first time I tried it since I was so young. I'm very grateful I had a family open about it, who didn't view alcohol as something forbidden or dangerous. It was just another drink, albeit one you had to be a little careful with. I suppose the mentality my family gave me was that just like driving, where you don't want to exceed the speed limit, you don't want to exceed your alcohol limit (at least not when you're under ten!). So, sure, I could only have a very little glass and had to drink it slowly, but I understood why. While people in high school were goofing off, all "OMG BOOZE", I was just laughing at them.

Yeah, what really attracts me with that pizza is the fetta and the olives. But you could probably con me into trying just about anything with fetta and black olives! I don't know why people dislike olives. I made an improvised dinner last night: took a Turkish bread roll, cut it in half, then put on salami, black olives, spring onion, corn relish, tasty cheese (it's all I've got at home right now), mustard, and barbecue sauce. It was fucking delicious. Next time, I'm going to have to add some pepper, and buy some nice cheese.

 

[phanan]

Good to know some things never change.

Yes, I don't change too much.

 

[Axver]

You'd think that, but they weren't going to go without a fight. Especially since Neitz was retiring.

Oh god, that sounds absolutely painful. How does the drafting go? Surely the organisation needs to think about this - a massively dominating side over a young league really doesn't sound good for money.

They still haven't managed to win a game this year though, have they?

The sport doesn't have a draft quite like the AFL does. To quote Wikipedia's article about the Wellington Hurricanes, "Like all New Zealand Super 14 sides the Hurricanes are able to protect 24 players from within their franchise area each season. Players not protected can be selected by any of the other four franchises, while the Hurricanes can likewise bring in players from other regions." So it's really just that Canterbury's been producing a stupid amount of good players; at one point earlier this decade, it was possible for Canterbury to field an entire 15 man side formed entirely of All Blacks. My Hurricanes actually have a damn strong team at the moment, going by All Blacks representation, so hopefully we can convert that into a place in the final next year.

 

[The Sad Punk]

There's such a thing as too early? I've said before that I've been drinking alcohol all my life, and can't recall the first time I tried it since I was so young. I'm very grateful I had a family open about it, who didn't view alcohol as something forbidden or dangerous. It was just another drink, albeit one you had to be a little careful with. I suppose the mentality my family gave me was that just like driving, where you don't want to exceed the speed limit, you don't want to exceed your alcohol limit (at least not when you're under ten!). So, sure, I could only have a very little glass and had to drink it slowly, but I understood why. While people in high school were goofing off, all "OMG BOOZE", I was just laughing at them.

Yeah, what really attracts me with that pizza is the fetta and the olives. But you could probably con me into trying just about anything with fetta and black olives! I don't know why people dislike olives. I made an improvised dinner last night: took a Turkish bread roll, cut it in half, then put on salami, black olives, spring onion, corn relish, tasty cheese (it's all I've got at home right now), mustard, and barbecue sauce. It was fucking delicious. Next time, I'm going to have to add some pepper, and buy some nice cheese.

Exactly, my family was basically the same. At around middle school when kids started experimenting with alcohol more often, they'd boast about getting drunk for the first time at twelve or thirteen. I was very much all pish-posh to that. Though in often cases, those kids would have been more familiar with drugs until then, at least weed anyway.

Bloody hell, that sounds nice! Especially the use of mustard. I had a pizza concept which used mustard as the base sauce. Probably just something along the Master Foods French, that's my favourite. Are you familiar with haloumi? It's probably my favourite cheese.

 

[The Sad Punk]

They still haven't managed to win a game this year though, have they?

The sport doesn't have a draft quite like the AFL does. To quote Wikipedia's article about the Wellington Hurricanes, "Like all New Zealand Super 14 sides the Hurricanes are able to protect 24 players from within their franchise area each season. Players not protected can be selected by any of the other four franchises, while the Hurricanes can likewise bring in players from other regions." So it's really just that Canterbury's been producing a stupid amount of good players; at one point earlier this decade, it was possible for Canterbury to field an entire 15 man side formed entirely of All Blacks. My Hurricanes actually have a damn strong team at the moment, going by All Blacks representation, so hopefully we can convert that into a place in the final next year.

They beat Freo by a goal a few weeks ago.

I can understand that, still doesn't sound very fair, though. Do you watch much NRL, which just has the national NZ team?

 

[Axver]

Exactly, my family was basically the same. At around middle school when kids started experimenting with alcohol more often, they'd boast about getting drunk for the first time at twelve or thirteen. I was very much all pish-posh to that. Though in often cases, those kids would have been more familiar with drugs until then, at least weed anyway.

Bloody hell, that sounds nice! Especially the use of mustard. I had a pizza concept which used mustard as the base sauce. Probably just something along the Master Foods French, that's my favourite. Are you familiar with haloumi? It's probably my favourite cheese.

Amongst my friends, there was a clear split between people such as myself who had no issues with alcohol and had grown up with it as a normal part of life, and then at the completely different end of the spectrum, those who simply did not drink at all due to religious reasons. Really odd clash of backgrounds amongst my group of friends, and we've all gone in such different directions too. I mean, one worked at a nightclub in Newcastle, England for a few months - at the same time, another was off on some religious mission to Outback Queensland towns!

It was awesome, and I'll probably do it for lunch tomorrow. I was only using a very plain Masterfoods mustard - I think it would have been even better with a stronger mustard, and I'm not so sure the barbecue sauce is well-advised but I love my barbecue sauce so I don't care. Ham would have also gone down a treat. Oh, yes, and I forgot to mention: it also contained roma tomato. I love roma tomatoes.

And no, I'm not familiar with haloumi - what's it like?

 

[Axver]

They beat Freo by a goal a few weeks ago.

I can understand that, still doesn't sound very fair, though. Do you watch much NRL, which just has the national NZ team?

Fuck Freo. Nice to see them get beaten by the Demons.

The Super 14 is intended to be at least reasonably representative of its teams' constituent areas - i.e. Wellingtonians playing for Wellington rather than Otago or Canterbury, and I don't think it's possible for a Kiwi to play for an Aussie or South African team. I like that aspect, though it has meant New Zealand has absolutely dominated the tournament. Only once has there not been a single Kiwi team in the semi-finals.

Nah, I couldn't give two hoots about the NRL - league's not my thing, I think it's a pansy sport for wimps like Ian.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Tomatoes, and mustard and cheese.... Ok, guys, stop.

 

[Varitek]

i hate when loud shit outside the window wakes me up

 

[redhotswami]

i hate when loud shit outside the window wakes me up

Not like I sleep much anyway, but yeah, apparently either I live on a busy street or everyone here has shitty cars because it's so fucking loud. Even during the day, sometimes the noise drowns out my music.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Amongst my friends, there was a clear split between people such as myself who had no issues with alcohol and had grown up with it as a normal part of life, and then at the completely different end of the spectrum, those who simply did not drink at all due to religious reasons. Really odd clash of backgrounds amongst my group of friends, and we've all gone in such different directions too. I mean, one worked at a nightclub in Newcastle, England for a few months - at the same time, another was off on some religious mission to Outback Queensland towns!

It was awesome, and I'll probably do it for lunch tomorrow. I was only using a very plain Masterfoods mustard - I think it would have been even better with a stronger mustard, and I'm not so sure the barbecue sauce is well-advised but I love my barbecue sauce so I don't care. Ham would have also gone down a treat. Oh, yes, and I forgot to mention: it also contained roma tomato. I love roma tomatoes.

And no, I'm not familiar with haloumi - what's it like?

Oh yes, there were more some more conservative friends of mine too, but at middle school they ended up leaving to attend a new Christian school further down in the peninsula. Quite a few of my friends and cousins went down there, which left me with a group of people I couldn't connect to as well, despite having more liberal (if underdeveloped) views at the time. I never really felt like I belonged in the Christian or the more party-loving sides of town, though. That's one thing I hated about living in a country town, the lack of variety.

Ham will definitely work with the mustard/bbq sauce. As for roma tomatoes - well, let's just say that whenever a pasta sauce is made at this house, you can bet romas will be used. There's like, no other option!

Haloumi is a Greek cheese, particularly Cypriot. It's usually pan fried and doesn't melt much, if at all. The cooked result is a beautiful golden brown colour, and the taste is immediate, very salty and savoury. The texture is very rubbery. It goes great in yiros, or on its own with tzatziki.

 

[Axver]

Tomatoes, and mustard and cheese.... Ok, guys, stop.

So I better not tell you about the gelati I had for dessert tonight then?

 

[The Sad Punk]

Heya Vaz and Mia!

 

[redhotswami]

Heya Vaz and Mia!

fuck yeah!

 

[Axver]

i hate when loud shit outside the window wakes me up

Because where I live is shockingly planned, the steps to the upper floor of apartments are right by my bedroom wall. It seems like the upstairs apartments are populated by baby elephants too! Good god, they veritably thunder down every morning. But now I've tuned out that noise and it doesn't wake me like it did for my first month or two here, thankfully.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Fuck Freo. Nice to see them get beaten by the Demons.

The Super 14 is intended to be at least reasonably representative of its teams' constituent areas - i.e. Wellingtonians playing for Wellington rather than Otago or Canterbury, and I don't think it's possible for a Kiwi to play for an Aussie or South African team. I like that aspect, though it has meant New Zealand has absolutely dominated the tournament. Only once has there not been a single Kiwi team in the semi-finals.

Nah, I couldn't give two hoots about the NRL - league's not my thing, I think it's a pansy sport for wimps like Ian.

Oh yeah, Freo can get fucked all the way.

Yeah, I like the idea of local boys playing for the teams representing their area. That's one thing I like less about the AFL, even if the overall drafting is a bit more effective. How many Kiwi teams are there all up?

I was thinking of watching some NRL, just to get a little more used to the concept of Rugby, even if League is dumbed down. There hasn't been an Adelaide team in years though, and most of the teams are in a state I don't give a shit about. Suppose I could go for the Warriors if I wanted to get into it at all.

 

[Screwtape2]

I think I found a kindred spirit.

 

[phanan]

i hate when loud shit outside the window wakes me up

The birds outside were fucking loud this morning, I tell ya.

 

[Axver]

Oh yes, there were more some more conservative friends of mine too, but at middle school they ended up leaving to attend a new Christian school further down in the peninsula. Quite a few of my friends and cousins went down there, which left me with a group of people I couldn't connect to as well, despite having more liberal (if underdeveloped) views at the time. I never really felt like I belonged in the Christian or the more party-loving sides of town, though. That's one thing I hated about living in a country town, the lack of variety.

Ham will definitely work with the mustard/bbq sauce. As for roma tomatoes - well, let's just say that whenever a pasta sauce is made at this house, you can bet romas will be used. There's like, no other option!

Haloumi is a Greek cheese, particularly Cypriot. It's usually pan fried and doesn't melt much, if at all. The cooked result is a beautiful golden brown colour, and the taste is immediate, very salty and savoury. The texture is very rubbery. It goes great in yiros, or on its own with tzatziki.

See, I ended up with the conservative crowd by going to a nominally religious private school. There were those of us there because the state system sucked, and those of us there because their parents actually gave a shit about religion. Oddly enough, my best friend was there due to the former but became one of those types to give a shit about religion. His father is appalled by this development and is making sure his other two kids stay well and truly in the state system!

And I never managed to fit into the Gold Coast culture whatsoever. Every section of it was lame. At least I don't feel stupidly out of place here in Melbourne. Out of place, probably, but stupidly, no.

I'm going shopping tomorrow, so I may just pick up a little bit of shredded ham. Trying to think of other stuff to include; maybe some onion, but that's a bastard to prepare. And yeah, if you're making pasta sauce with tomatoes other than roma, you're doing it wrong! I once mistakenly bought the wrong tomatoes for a bolognese sauce - oh god, with Australian tomatoes, it was FOUL.

Oooh, haloumi sounds like it must be awesome.

 

[redhotswami]

btw, in case anyone missed it, Khan and i have a drunk posting date tonight (our time). i love orgies, so i'm inviting you all to partake as well
i refrained from drinking yesterday because of the circumstances. but tonight i'm making that liter of absolut my bitch.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

So I better not tell you about the gelati I had for dessert tonight then?

Evil, man...

The birds outside were fucking loud this morning, I tell ya.

No kidding. I woke up late and had to drag my ass in today.

 

[phanan]

btw, in case anyone missed it, Khan and i have a drunk posting date tonight (our time). i love orgies, so i'm inviting you all to partake as well
i refrained from drinking yesterday because of the circumstances. but tonight i'm making that liter of absolut my bitch.

 

[Axver]

Oh yeah, Freo can get fucked all the way.

Yeah, I like the idea of local boys playing for the teams representing their area. That's one thing I like less about the AFL, even if the overall drafting is a bit more effective. How many Kiwi teams are there all up?

I was thinking of watching some NRL, just to get a little more used to the concept of Rugby, even if League is dumbed down. There hasn't been an Adelaide team in years though, and most of the teams are in a state I don't give a shit about. Suppose I could go for the Warriors if I wanted to get into it at all.

Who the hell calls a team the "Dockers"? And their team song is quite possibly worse than half of Britney Spears' discography put together.

I know I've spoken before about how I find it weird in AFL how people rarely seem to support the team from where they live, and I suppose the mobility of the players affects that too. I think it definitely makes it harder for newcomers to get into the game. In the Super 14, there are five Kiwi teams - always have been. When it was the Super 12, there were four South African teams and three Aussie teams; since the expansion to the Super 14, South Africa and Australia have had one more team each.

Nah, fuck the league. Rugby's where it's at - and the international season gets under way next month. The Wallabies' first game is against Ireland on the 14th (New Zealand plays the Irish the week beforehand too). While you're in Melbourne, one game's on, Australia vs France on the 28th. I'll surely be trying to get together people to watch the game/drink wine/eat cheese and crackers and stuff. I'll likely fail, but I'll still try!

 

[The Sad Punk]

btw, in case anyone missed it, Khan and i have a drunk posting date tonight (our time). i love orgies, so i'm inviting you all to partake as well
i refrained from drinking yesterday because of the circumstances. but tonight i'm making that liter of absolut my bitch.

Ooh, that'd make, uh, around midday-afternoon for Aussie/Kiwis the drinking hours, I think? Maybe I can discreetly drink a little glass of absinthe.

Oh, and Mia! I am wondering how to finish a bottle of mezcal. Do you know any good shots or cocktails I can do with it?

 

[Axver]

Ooh, that'd make, uh, around midday-afternoon for Aussie/Kiwis the drinking hours, I think? Maybe I can discreetly drink a little glass of absinthe.

Oh, and Mia! I am wondering how to finish a bottle of mezcal. Do you know any good shots or cocktails I can do with it?

I have a bit of wine here at home, maybe I'll join in too.

 

[The Sad Punk]

For those of you who haven't eaten haloumi before, here's a picture of it on top of some salad (which is irrelevant).