As we continue to modernize our lifestyles — riding instead of walking, working in a cubicle instead of in a field, playing iPods instead of sports — more people are becoming overweight and, worse, obese. In fact, there are so many overweight and obese people that some public health officials now call it an epidemic, particularly because of the many resulting health problems.
Obesity: A Worldwide Problem
Around the world, more than one billion adults are overweight and about 300 million of them are obese. In the United States, 66 percent of all adults are overweight and, of those, 32 percent are obese, for a healthy lifestyle take a look to these gluconite reviews.
Obesity levels in Japan and some African nations are below 5 percent, but they’re rising. Obesity rates in China overall are not high, but in some of that country’s larger cities, rates are up 20 percent.
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions, too. The number of overweight children in the United States has doubled since 1980, and for teens, it’s tripled. And the problem with children is now a global issue as well.
Obesity: Why It’s Happening
Although your genes play a role in your body weight, there are other factors involved. In many places around the world, particularly the United States, we have plenty of nutrient-rich food to eat and easy access to fattening fast foods and sweets. Also, because of our modern lifestyles, we are not as active as we once were. The end result: We’re eating more calories than we can burn. Try out Carbofix as an obesity prevention treatment.
Being overweight or obese can cause a whole cascade of health problems, from heart disease and diabetes to stroke and even some types of cancer. These diseases can seriously impact a person’s quality of life and lead to premature death.
Obesity: How It Differs From Being Overweight
Obesity and overweight are terms used to describe a level of excess weight that’s considered unhealthy for your body size. One way to determine if you are overweight or obese is to figure out your body mass index (BMI), a calculation you make by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters (kg/m2). Don’t worry — you don’t have to do the math; you can find BMI calculators online.
Place Olive-Oil, Salt, Pepper and Garlic into a large stock pot and heat up a bit.
Add the Onion and Meat. Brown until onion begins to caramelize (5 min for me)
Deglaze the pot with the whisky, being careful to not expose the liquor to open flame.
Add the water, beef broth, turnip, potato, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer (covered) for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Check the moisture level. If the stew has thickened considerably, add water at this point to ensure the barley will cook properly and to get the consistency you prefer in a soup or stew.
Add Pearled Barley and simmer (covered) for an additional 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring regularly. It’s done when the barley is soft all the way through.
Eat. Enjoy. Blog about it…
Raz’ Notes:
Adding some highland whisky in at the browning section would probably be really good. If you try the whisky addition let me know how it comes out.
This is based on a Scotts recipe I found on the web. I changed a few things, most notably adding the spuds because spuds are good.
Towards the last 15 minutes the broth had become quite thick so I added a half cup of water and stirred it in. The original recipe called for 1 ½ cups of water.
Seamus’ Notes:
I added 1 tsp dried Thyme, 1/2 cup Caol Ila 18yr. Scotch, an additional 1 1/2 cups water
Use the Scotch to deglaze after caramelizing the onions and meat. Add the water/broth/etc. only after deglazing with the whiskey. 1/2 cup of scotch may be too little. Next time I will add a full cup and see how that fares.
A bay leaf should probably be added next time. If this is done, put it in when the initial water is added.
Following the directions, I added 2 1/2 cups of water at the beginning, and then found it necessary to add another cup of water when the barley went in to ensure proper saturation. This is a full 2 cups more than the original recipe.
I added an Islay Scotch (Caol Ila 18yr.), not a highland. After cooking off the iodine nose, the end result was a fairly mild smokiness without any sweetness added by the whisky. Next time round, I think I will try adding a Balvenie to try and capture the sweetness too.
I’d recommend using only potato OR only turnips. Using both increased the amount of food substantially and tended to make the dish a bit more complex. Next time, I think I will remove the potato and use only turnips for a more accurate representation and to simplify the dish.
So you need a gift for that picky whisky lover in your life but don’t know enough about their tastes to buy them an actual bottle eh? Well we (3DC) have got you covered. The following is Raz’ top 10 non whisky-whisky gifts to give for the holidays.
Please note that, excepting the #1 pick, there is no particular order to them, nor are the links necessarily to the only and or best value sites to get these gifts from. Buyer beware is the rule of the day. These are just ideas for you to use as your own (with our blessings) and to get the job done.
OK, so there is SOME whisky in this “no-whiskey” gift list but as Seamus says, you can’t go wrong with the Balvenie, he’s wrong-but he says it anyway, so with that in mind; the Balvenie Gift Basket from Hi Time Wine Cellars would make someone very happy: $114.95 http://www.hitimewine.net/istar.asp?a=6&id=810534!0
Got someone that is so into whiskey that they’ve been considering making their own? Give them a Whiskey Barrel: $40-$272 http://thebarrelsource.com/combos.html
Because you really can’t do much better than giving knowledge as a gift, Tickets to WOW 2008 in San Francisco would be great. Remember, we’re staying at the Hotel Des Arts in case you want to send them by to say hello as well: $110.00 and up http://www.whiskiesoftheworld.com
Happy shopping and if you are reading this, I wouldn’t mind being on your list…
Are you close to a Whiskey, Whisky, or Scotch lover? Do you want to get them the perfect bottle as a holiday gift? Do you have no idea how to shop for a bottle of whiskies?
Because of my love for whiskies and my involvement with the 3 Drunken Celts, I am often asked for suggestions as to which bottle would be a good gift for a friend, family member, or boss. To this end I present: “Seamus’ Opinionated Guide to buying Whiskies as Gifts”
When accosted for a recommendation, my initial response is: “Find a bottle of ‘The Balvenie’ which suits your price point and buy it. You won’t go wrong…”
However, I have found that not everyone is as enamoured with the distillery as I am (cough, Raz, cough). So in a vain attempt to help out those recipients who don’t always prefer The Balvenie, I will attempt to provide some basic guidelines to choosing a suitable bottle as a gift. (If you just want Seamus’ top picks for each price point, scroll to the bottom past all the drivel in between…)
Ok, if you are still with me, let’s get to the substance of this article:
First and foremost, figure out what your price point is. There is no use finding the perfect bottle, only to realize it is way out of your range. Price can be used as a general guideline: the more costly, odds are it will be better than the cheaper stuff. But don’t let that get you down; there are some GREAT whiskies on the market which far outshine their lower price points. Just remember, there ARE deals to be had! Find some whiskies in the price range you are comfortable with, and then begin narrowing down from there.
Like price, Age is also a decent guideline where the older is typically better. On general principal a 21 year old whisky will be smoother than a 10 year old whisky. This guideline, however, tends to only stand up within the same distillery. Once you begin comparing differing distilleries and differing ages, the guideline begins to break down with too many exceptions.
When using Age as a guideline, it is also best to add Region in as well. You may well find a great 22yr Single Malt, only to discover it is from a region known for its brine when your recipient prefers peat.
If at all possible, you should try to determine of the recipient has any specific preferences when it comes to his/her whiskies. If so, you have it easy… stick with those preferences. Straying from a preferred distillery/region can be a risky venture as most connoisseurs are quite particular with their drams.
Assuming that the recipient has no particular preferences, you’ll have your work cut out for you. At the least, try to determine if he/she likes the smoky, peaty, briny, or sweeter whiskies. This will help you narrow down to a smaller regional subset and progress from there.
Some general regional characteristics to help you along the way:
Highlands – Arguably the most popular region appealing to the widest range of tastes including peat, brine, and smoke.
Speyside – A very popular and quite prolific region. Sweet, delicately complex; some with a refined smokiness, some with fruity finishes.
Islay (pronounced “Eye-la”) – Gives the Highlands a run at most popular. Challenging, Peat, brine, smoke and sometimes a tinge of salty seaweed
Skye and Orkney – Similar in character to the Islays but tend to be softer on the pallet. The Peat on the Orkneys is from heather which imparts a honey like flavor.
Lowlands – This region no longer boasts the copious number of distilleries as it once did. Soft, smooth and mild. A little of the peat and brine of the Highland malts, but much more subtle.
Campbeltown – This also use to be a prolific region, but is now in rarity. Slightly briny but not as aggressive as the Islay malts.
Irish – Not as popular as Scotch malts but this is a developing malting region its blends are quite popular. Distinguished by the un-malted barley used along with malted barley. Smooth, complex and frequently with some fruity flavor. Once known for peated whiskies, this is rarely done now.
Bourbon – From the Bourbon County, KY area of the US. Sour, sweet and smoky
American – Not from the Bourbon County area. Many are quite new to the market place with varying differences in flavours.
Assuming you have a set price range, you can really start narrowing down your selection set based on Age/Year, region, and the particular palette imparted by each bottling. Of course none of this can take the place of experience (i.e. sampling and knowing how each tastes); but if you knew already, then you wouldn’t need this guide would you?
At this point the internet is your best friend. You can find some great tasting notes on darn near any bottle ever produced! Start your searches on some on-line liquor retailer websites to find the bottles in your price range, and then do a few Google searches to find tasting notes and ratings on each. You should have a short-list selection in no time. From there, either order your choice from one of the sites who will ship to you (even with shipping you can get some wonderful deals on the internet), or take your list to your local purveyor of spirits to fill your order.
Now, it seems that even after I espouse my diatribe above, people still look at me and ask “…well that’s fine and all, but what do YOU recommend?”. I have two answers to that question:
1. If you are asking this question, then you haven’t understood a word I have said. Whiskies are a complicated thing and can be very personal for each drinker. You are best to follow the advice above, lest you buy a bottle which doesn’t meet the recipient’s desires…
2. If you are still going to demand a particular bottle recommendation, and were buying said bottle for MY palette, here you go:
Seamus’ Top Picks by Price Point (2 bottles each category):
$250 and higher:
The Balvenie 25 year / Bowmore 35yr
$120 – $249:
The Balvenie 21yr Port Wood / Edradour 22yr Port Wood
$100 – $119:
Midleton Very Rare / Compass Box Hedonism
$75 – $99:
Compass Box Flaming Heart / GlenRothes 1987
$50 – $74:
Oban 14yr / GlenRothes 1991 14yr
$30 – $49:
Sheep Dip / Knappogue Castle 1992
$10 – $29:
Aberlour 10yr / John, Mark, & Robbo’s The Rich Spicy One
Other picks…
For the Bourbon lover: Bulleit Bourbon is an amazing distillation, which at $15-$30 can’t be beat at all!
For a fun grab-bag type surprise, choose any Bruichladdich bottling (pronounced ‘brook’- ‘law’-‘day’). NONE are the same and will challenge the connoisseur’s palette and expectations. You never know what you’re going to get!
A close friend recently asked if I had any good quotes surrounding Scotch Whisky which he may use on a sign at an open Scotch bar for another friend’s funeral. I so quickly took stock and realized that, oddly enough I really hadn’t any which I could provide easily.
Of course, being the connected lad that I am, I hurriedly hit the internet and began sending over a few here and there which I thought may be appropriate… Then it hit me… why don’t I add this to the site as a “3DC Approved” resource?! So here they are; a small handful of Scotch and Whisky(ey) based quotes which the 3 Drunken Celts heartily endorse:
“The proper drinking of Scotch whisky is more than indulgence: it is a toast to civilization, a tribute to the continuity of culture, a manifesto of man’s determination to use the resources of nature to refresh mind and body and enjoy to the full the senses with which he has been endowed.”
– David Daiches, Scotch Whisky 1969
“There is no such thing as a bad whisky. Some whiskies just happen to be better than others.”
– William Faulkner
“A good malt bears the imprint of its origins. The source of the water, the quality of the air and the character of the peat used to dry the malted barley all combine to make something unique -the very essence of its environment. Malt whisky is like the Scots tongue – broadly one language yet, within that, so many different dialects, each one unique to its own distillery. It is this subtle distinction which gives every malt its unmistakable identity.”
– From a Highland Park Distillery brochure
“Set up another case bartender! The best thing for a case of nerves is a case of Scotch.”
– W. C. Fields quotes
“For God’s sake bring me a large Scotch. What a bloody awful country. “
– Reginald Maudling
“There were years when I was a beer and tequila guy, then I got real fat. And then I found that you could actually go on a diet and drink scotch. Then I got hooked on scotch, and if you get hooked on scotch, then everything else just tastes wrong.”
– Ron White
“No married man is genuinely happy if he has to drink worse whisky than he used to drink when he was single.”
– H. L. Mencken
“The light music of whiskey falling into a glass – an agreeable interlude.”
– James Joyce
“We borrowed golf from Scotland as we borrowed whiskey. Not because it is Scottish, but because it is good.”
– Horace Hutchinson
“Whisky is liquid sunshine.”
– George Bernard Shaw
“What butter and whiskey won’t cure, there is no cure for.”
– Irish Saying
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough.”
– Mark Twain
And of course the good ‘ol 3 Drunken Celt standby:
Hollinshed, writing in 1577 on this ancient beverage, says: “It sloweth age, it strengtheneth youth, it helpeth digestion, it cutteth flegme, it relisheth the harte, it lighteneth the mynd, it quickeneth the spirits, it cureth the hydropsie, it repelleth gravel . . . and trulie it is a sovereigne liquor if it be orderlie taken”.
I received my bottle of Lucid via UPS on Monday afternoon… After waiting for Jean to get home, we worked our way into the kitchen and began the “ritual” of la louche’.
Not having ANY of the absinthe specific tools, we had to improvise as best we could. We found two wine glasses which would work. I then “macgyvered” a slotted spoon by using the top of a salt-shaker (washed of course!) and banding it between two chop-sticks so it would sit on the rim of the glasses without having to use two hands to hold and pour.
I poured about a jigger’s worth of absinthe into the glass, and then retrieved the iced water from the counter. Placing a sugar cube in the salt-shaker top, I proceeded to pour the water -very slowly- over the cube to dissolve it with as little water as possible.
The green, yet crystal clear absinthe liquor began its change into the green fairy. With the slightest addition of ice cold water and sugar, the liquor clouded up perfectly into a mint-green glass of happiness.
Ah, now it was time for the first taste….
The initial hit is of anise, which mellows into a nice mild sweetness of sage, though the anise sticks around for the whole story to unfold. Unfortunately, the first glass was a bit too watery, as I seemingly overdid the ice water and under did the liquor. So, after consuming the first glass with only very mild effects, we ate dinner and came back a few hours later to pour out a second try.
This time, my ratio was dead on. I only eyeballed the liquor when pouring rather than accurately measuring, so I am unclear as to how much I actually used. We’ll say it was a good solid 2 shots. I la louche’d with less water than previously used, stopping when the look of the drink appeared “right”. (Knowing what “watery” looked like made this second attempt much easier.)
At first sip I realized that THIS is what the first drink should have tasted like. Much more potent, the only way I can find to accurately describe the flavour to someone who hasn’t tried it is:
Consider taking a handful of licorice Altoids, add some small pinches of sage, and add water to taste. The flavours which come out are a slightly minty, heavily anised herbiness cut so slightly by the sweetness of the sugar cube and, of course, the added water.
Halfway into the second glass, I found that the effects of the drink were a bit… different. The buzz was more of the stimulant variety than the depressant commonly associated with alcohol. Both Jean and I found more of a crispness and clarity to the buzz, in direct contrast to the fuzziness typically encountered with whiskies or other liquors. No hallucinations were encountered, though in our defense 2 glasses over the course of 4 hours isn’t exactly conducive to experience the heavy effects of ANY drink. I can, however, see how imbibing a bit more may push some of the other effects to the fore-front of the experience.
It should also be noted here that Lucid is indeed produced using the higher quality of wormwood available (Grande if memory serves) and as such the drink does contain low levels of thujone, the presumably “active” ingredient which is also found in sage and rosemary.
Moreover, I can absolutely see how this particular drink could and SHOULD be experienced in a social atmosphere. The ritual aspect alone demands an audience. One can almost envision themselves sitting in a dark café’ or pub in the alley-ways of France, sipping the green fairy, and just watching the world go by. Though, don’t be mistaken; even merely people watching is not a solo endeavor, but rather an experience to share with all your friends!
So, take this for what it is worth from a 3DC member… if you ever have the opportunity to imbibe in the Green Fairy… Jump at the chance. You will not regret it.
-Seamus
