Don't buy a Moon Pie from a liquor store.
I stopped at the classic liquor store on the corner today. I was looking for a bottle of water and found parking right in front. In Berkeley, you take whatever space you can find. When you see a space, you become euphoric, even a little cocky about your good fortune.
On my way to the cold drinks, I spotted a chocolate Moon Pie. I hadn't eaten one since December 12 and thought now's the time.
Once back in the car, I removed the wrapper and bit into it hoping for the best; at the same time suppressing my disappointment at the discoloration of the surface chocolate layer. My taste buds registered no reaction to this Moon Pie. It was thoroughly dessicated. Fossilized. Probably it had been sitting on the shelf since Ronald Reagan's second term just waiting for a sucker like me to come along and pay full retail.
Thinking about it later, it occurred to me that I should have known better. Who goes into a liquor store to buy a Moon Pie? What alcoholic beverage does a Moon Pie go with? Maybe the strawberry and banana Moon Pies go with daiquiries but even that's a stretch.
Buying Moon Pies at a liquor store is like buying carrots at a tire shop.
Don't get burned. Caveat emptor.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What alcoholic beverage does a moon pie go with? Indeed, an excellent and challenging question.
ReplyDeleteFirst, we must understand the rich cultural -- as well as culinary -- history of the Moon Pie®.
"Early in the 1900s, while servicing his territory of Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, Mr. Mitchell was visiting a company store that catered to the coal miners. He asked them what they might enjoy as a snack. The miners said they wanted something for their lunch pails. It had to be solid and filling. “About how big?,!” Mr. Mitchell asked. Well about that time the moon was rising, so a miner held out his big hands, framing the moon and said, “About that big!” So, with that in mind, Mr. Mitchell headed back to the bakery with an idea. Upon his return he noticed some of the workers dipping graham cookies into marshmallow and laying them on the window sill to harden. So they added another cookie and a generous coating of chocolate and sent them back for the workers to try. In fact, they sent MoonPie® samples around with their other salespeople, too. The response they got back was so enormous that the MoonPie® became a regular item for the bakery." http://www.moonpie.com/hist_text.asp
Then, careful consideration must be given to the delicate yet nearly infintesimal variations of the chocolate-wine interface...
"Typically the wine should be at least as sweet, if not a touch sweeter, than the chocolate you are serving it with. Otherwise, the taste may quickly veer towards bitter or sour.
"When pairing wines with chocolate, your best bet is to match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. For example, a bittersweet chocolate tends to pair well with an intense, in-your-face California Zinfandel." http://wine.about.com/od/winerecommendations/a/winechocolate.htm
Only then can the question be answered: What alcoholic beverage does a moon pie go with?
http://www.bumwine.com/tbird.html
And you bought a bottle of water. Pshaw.
Peacerant,
ReplyDeleteI think you're way ahead of the curve with these ideas about moon pies going with wine. It seems no one is on to this yet. Otherwise, my moon pie would have been fresh.
Not that we can't create a market for the wine/moon pie combo. Let's throw a few million at it and see what happens. I'll have my people talk to some Madison Avenue people and then get back to your people. If pet rocks can sell, so can this.
First, the best place to buy a moon pie is a truck stop. On a long drive often a sugar rush is what one needs on the way to a place where you might find some kind of real food.
ReplyDeleteThat in mind drinking wine or any alcoholic beverage would not be recommended. Usually coffee goes well with the moon pie. A huge cup of truck stop coffee with a lot of that flavored non-dairy creamer is what I would recommend. Hazelnut flavor.
Traditionally, moon pies are served with RC cola. According to wikipedia: ""RC Cola and a Moon Pie" is a common phrase in the southern states of the United States.[4][5] It is uncertain whence the tradition of eating moon pies with RC Cola derived.[6]"
Since RC cola was invented in 1905 it appears that both the moon pie and RC cola hit the markets in close succession.
Personally, I'll stick with coffee.
RC Cola and Moon Pies? And a big serving of diabetes for dinner with a hardening of the arteries on the side. Yum, nutritious AND delicious! Have a cigarette with that, just to make sure the frikkin coffin has enough nails in the lid to make sure rotting brains like that do not escape and return to seek political office, like it seems they have been doing - from the looks of who we have elected. Anyone want a salad and some steamed broccoli? I thought not.
ReplyDelete