-=> JIM WELLER wrote to DAVE DRUM <=-

 DD> I do know what I like .... like Micheloeb Amber Bock

 JW> Another brand that I haven't tasted as it doesn't make it to the
 JW> NWT or Alberta.

 DD> not a true "bock" beer

 JW> It's certainly described as Bock a lot, even though it's American,
 JW> not German.

Bock is a bottom fermenting lager that generally takes extra months of 
lagering (cold storage) to smooth out. Usually of a dark amber colour
and lightly hopped. When I was younger it was made in small local(ish)
breweries in the fall and bottled/marketed in the spring. Most of those
breweries were run by folks of German ancestry (Fleck's, Reisch, 
Leinenkugel, etc.)
 
 DD> just a marketing name like Gruyere cheese in the US.

 JW> Is American Gruyere a thing? Canada acknowledges that Gruyere is a
 JW> protected name for a specific Swiss cheese. There is good Gruyere
 JW> style cheese made in Canada but it is merely labelled as a "Swiss
 JW> Style" cheese if any mention of origin or style is made at all.
 JW> There is a particularly good one made by monks near Montreal called
 JW> Mont Saint-Benoit that wins all sort of awards and is well regarded
 JW> world wide. It tastes very much like Gruyere but it doesn't claim to
 JW> be one.

American gruyere is akin to American champagne - in that some of it is
pretty darned decent but it still ignores the appellation d'origine 
protegee in the name of marketing and $$$. Even at that it's still very
'spensive ($14 to $18 per pound) so I usually sub Jarlsberg or Emmenthal.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Texas 1015 Sweet Onion Soup
 Categories: Soups, Vegetables, Herbs, Wine cheese
      Yield: 8 Servings
 
  2 1/2 lb (2 Texas sized) 1015 onions
      2 lg Garlic cloves; fine chopped
           - or grated
      4 tb Unsalted Butter
      4 tb Oil
      3 tb Flour
      2 qt Beef broth/stock
      1 c  (generous) leftover red wine
      2    Bay leaves
      1 tb Fresh thyme leaves
    1/2 ts Cayenne pepper
      8 sl (to 12) baguette, boule, or
           - sourdough
      8 oz Gruyere or Emmenthaler;
           - shredded
           Kosher salt & ground pepper
 
  This is by far my favorite way to enjoy Dr. Pike's
  super-sweet agricultural anomoly. You've probably seen these
  onions the size of cantaloupes on display in the grocery
  store this month. Developed by Dr. Pike to be mild, sweet,
  and tear-free, these gastronomic spring giants are seasonal
  treats you do NOT want to pass up. After all, everything's
  bigger and better in Texas. I especially enjoy a bowl of
  this silky concoction in leiu of potatoes with a Texas
  grass-fed steak.
  
  Peel, quarter and slice your onions. In a large,
  heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, melt the butter in the oil
  over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme,
  pinch of salt and pepper, coating everything with butter/oil
  as much as possible. Turn heat up to med-high and cook,
  stirring often, for 30 minutes until onions are super soft
  and golden. Again, stir often.
  
  Once onions are caramelized, add in your red wine, bring to
  a boil, and reduce until onions are purple with little to no
  liquid in the pot. Take this opportunity to break up any
  large, long or stringy onion pieces with your wooden spoon
  or whatnot. Stir in flour and cook a few minutes to get rid
  of the flour-y flavor. Pour in stock, add cayenne (at least
  1/8 tsp., which you won't be able to taste, 1/4 tsp. if you
  don't mind a bit of warmth, and 1/2 tsp. or more if you're
  feeling adventurous). Stir well to incorporate flour into
  stock, and simmer for 15 minutes until broth is thickened to
  a silky texture.
  
  Heat oven to Broil. Arrange bread slices on baking sheet,
  top with cheese and few grinds of pepper, and toast in the
  oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. Discard bay leaves,
  ladel soup into bowls, and float cheesy croutons on top.
  
  Note: You can certainly make this when 1015s are not in
  season, just use 2.5 lbs regular yellow onions. I highly
  recommend Veldhuizen gruyere, paragon, or Texas star raw
  milk cheeses.
  
  Recipe by: Bonnie Walton
  
  From: http://bonniewalton.com
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
MMMMM

... The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics says crap gets crappier as time passes.
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