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Brain Ladle Trivia Posts

Episode 34: Christmas

Published December 18, 2018 by admin

Enjoy a tall glass of wassail with the gang as Neil regales us with Christmas cheer, in the form of Christmas trivia! Davo and Kels do their best to unwrap the gifts of knowledge Neil passes out. But will they get what the asked for, or trivia nuggets of coal? Find out as you sip your wassail, warm and toasty before the yule log.

BTW, this recipe is quite tasty

Sugar-roasted apples float in a pool of spiced apple cider and brandy for this traditional wassail recipe. Egg yolks and whites, beaten to a fine foam, provide a delicate creaminess to this traditional English Christmas-time drink.

Ingredients

  • 6 small apples
  • 1 cup whole, unrefined cane sugar
  • ½ cup brandy
  • 2 quarts hard apple cider
  • 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 6 allspice berries
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • freshly grated nutmeg, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Take a sharp paring knife or a melon baller, scoop out a whole at the top of the apples at the stem end without fully penetrating the fruit. Continue scooping the core out of the apple until you reach the seeds, and remove them. Then fill each apple with unrefined cane sugar, reserving any leftover sugar. Place the filled apples in a baking dish, and bake them for 45 minutes at 350 F.
  3. While the apples bake, pour the brandy and hard apple cider into a pot set on the stove over medium-low heat. Whisk in the powdered ginger and any remaining sugar. Drop in the cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice berries.
  4. When the apples have finished baking pull them out of then oven and allow them to rest.
  5. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl until thick and creamy. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, until uniformly combined, but taking care so that the egg whites maintain their loft. Temper the eggs by pouring a half-cup up hot wassail into the eggs and whisking to combine, and then whisk the eggs into the wassail.
  6. Strain the wassail through a fine-mesh strainer into a punch bowl or soup tureen to keep it warm. Drop the baked apples into the bowl, and serve warm with a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.

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Episode 32: Respec’ My Authority

Published December 4, 2018 by admin

Kels lets us in on what it takes to be the boss, the man, the head honcho, the alpha dog. It’s all about bosses this week. Neil and Davo are put to the test, hoping fto earn that promotion to trivia capo. Who has the chops, and who is stuck with other duties as assigned? Bring 3 references, show up 5 minutes early and find out!

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Episode 30: Thanksgiving

Published November 20, 2018 by admin

Andy returns to stuff the gang full of trivia dressing, in honor of that most gluttonous of holidays, Thanksgiving! Will they gobble up the trivia nuggets, or will they lay rejected like that weird jello salad with coconut and marshmallows that your aunt makes every single year, and no one likes it, but she thinks it’s the best and a tradition and…

It seems I’ve gone a bit overboard, so, well, enjoy the show!

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Episode 29: Australia

Published November 13, 2018 by admin

Davo takes us on another trip around the world, all the way to Australia! In honor of our friendly neighbors in the Southern Hemisphere, Neil and Kels are grilled like prawns on the barbie about the people, places, things and ideas that make the Land Down Under wonderful! It’s a (hopefully) entertaining introduction that will keep you guessing, so don’t be a drongo, listen and enjoy!

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