Susan in FL

Just discovered this thread... What a good question started the discussion. For rum, I've been enjoying Mojitos pretty much exclusively, but now plan to try rum and tonic or dry ginger ale. Before I found Mojitos, I was strictly a vodka and tonic person, if not drinking wine or beer, so similar with the rum sounds good to me. I just can't do straight, either. "Ice" was a good suggestion, though!

I loved Eden. Before I moved, they were talking about selling the restaurant. I wonder if they did. Dinner and lunch were great, but it was a favorite spot for going out to lunch with friends, and a fun place to eat at the little bar. Good wine, martinis, and even some decent beer on tap. Celsius... good, but was always a disappointment to me, for some reason or other.

Hi, Lloyd! Welcome. Good to see you! Three new beers from Dogfish Head, thanks for the info. Russ and I will check that out, and hopefully he'll buy some during his next trip north. Any highly hopped? Anything else new at Old Dominion? Susan

Thank you both. I think I will buy a little instant coffee...

Bob, have you checked out Coastal Wines & Spirits? If not, you may want to give her a try (on Route 1 and Route 5 in Milton). Sallie is willing to order anything requested, beer or wine, and if it's possible, she will get it. It's just that there are certain beers for which there is no distribution contract in Delaware. We used to have to go into Maryland for Old Dominion beers, including Tupper's Hop Pocket and other favorites.

Yes! Awesome fish! How DID you cook it?

How did it turn out? Kim, how impressive with the cookies. My favorite kind of chip cookies are female chocolate chip... Just don't like nuts in my cookies for some reason. Prime rib sure sounds like a nice second best to a pancetta wrapped leg of lamb! I am just south of Daytona Beach. Jason, what kind of proportions did Rachel use? I would like to make that. You are so right. DC is beautiful with snow. LOL about your friend's dad's joke... I enjoyed the ideas for all the drinks, cold and hot. Thanks! Last night we were so full from dinner when we took the walk, we didn't partake. I've got several ideas for all these cold nights coming up, when we have saved room. I'll keep you posted.

Oh no, sadness is upon my heart. They did also have a suberb wine selection -- actually both of these places did. I hope that hasn't "lost some of its luster," as well.

What hot adult beverages might some of you be sipping this evening in NJ? It's cold for here, and it's going to be a crisp and clear night, so we're planning to take a walk in the neighborhood after dinner with our travel mugs full of something hot and good, to look at the Christmas lights. People here are CRAZY about outside lights, much more than I have seen anywhere else! It's beautiful.

No thanks, from me... happy as hell here in Florida. Mark, great photo! Thanks.

Nope. I'm from around Philadelphia. That's where I was thinking, from when we lived in DE, but must not be. My bad. Cheers, anyway!

Hey New Jersey to Florida, what a contrast! How often do you get back home to thaw out? Nick, that's a way to prep for a snow storm, and the shallots sound wonderful. I've never had homegrown. Good luck and enjoy, beer and all. Well in honor of all you poor souls, we did the bread and milk thing last night (had steak and red wine for dinner). Actually, the first storm of the season was always my favorite. I loved being snowed in, so long as we didn't lose electricity. And often our steaks were grilled outdoors. I worked in a school for a while and probably loved snow days more than the kids. But I still like this better.

Some like it hot, Richie. My kind of hell, Here Everything Lovely and Luscious

Have fun, you guys. When we lived up north, when most people rushed to the store for bread and milk at the first slight hint of a snow storm, we rushed to the store for steaks and red wine at the first slight hint of a snow storm. It's a nice memory, but I must say, I like this better. It hit 78 degrees here today.

John, are you the John from up north we exchanged beer and food with, back in the day?

Priscilla, I think our taste buds are related. You fix my kind of food. Cuban style sandwiches is another one of my favorite things, and so is cauliflower soup. Sometimes I think I could eat soup and sandwiches every other day. I usually make Cuban sandwiches much like you described, except I always include a big slice of crispy sweet onion. Last night it was take-out at our house, which is quite unusual for us.

Yes, that would be Lurpak. Thanks for the link to the butter discussion of old! I'll look for Tillamook.

Please tell me about these steaks. Are they available by mail-order? It's so true, it's become a cliche'... They don't make steaks like they used to. Your entire dinner sounded so good. I love Plugra, and keep going back and forth between that and the salty Danish butter.

Thanks for your reply, David. What a cool thing that the author of one of my favorite recipes is here, at eGullet. I love this place! I suppose if I taste-tested enough of something, I could temporarily lose my desire for it... I can think of a few foods with which I would like to have that problem! Another one of my favorite goose recipes was Roast Goose with Chestnuts, Prunes and Armagnac. I'm not sure of the source; it was given to me by an online food friend from another board. There must be something about goose and prunes. Anna, are you Danish? Our friends from Denmark, so dear to us that we usually refer to them as our Danish family, have goose every Christmas. And Danish open-face sandwiches, oh my... We have learned a whole new meaning of sandwiches from them. One of the most delicious open-face sandwiches that Lise made for us had raw egg yolk and anchovies. Please let me know if you've had anything like that! Whenever our supply of goose fat gets low, it's time for another goose. That happens more than once a year.

Actually, I forgot about Golden Monkey. I didn't like it, either. I'm weird about certain spices in beer. I figure that's just my taste, and I assume he does a real fine job on those beers, as well. I'm a die-hard purist hophead, and prefer super-hopped beers without many additions. Which is why I'm not as crazy about some of Dogfish Head's as many are, but Sam is another topic... Theakston, I had the same experience once at the bar at Victory, drinking a Hop Devil on cask. I thought to myself, this is the best beer I've ever drank in my life. I don't think I've tasted one as good since. RP, I sure do remember back to 1997, and still have photos to prove it all, LOL.

Here is a recipe from Mario Batali which I've made, different and very good.

The Mustard and Garlic Roast Goose? I cooked that for Thanksgiving. It was delicious. The cooking method is perfect. Ours was about 12 pounds, for the two of us, and we used up the leftovers tonight. I LOVE having the "other" leftovers, the broth from the carcasse, all that wonderful fat, and the liver for a yummy pate'.

Richie, I've been trying to pick a time to fly up and visit friends and family, but it's just so hard to bring myself to the cold now. Maybe you have suggested an incentive. I would love to try some of those newer styles you mentioned. Also in the newsletter was notice of a beer dinner in mid to late January, at Novelty. Have you heard of that restaurant? Do you have any inside information? And oh how I would love to have a drink of Old Horizontal... There are no barleywines to be found here!

Nice! We had a Storm King Stout over the weekend. We have a supply of real beer right now. My husband took a trip up north to buy good beer and other foodstuffs that we can't find here.

Ditto to what everyone said about the difficulty in limiting it to three. 1. Parmigiano-Reggiano (aged), Comte', Beaufort 2. Gorgonzola, Cabrales, Explorateur 3. Cantal, Ricotta Salata (over Feta any day), Raclette