Rien

I have purchased it frozen at several different middle eastern markets in the Chicago area. The quality is good and it is very cheap. I don't think that the lack of fresh Jew's Mallow is just about the ability to cultivate it locally - parts of Illinois, for example, are quite hot and barren ... there is a Cairo, Illinois for a reason - but the lack of demand. If consumers can get quality mallow frozen for dirt cheap and the demand is low, who's going to bother to grow it? For those desiring authentic recipes, there's an Algerian version (I believe) in Clifford Wright's Mediterranean Vegetables (along with a lot more information on mallow cultivation, history, etc) and an Egyptian version in Roden's New Book of Middle Eastern Food. I've got a couple packages of mallow in my freezer ... think I might whip up a stew tonight ... rien

I use regular medical latex gloves. I have them on hand from my days drawing with charcoal and painting with oils ... I didn't feel like destroying my hands for "art," why should I destroy them for drink? rien

I have a friend that may be moving to Switzerland in the near future and another that will be visiting Geneva for a bit. I'm wondering if people have any favorite spirits/liqueurs/beers that are not currently, or never have been, available in the United States. For example, someone recently mentioned to me that Bols Orange Bitters are a much better example of orange bitters than Fee Brothers, but they are not available domestically. Any that are likely to be found in Switzerland would be appreciated. Many thanks, Rien

"Unripe grape juice" - is this the same thing as "verjus"? I was at Sur La Table the other day and they were clearing out boxes of Fusion Verjust for a couple of bucks each. I wasn't aware that verjus came in both red and white versions - I'd always just seen it referenced as "verjus" without specifying color. I bought some and was wondering what to do with it. Rien

They are sold in the states. At least they were. I bought one on clearance sale - thought it was so ridiculous that I had to try it. Maybe they wer clearing out inventory since it was not acceptable for sale in the U.S. I was wrong about the alcohol percentage though - they're actually only 6%. Significantly less bang for the buck ... but frozen to a slushy consistency, they're an acceptable drink for smuggling to a a beach or park ... not that I would advocate that kind of deviant behavior. In my opinion, the cans for Aussie Wine looks quite a bit like a soda can ... even more like an "energy" beverage. rien

One thing I find interesting about this is the ease of public consumption. Something about the iconography and color schemes makes them look just like a carbonated beverage. No need to hide the 40 in a brown bag or surreptitiously sip hobo-shots from a flask. From Australia we've got wine or rum and coke in cans ... from Brazil I've seen Pina Coladas and other tropical drinks in "Capri Sun"-ish metallic pouches with a built in plastic spout rather than a straw. They are 10 - 12 ounces, sell for about $2 (in America - much cheaper in Brazil, I'm sure), and run somewhere in the 20 - 30 percent alcohol range. Quite a punch for kids at the beach. They're not stirring up the controversy that came with wine coolers, but I wonder if we'll eventually see litigation about marketing to children similar to what we saw with tobacco. rien

You calling Hemingway a sissy? I like a good daiquiri (not the blended strawberry slop served at most restaurants - just rum, lime, and syrup shaken and served in a cocktail glass), "Bacardi" cocktail (rum/lemon/syrup/grenadine), and other rum based drinks ... but, I think most of them are a little "sissy." I guess a cuba libre or a dark and stormy are a bit more burly. But what are the macho white rum drinks? rien

To follow up on Craig's great reply, Reidel (and many other nice glasses) are superior in some aspects (as he pointed out, enhancing aroma) and heavily hyped in others (guiding the wine to particular areas of the tongue ... as if it's going to behave and stay in the given tongue quadrant). I'd like to add that, counter intuitively, they are more practical ... or, at the very least, behavior modifying. For example, they "teach" you to pour an appropriate amount. Everyone I know that has them unconsciously begins to pour smaller amounts. To answer the previous question "why do you need portion control at home" very pragmatically - i.e. without getting into debatable points about aroma and flavor of a modest pour in a large glass - because the appropriate portion is balanced in the glass. It's a fuzzy and a-logical (not illogical) point, but the "right" amount looks right in the glass. You can swirl and sniff and drink as you please without the feeling that the glass is top-heavy or that the wine is sloshing around like water in a bucket. Little glasses filled to the brim are a pain to drink from as are overfilled big glasses. Restaurants with little glasses uses them as a way of gauging portion but they allow for now development of aroma. They're also astoundingly rugged. Not too long ago a guest knocked a Riedel flute (overture) off of my kitchen counter. It fell three feet, bounced twice, and then skittered across the floor unbroken. Totally amazing. Now, what I find totally absurd are the enormous glasses - as big as a modest globe ... large enough to cradle an infant - that sell for over $100. Can anyone drink from them without feeling like they're in a Monty Pythonesque satire of epicureanism? rien

Assuming one doesn't make their own, are any available brands worth purchasing? I see Toschi, Luxardo and Caravello most often. Thanks, rien

Yeah, I even bought a bottle this weekend inspired by the thread. I'm going to fall back on my qualifier "most" in my defense. They drink an awful lot of the stuff in Brazil and we (us non-Brazilians) have a lot of drinking to do if our livers are going to sop up an appreciable percentage of the stuff produces. I think the "beer, wine, or liquor" debate is pretty much insoluble with regards to sake. It's really different than any of the three. The "it's a beer" advocates usually cite the fact that it starts with a grain. The "it's a wine" advocates usually cite the alcohol content and the flavor profile. "It's a spirit" advocates usually combine the fact that it starts with a grain and has a relatively high alcohol content. A couple things make sake particularly interesting and different. First, a lot of the starch is polished off leaving the central kernel (called something like the "shinpakku") of fats and proteins. Second, the starch that's left is converted into a sugar that the yeasts can use for fermentation by the koji mold in parallel to fermentation. With wine, the sugar is already there. With beer, it is created prior to fermentation. Sake has a sort of feedback loop. I don't quite understand the connection between the polishing of the rice and the fermentation - for example, do the highly polished rices used in premium sake have lower potential alcohol content since so much of the starch is removed? For more information on this wine/beer debate, check the source I'm summarizing: Multiple Parallel Fermentation. Out_ Rien

Frustration - I just wrote a very extensive response and it was consumed by a browser error. So here's the abridged version. The sake boom is real ... whether that means it is up to the hype is for the individual taster to decide. John Gauntner, doyen of sake, has a very nice site and a free informative newsletter, eSake, that gave some statistics on import increases over the past few years. His commentary on production and history is pretty eye openning. One observation - they still haven't got the marketing right for the American market. I'm thinking particularly about the bottle and the information it conveys. People need to get a handle on sake types in the same way that varietals gave people an entry point into wine. Of course, more generally, there are a lot of misconceptions - is it wine, is it liquor, people think it's much more alcohol laden than it is, etc. To add to the comment about Tru, there are many other Chicago restaurants taking sake beyond traditional Japanese food. Shawn McClain's Spring (and Green Zebra, I believe), the linked trio of Japonais/Marai/Ohba, Charlie Trotter's, and Trotter's protege Homaro Cantu's new boite, Moto, are all offering a selection of sakes, often in flights or paired with out of the ordinary foods (i.e. not just sushi/sashimi). In fact, they're often upgrading the glassware to flutes or white wine glasses, giving a makeover to the aesthetics and staking a claim for legitimacy. It's only a matter of time before Reidel gets in on the game if they haven't already. The best seller list of clear spirits was interesting. Vodka's popularity is a broad phenomenon, whereas most sake and cachaca are consumed in the country of production. It's no coincidence that they are the national beverages in populous countries. I suspect China is making and drinking something that could give these spirits a run for the numbers, if its production and consumption were tracked. I've heard of some fiery beverages - made from plum or rice ... maybe similar to soju/shochu - but I can't recall the name. Sort of off topic, but to add a few beverages to the list of U.S. productions worth looking for, I'd add Clear Creek's brandies, grappa, and eau de vie. In fact, there are several distilleries in Oregon and Washington making decent to very good brandy, grappa, and eau de vie from local apples, pears, cherries, and grapes such as muscat. Ransom comes to mind as another. But Clear Creek is the one you're most likely to see outside of Washington and Oregon. Best, rien

I found that site as well. Found it kind of humorous. I'm sure the Tunisians are paying $137 a bottle for the stuff. My guess is that it's no more than $5 a bottle - just a hunch. If so, that's a decent markup if anyone's insane enough to bite. I could fly there and grab a couple dozen bottles in the duty free shop for that price. rien

I've tried Ouzo/Arak/Aarak/Raki. I'm not sure what Ouzo is made from, but I've heard that Turkish and Iraqi varieties (Arak/Aarak/Raki) are fermented dates flavored with anise. Interesting ... I'm guessing this is the only fermented date beverage around. Recently I heard about a North African variant called Bouka that is made from fermented figs and flavored with anise. It was mentioned in relation to Tunisia, but my guess is it exists elsewhere ... perhaps Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, etc. Does anyone have any information about this? Tasted it? How does it compare to the other varieties? Can you discern the fig flavor? And, last but not least, does anyone know of a U.S. source for the stuff? Many thanks, rien

I'll cast the umpteenth vote for Famous Grouse ... not just for Rob Roy's, but any drink that calls for blended Scotch. Someone mentioned John Barr. They're very good for the price but, in my opinion, have too strong of a smoke flavor to work well in most mixed drinks. Famous Grouse's smoke flavors are very restrained. Others may disagree, but that's something I look for in a scotch for mixing. rien

Glad someone mentioned Coleman Andrew's Catalan Cuisine. I agree with many others listed so far: Hazan's Essential Italian, Larousse (as much reference as cookbook), Paula Wolfert's books (my favorites are The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean and Mediterranean Grains and Greens), McGee, Kammen, etc. I'm a fiend for Mediterranean foods. I couldn't do with Claudia Roden's New Book of Middle Eastern Foods. Her Book of Jewish Food is good as well. Clifford Wright's books are also excellent. I have A Mediterranean Feast and Mediterranean Vegetables and lover everything I've cooked from them and all the knowledge I've gained. Their perspective is academic - coming from the history of cultural "fusion" and trade, particlarly between Europe and the Arab and Eastern Mediterranean worlds (hah - as if they're separate planets) - but they never neglect taste. I really like Patricia Wells books. I'm biased though since At Home in Provence was my first cookbook when I was around 21. That said, they hold up - Provencal and bistro food that that can be done every day and demonstrates a real savoir-vivre. Penelope Casas Foods and Wines of Spain is a good survey (more for the food than the wine). Richard Olney's Simple French Food is excellent. Alan Davidson's books on fish - Mediterranean Seafood and North Atlantic Seafood - are as good as reference books as they are as cookbooks. His Oxford/Penguin Companion to Food is also a nice supplement to the reference material in Larousse; sometimes more concise, sometimes more expansive, almost invariably more personable. David Thompson's Thai food is magnificent. Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking and Classic Indian Cooking are my favorite Indian cookbooks. Elizabeth Andoh's At Home with Japanese Cooking and An Ocean of Flavor: The Japanese way with Fish and Seafood are excellent, approachable volumes (though maybe out of print). Though it's often overkill for the home chef, the 7th edition of C.I.A.'s The Professional Chef does give the full course. I consult it often for tutorials. Though I'm not into high French, I'm sure some hold La Retertoire de la Cuisine by Saulnier in as high a regard as Escoffier. Careme Though they're not "cookbooks," the following are great books for cooks and anyone else that enjoys food ... sort of the equivalent of the Western Cannon of food lit: Elizabeth David (French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, and A Book of Mediterranean Food), Waverly Root (The Food of France, The Food of Italy, Eating in America), MFK Fisher (The Art of Eating), Calvin Trillin (The Tummy Trilogy), and, though sometimes excessively dry (over-cooked?) or overly punchline oriented (too saucy?), Brillat-Savarin's Physiology of Taste. rien

Braised, salted, and topped with browned butter, fresh chopped parsley and either a thinly sliced hard boiled egg or chopped (drained) anchovies and capers is pretty simple summer fare. No one's mentioned salads. Braised but still slightly crisp you can mix them with chopped tomato, diced red onion, some fresh herbs (mint, parsley, or tarragon are all nice), and a dressing of your choice for a simple salad. Steamed or braised, they'd probably go well with a lemon-egg sauce (one whole egg, juice of about one lemon ... more or less depending on your taste, and salt). When the beans are cooked but still slightly crisp, trasfer them to a skillet/saute pan, pour the sauce over them, and cook on low heat until it's warmed through and a little thickened. Finish with a twist or two of ground pepper and parsley if you'd like. I don't think anyone's talked about stews ... I guess soupy and slightly soft (or mushy, depending on your perspective) vegetables aren't really a summery presentation ... more attuned to cool day comfort foods. Regardless, they are a lot of great vegetable stews with green beans ... particularly in the eastern Mediterranean and Southern Italy. They're easy to improvise ... create some sort of base (saute onions, garlics, celery, carrot, shallots, whatever in a casserole), braise the beans for a minute or two and refresh in cold water, then progress with adding whatever ingredients you want to the casserole ... tomatoes are often part of the equation. I've had interesting ones with fennel seed (an Italian version), with citrus and pomegranate syrup (a syrian take), with mixed vegetables (peppers/eggplant/okra). They're a widely loved (France, Italy, all over the Mediterranean) and versatile vegetable, so there are hundreds of recipes out there. rw

I was pleased to see Citadelle mention - without the usual disclaimers about the "oddity" of a French gin. It's been my standard mid-priced option for a while ... though, unless I'm mistaken, the price has climbed and it's not that much of a savings over Plymouth. Other gins that I'd like to hear people's opinions on: Van Gogh Broker's I'm particularly interested in Broker's since it's almost in the bargain category ($14 a 750 when last I checked) yet it's been getting good press. From what I've heard it seems to be fairly botanical as opposed to being a "vodka drinker's gin" as I think the article put it. Best, Rien

Sounds Turkish or Syrian, no? Was it actual pomegranates or pomegranate syrup? I imagine it was more of a stew than eggplant with a sauce. If so, I'm sure there was tomato, lemon juice, and cilantro or parsley. The eggplant was probably salted and drained first and then fried. Seems to be the case with most stewed eggplant dishes. After that, i'm sure it could go in many different directions. Two places to look are Clifford Wright's Mediterranean Vegetables - a number of recipes for stewed vegetables with pomegranate syrup ... though I don't think any use eggplant, there is a very good green bean dish that could easily be adapted - or Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food - again, many dishes with pomegranate and a lucid discussion of the contours & regional variations of Middle Eastern cooking. Best of luck. Rien

Though it's not strictly in line with the question, Oregon wines are definitely worth considering as well. I'm from the Pacific Northwest, though I moved away for college in 94 and haven't lived there since ... without divulging too many embarassing details, most of my drinking in the area was illicit and comprised mostly of non-wine beverages. That said, when I visit, I do hit as many shops as possible to grab Washington and Oregon beers and wines that aren't available in the midwest. There are, of course, a large number of reasonable Pinot Noirs that could fit in as everyday drinking wines. Argyle, Jigsaw and King Estate are all solid and they're right around the $10 mark. Maybe a little higher. Some Washington Merlots might fit the bill. Sagelands is in the $10 ballpark. Did someone already mention the Cte. St Michelle Cabernet? It's around $12, if I'm not mistaken ... and a lush wine for the price. One vineyard that interested me last time I was there was Abecela. It's in Roseburg, pretty far south in Oregon. Most people associate Oregon and Washington with verdant forests, grey skies, and abundant rainfall, but southern Oregon and Eastern Washington are very dry. Eastern Washington is a virtual desert and Southern Oregon as a lot of parched hills covered in scrubby grasses and jagged branched trees. What interested me about Abecela is that they're growing a number of odd varietals - Tempranillo, Albarino, Dolcetto, Grenache, Viognier, Malbec, etc. The prices are probably around $15, but their Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, and Tempranillo are definitely worth checking out. If you are interested in whites the Snoqualmie Riesling is a $7 bargain. Oregon Pinot Gris is much more interesting than most cheap Pinot Grigio. Of the ones I can get in Chicago, I like King Estate and Adelsheim. Washington Chenin Blanc can be a good bargain as well. rien

I've tried a number of dessert applications. From very simple - drizzling over vanilla gelato - to fairly elaborate ... using it to create syrups/reductions, poaching fruit, in a sweet fouace/fougasse (based off the recipe in Larousse), and to make zabaglione. Whenever I see a sweet recipe calling for marsala, sherry, or port, I contemplate replacing it with 44.

I made some "44" last year. Quite good and I still have a bit left. How do you drink it/use it? I've tried it chilled and, on the recommendation of a French friend whose family used to make it, with white wine, ice, and an orange slice. I've also used it in desserts. Have I covered all the bases? Thanks, Rien

I bought mine from Mount Lassen Farms in California but they're past their harvest of green walnuts. Check with them next year. It sounds like farms in Washinton/Oregon are still harvesting. Maybe there's a connection up there? Best, rien

There isn't really a "season" for them - there's a moment. Or, rather, about a week or two and the end of June. It's now too late. Because of this, and the fact that there aren't a lot of culinary applications they don't really show up in many markets - unlike, say, ramps, which also have a rather short season. Your best bet is to find a farm that you know harvests them and either make sure you go there to pick them/pick them up, have them mailed to you, or make your way to a farmers market where you've verified that they'll be. I had the same problem with local stores. Well, confusion. I was spared the laughter. Of course, I'm not in a walnut growing region, so they weren't even aware of what a green walnut is. Granted, it's a rather exotic request. Good luck next year. Rien

Yes, you just missed the green walnuts for this year. I live in Illinois and I had to mail order them. I got about 10 pounds to make Nocino, Vin de Noix, and green walnut preserves (from Claudia Roden's excellent Middle Eastern cookbook). Unfortunately, I radically underestimated the amount of walnuts necessary to make the preserves - the shell is about 7/8 of the weight. Fortunately, I ordered enough to make a sizable batch of Vin de Noix (about 7/8 750 wine bottles) and Nocino (another 3 750 bottles). I got the recipe for Vin de Noix from this article: Newpaper Article on "Walnut Wines" The recipe for Nocino came from elsewhere. There are myriad versions out there. They won't be ready for some time. I'll report back if they're a success. Best, Rien

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Making a decent, drinkable infusion is not hard. It might not turn out to be what you expected; it probably won't be revelatory; but it will generally fall between ok and really good and often be quite interesting. The beauty is the ease. Where the skill comes in, as with so many precise culinary skills, is in being able to duplicate the finished product exactly time after time ... but that's not really a concern for someone dabbling at home. As for quality, a neutral mid-range vodka is the key. If you wouldn't drink it uninfused, it's not going to become better through infusion/maceration/etc; it'll just be a nasty substrate ruining good ingredients. Analogies are easy to come by: would you create an elaborate and subtle sauce for over-cooked, sticky pasta or microwave fish sticks? Folk wisdom comes to mind as well; you're putting make-up on a pig. On the other end, anything expensive, particularly if it has subtle flavors that will be overwhelmed, is overkill. Skyy was recommended. I've used it or sampled infusions made with it several times and it's been great. A little bit less expensive - around $10 for a 750 - is Svedka. I've made infusions, preserved fruit (a sort of confiture), and, most recently used it as the base for Nocino (a green walnut liqueur - won't be ready for some time still). It's worked well enough for me that I don't see any reason to step up and spend more. Best of luck with your infusions. rw