BrooksNYC

My jaw has popped out of its hinges and fallen to the floor. And now we know the trick of making the Lucid bottle look sophisticated and restrained (shopkeepers take note). When arranging the shelves, wedge Lucid between Krugy, the happy sperm cell, and Ed McMahon.

If that isn't the dumbest bottle you've ever seen, I defy you to show us a dumber one! Happily, it's a lovely absinthe, if lighter and less complex than the Jades. For that reason, I'd recommend starting with 1 part absinthe to a scant 2 parts water (vs. the more usual ratio of 1:3). Taste, and add more water - gradually - if needed. Because of its gentle flavor profile, Lucid flattens out if you over-water it. I don't think it needs sugar, but the camps are divided on this point. Of the vendors listed on Lucid's web site, this place has free shipping. In my haste to order, I purchased from another vendor, and it cost me an extra $23.00. Bringing absinthe back to the US was an arduous undertaking. Thanks and congratulations to Ted Breaux and the guys at Viridian Spirits. Onward, upward, and cheers!

A problem? Surely that's a plus in this disposable age! Think of them as a precious heirloom to be handed down to your children....and their children....and their children after that. Centuries from now, your descendants will think of you every time they seal a half-eaten bag of BBQ potato chips with one of your Twixits.

I'm a Twixits man. The smaller size are good for bread bags. The big guys are big enough to seal bags of cereal, coffee, or chips. Love 'em.........and they last forever!

My God, will you look at this. Anyone with access to a hard-boiled egg is urged to try this immediately and get back to us.

All noted, Mike. I appreciate the lead! And if your family can come up with the name of the bakery, even better. Please thank them for me.

CaliPoutine, I would post the recipe, except that it's as I transcribed it from my grandmother's cook, i.e. "One loaf of French bread, about two hands long, minus a couple of inches"! If I can get it down to something more scientific, I'll post it. The most interesting thing about this bread pudding is that it's deep-dish — baked in a casserole and stirred every 10-15 minutes as it bakes. This results in a creamier pudding that you scoop rather than slice. You serve it with kick-ass whiskey sauce (but that goes without saying). The Leah Chase recipe looks fantastic, Brooks. Can't wait to try it.

Mike, I'd love the name of that bakery, and thanks. Salvation could be as close as a ten-minute walk! Brooks, I know that Leidenheimer's doesn't have distribution in New York State (which isn't to say that they might not have contracts with a few local restaurants). As you know, New Orleans French bread isn't a good keeper. Its airy crumb makes it stale quickly, so it's a less logical candidate for shipping than denser breads or sourdoughs. A Leidenheimer's loaf would have to sell within a day or two of hitting NYC, or it wouldn't sell at all. For freshness, it certainly couldn't compete with breads made locally. But I'll be curious to hear what you find out, and thanks so much for taking the time to investigate. Looking forward to coming home for Mardi Gras!

If I went out to Queens, I'd undoubtedly find bakeries in abundance. It's just that getting from Washington Heights to Queens is.....well, a schlep! I'm hoping one of our members will know of a bakery in Manhattan. (Hadn't even considered Cuban bread, so thank you for the suggestion.)

I'm looking for a New York City substitute for New Orleans French bread. Its paper-thin crust and light, airy crumb make New Orleans French bread the perfect bread for traditional New Orleans bread puddings. Many commercial baguettes available in NYC have a thick crust and a chewy, elastic crumb — superb for regular eating, but, as I've discovered, too heavy for my grandmother's bread pudding recipe (even with chewy crusts removed). I also find challah, brioche, or "Wonder"-type breads make the pudding too dense. Someone, somewhere wrote that Vietnamese bread reminded them of New Orleans French. Can anyone vouch for that, and if so, do you know of any Vietnamese bakeries in Manhattan? I've had no luck Googling. Would greatly appreciate your help, and thanks!

I, for one, would love to know what brand absinthe was served at this seminar. Commercial absinthes vary in quality from sublime to undrinkable.The loopy US laws concerning absinthe can be summarized as follows: Absinthe is not a controlled substance, like marijuana. It's legal to possess, drink, or serve it. It's ILLEGAL to import, make, or sell it. If you're caught bringing it through Customs, they'll snatch it away from you, but that's the end of it. It's not like being busted for drugs. The most hassle-free way to order it is online, from a reputable (repeat: reputable) merchant. The best retailers ship your order via courier which, while more expensive than regular shipping, greatly minimizes the odds that the order will be confiscated by Customs. (I can recall only two instances in the last five years when this has happened.) Additionally, the best merchants will fully insure your shipment, so that if anything goes wrong in transit, you will be issued a refund or replacement. With merchants, as with absinthes, it pays to do your homework.

Those two cocktails call for just enough absinthe to coat the glass, so a round of drinks won't deplete your Edouard by much. You'll be thrilled to have graduated from Czechsinth. Please let us know what you think! If you're "budgeting" (ha!) Kübler is a lovely, straightforward absinthe. It lacks the complexity of the Jades, but works nicely in cocktails. 100 cl of Kübler is £40 at Liqueurs de France (vs. £55 for 75 cl of the Jades). By the way, fans of Artemisia-Bugnon's Clandestines (see Carolyn Tillie's post, above) might be interested in a tasting box of the three La Bleues. They're small bottles — 25 cl each — but at €59.90, it's a nice way to sample the La Bleues without committing to full bottles. (Shipping absinthe IS expensive. Since it costs the same to ship three bottles as it does to ship one, get some friends to order a bottle for themselves, and split the shipping costs.)

You're so welcome. I haven't priced Czech absinthe lately, but whatever they're charging is too much! I apologize for the tone of frustration running through my last post. It is frustrating to see people duped by merchants who charge exhorbitant prices for swill that bears no resemblance to a wonderful nineteenth-century beverage. To summarize one last time, con gusto: Stay well clear of Czech absinthe. Hold out for the good stuff, or stick to martinis. Don't get burned by do-it-yourself absinthe "kits" (widely available on the web). The hallucination myth is just that. Too many manufacturers and online merchants are still trying to cash in on thujone content. Don't buy the hype! The whole thujone business has been thoroughly debunked.

Czech "so-called" absinthe bears no resemblance to good absinthe. None. Zero. Zip. It gives absinthe a terrible name, and for the same high price, you could be drinking a fine artisinal product instead of paint-thinner. It really pays to do your homework before buying! Read the entirety of this thread carefully. Consult the absinthe forums, and find out what people (some of whom have spent years studying this drink) have to say. Two forums: La Fee Verte The Wormwood Society If you're thinking of making a purchase, an informal June 28, '06 poll of Wormwood Society members ranked these absinthes in terms of popularity: #1 Edouard (Jade) #2 Eichelberger Verte 68 (Eichelberger) #3 Clandestine la Bleue (Artemisia-Bugnon) #4 Verte Suisse (Jade) #5 Nouvelle-Orléans (Jade) #6 Kübler 53 (Kübler) #7 La Ptite (Gaudentia Persoz) by rank and Montmartre (Fischer) by overall hits #8 Montmartre (Fischer) #9 Segarra 45 (Segarra) by rank, tied with Un Emile 68 (Emile Pernot) by overall hits #10 François Guy (François Guy) H. du Bois, we're both New Yorkers. If you'll host some evening, I'll be delighted to traipse over with three or four of the above. Just PM me. (And if you have a spouse or friend you'd like to educate, they're welcome to join us.) FINALLY: Absinthe is a high-proof drink. Period. It does not make you hallucinate. Absinthe is no more - and no less - toxic than gin, scotch, vodka, or bourbon. Good absinthe isn't bitter. I, myself, rarely use sugar.

Abra, The modern trick of flaming the sugar will ruin good absinthe. Have a look at these FAQs from the Wormwood Society: Wormwood Society FAQs Additionally, you'll want to click a link near the top of the page entitled "Proper Preparation." The method of preparation is clearly explained, complete with photographs. And have a look at this recently updated article in Wikipedia. It's excellent: Wikipedia on absinthe If you find that you enjoy Absente, you'll enjoy real absinthe even more. Just do your homework before purchasing! Sites such as the The Wormwood Society and La Fée Verte have product reviews that you can trust. All absinthe is expensive, and you don't want to waste your money on inferior brands. Have fun!

As someone who has, for the last thirty-six years, eaten 98% of his meals alone, I'm both amused and amazed by some of the posts on this thread. The notion that eating solo might inspire pity or hilarity has truly never entered my mind. I love being able to sink into a good drink, a good book, and a good meal without distraction. It's an experience I relish several times a week, and if I ever won the Powerball, I'd do it every night. I don't not enjoy eating with friends, but having to talk, listen, and wear a pleasant expression makes for a different kind of experience. Only once, in all these years, have I ever been denied seating because I was alone, and it was last year at Thanksgiving. I'd made a reservation at a restaurant in the East Village called Pylos, and two days before Thanksgiving the reservationist phoned to say that the restaurant's owner wouldn't accept a single diner. I was miffed, but found another restaurant, and vowed never to set foot in Pylos!

I became obsessed with finding Black Cake after reading the late Laurie Colwin's homage to Black Cake in her book, "Home Cooking." Colwin said: "[it] is to fruitcake what the Brahms piano quartets are to Muzak." She was right. Because this Caribbean rum-soaked fruitcake is so time-consuming to make at home (the chopped fruit has to marinate in wine for several months prior to baking), I was delighted to find Caribbean Cake Conoisseurs, which makes an extraordinary Black Cake (called "Rum Cake" on the site). The cakes aren't cheap, but they're rich, and a little goes a long way. A two-pound cake ($39.99) serves 15-18 people, and smaller cakes are available. (The site offers these cakes in "black" or "brown." They're both delicious, but I recommend the black.) I haven't bought a regular fruitcake since discovering Black Cake ten years ago. For me, there's no turning back.

If I've overlooked a previously posted link, my apologies. Anyone wishing to download a PDF of the aforementioned New Yorker article ("Green Gold") can do so from the. Liqueurs de France. website. (Look for "March 2006 The New Yorker Magazine".)

In New Orleans, you'll sometimes see "go-cup" Frenchified to humorous effect: Geaux-cup It's become my preferred spelling!

Couldn't agree more! And order the Crabmeat Au Gratin, considered by many to be one of the city's great seafood dishes. (And Bon Ton's boozy bread pudding is justly famous.) As for Muffulettas, I heartily concur with BobL and Mayhaw Man. Have your Muff at Napoleon House, then buy a jar of Central Grocery's olive salad to take home.

You may want to check out another useful forum: "Talk Food With Tom Fitzmorris" at neworleans.com Elizabeth's is up for sale. I'm not sure if it's closing, or simply changing hands. Make sure to call ahead before heading into Bywater: (504-944-9272). It certainly is. The Sazerac and the Ramos Gin Fizz are two New Orleans classics! Another beautiful spot for a drink is The Columns Hotel (Uptown, on St. Charles Ave. at Peniston). The Victorian Lounge at The Columns Hotel

"The Saz" was a wonderful bar; in fact, it was one of my favorites bars in the city. Sadly, management has seen fit to mount a big flat-paneled TV screen on the wall so that people can watch sports as they drink. HOW they got away with it in that bar is anyone's guess. It's so wrong.

I've fallen in among bread pudding heavyweights—how lucky is that? And Wendy DeBord STIRS. Wendy, I see a trend in the making. Let's mount a crusade for stirring. Tell ten friends. andiesenji, that recipe looks terrific. And the mock French toast must be insanely good. Thank you for posting. I love this.

Oh, and Patrick? Your Sticky Toffee Pudding looks killer!

Wendy, I really appreciate your reply, and thanks. It helps to know your way around a kitchen, doesn't it? You have a fearlessness that all experienced cooks have. I love food, but don't spend much time in the kitchen; consequently, cooking worries me. When I cook, I worry about getting it "right." It goes without saying that I'd worry less if I spent more time in the kitchen! Now that you mention it, I do recall my grandmother's cook making last-minute adjustments to the pudding before it went into the oven. I hadn't remembered that. I think she was inclined to add too little bread at the onset, rather than too much. Then, after letting the bread soak, she'd add more, if necessary, before baking. Just what you're saying, in other words. As a point of interest having nothing to do with bread measurements, she made her pudding in a pyrex casserole (5-6 quarts, maybe?) instead of a shallow pan. And the casserole sat in a water bath as it baked. She also used a technique I've never encountered in any other bread pudding recipe. Twenty minutes into baking, she'd stir the pudding so that the outer edges of the pudding, which were beginning to firm up, would get folded into the center. At the same time, any fruit that had sunk to the bottom of the casserole would be redistributed. From that point on, she'd repeat this stirring every ten minutes until the pudding was done (about 45 minutes total, in a 300-degree oven). Most bread puddings are sliced -- this one is scooped. Thanks again for your help! Whoa......Patrick just posted. Thanks, Patrick. Yep, you understand my question perfectly. And thanks to Wendy, I'm seeing that bread pudding is not an exact science. Her advice to stay loose, take notes, and use the same bread every time seems sane and sound.