Chris Amirault

I've got Ruhlman, Aidells, CIA GM, Bertolli, and Grigson. Very interested in your reports about the Marianskis, making me wonder if there isn't room for one more. I have to say that I really enjoyed reading a lot of these books front to back, especially Grigson, Bertolli, and Ruhlman (which I read in one sitting at the Boston Children's Museum years ago). Something about the long curing process helps with structure and style....

Is there cheese on that Seoul dog?

Made a batch last night, and in my book I've written down the weights: 25g white peppercorns 3g cloves 15g cassia stick 5g ground ginger 3g nutmeg

Ditto.

Wow. That's much higher than I would have thought. And I'm also surprised at the gender distribution, which is nearly equal: 46% men, 54% women. I wonder when and how people watch these shows. Day or night? Live? DVR?

I'm aghast to have forgotten Erik's great blog. I blame google reader...

I have a slew of cocktail blogs loaded into my google reader, but the ones I make sure to read regularly are: Marshall Fawley & SeanMike Whipkey's Scofflaw's Den Wayne Curtis's Slow Cocktails Camper English's Alcademics, the place to turn if you're obsessed with ice, in particular. Rick Stutz's Kaiser Penguin Michael Dietsch's Dash of Bitters Darcy O'Neil's Art of Drink Lauren Clark's DrinkBoston, essential for those of us in New England but a terrific read for anyone interested in the social history and present of cocktails. I think my two favorites are: Jeffrey Morgenthaler's blog, which includes outstanding recipes, funny entries on life as a bartender, and a lot more, and Paul Clarke's Cocktail Chronicles, written by the man that I think most folks consider the dean of cocktail blogs.

I guess we'll find out. Something's keeping us watching the stupid show.....

Well that's just genius.

You found it! This seems to imply that the bent tips only indicate the orientation of the asparagus during storage. I believe Alton Brown agrees with this. See "The Age Of Asparagus," S14E03. Of course, it's possible that asparagus stored on its side has been deprived of water, but it's not water deprivation that causes the curved tips. My source was definitely that McGee article, so I added the water bit as an assumption. Thanks. At the store yesterday, I realized that I have no way to tell whether cherries, blueberries, raspberries, and a lot of other fruit are good without eating them. Which I do, regularly.

I grabbed a bit of pecorino romano fulvi on Federal Hill last night (good description here from Zabar's). The best way to distinguish that from the supermarket stuff is that it is, as Katie said, sheepy: you can distinctly taste the sheep's milk, a bit of grass, some barnyard, that complexity that is mainly replaced by tang and salt in the generic stuff. Also: it's significantly less salty.

No, I'm not suggesting that at all. I said: This week's episode was pretty interesting to watch, even if the food wasn't terribly intriguing. There are clearly a lot of folks who were cruising along with a lot of self-satisfaction, and the show's editing is clearly setting up Angelo as some sort of quasi-Svengali, quasi-Mussolini manipulator. Lots of tasty twists, back-stabbing, and more as the winners were announced -- but if you're a long-time TC watcher you saw that coming, I'm sure. A note on Angelo: the guy grabbed that kitchen by the neck and got them the win on the plates. If I were anyone else in that contest, on either team, I'd be pretty scared about that: seemingly "out of control," yet his team executes his plan and he lulls the other team to sleep. I sniff a bit of "Survivor" in him, as if he knows it's a game and he's out to get a psychological edge. Sure worked on cool, calm, collected, and canceled Kenny, who is still probably wondering what happened. We may find out that he's a lot more Hung than Ilan. Or that he's more like Ilan and he'll get the win anyway.

I'd agree with Mitch: sounds like a pith problem. However, the oil of Meyer lemons also have that slightly herbal quality to them; you can't squeeze a Meyer peel atop most cocktails to pleasing effect, for example. Perhaps this is a zest problem?

Do "cocktails" count as a single topic?

What's your source on this information?

Rye, Suze, and akvavit over here.

The newly employed bartender also notices that VO is a swell base spirit to use in a special, pricepointwise. I've been trying to find ways to use this Suze I've got, and tonight's drink seems like it's worth reporting. No name. 2 oz Rittenhouse rye 1/2 oz Suze 1/2 oz Aalborg Jubilaeums akvavit barspoon Licor 43 dash Fee's 2007 OF bitters Stir, up. Orange twist if you've got it. With the Rittenhouse and akvavit, it's got lots of grainy, sneaky power, with a long tail thanks to the Suze. Most people wouldn't like it much, but if I were serving some smoked salmon, rye bread, and red onion, I could do a lot worse than serve this.

If you read that sentence in your head imagining Julia Child saying it -- -- well, I think that's just a fine idea, a fine one, Andi.

Interesting, Dan. I can't find the 2010 but will compare if I can. FWIW, a few local grocery stores here in RI are carrying Angostura orange next to their aromatic bitters.

English muffin fans should check out this NYT story from last week, in which an ex-Thomas's employee is accused of stealing vital company secrets related to -- of course -- nooks and crannies.

It's fascinating to read the unfolding of the recipe's design, just as thoughtful as the graphic design of the book, clearly! Makes me even more excited.

So I've got me some oregano indio from Rancho Gordo's online store. Steve: thanks! Also, what are the sorts of things that can I do with it? I definitely can smell not only an earthier note but also something minty or eucalyptus-y. It's so intoxicating I'm tempted to feature it pretty prominently in, say, a simple rice dish, and could imagine it would be amazing with lamb.

August 15 -- Julia's birthday -- approaches. Anyone thinking of cooking something to remember the saint herself?

No one is making the authenticity case, I think. However, the question of whether recipes created to feature a particular style of pecorino will be less successful if we're using a different, subpar product seem relevant to me. And, yes, "successful" is a matter of taste, but if someone told me that your version of "successful" included monterey jack, I'd wonder what the heck that person was talking about.

I agree. Usually, those Santas can sub in for a few things, as long as you're not trying to make concassé.