Chris Amirault

Yee gods: that's a lot of orange or rose flower water! What brands are you using? The ones I can get stateside would be far too powerful in that ratio.

I'm starting a new gig behind the bar at a restaurant that is going to have a very solid wine program. Back in the old days, I was pretty disciplined about schooling myself in the basic varietals, but that was a while back and I now confess more confusion than clarity when looking at many wine lists. So I figure this is a good time to learn more (and more effectively) about the subject. I have a lot of resources both online and elsewhere, so I don't really need reading suggestions. However, I'm starting to realize that, as I get older, the idea of a wine journal appeals to me. I have no desire to compile ratings or anything like that; rather, I'd like to develop a basic vocabulary for describing wines -- taste, texture, tail, etc. -- and their relationships to food, both to help customers and teach myself. I should also add that I'm well aware of the critiques of herd-mentality wine reviewing, overblown claims of palate complexity, and the like. That's to say, I'm not Robert Parker, nor do I aspire to be the bloke. I just want to be able to record what's happening in my mouth and learn why it's happening. What tips have you for me?

Following this topic carefully, as I'm also more or less a beer dolt. So here's a nice doltish question: at what temperature would one want to serve the beer, and with what sort of head? Or does it depend on the particular style? The (excruciatingly slow) Beer Advocate guide has entries for particular styles; is there some overarching characteristic that binds the Belgians?

That looks fantastic. I'll have to give it a go later tonight using that Punt e Mes and M&R rosso substitution for Carpano Antica, which we can't get here. For reasons that aren't worth going into here, the bar where I'll soon be working will be stocking Dewar's White Label regularly, so I got a bottle and am nosing about the net, reading as I taste. One comment that got me thinking was about "Dewar's heavy reek of familiarity," from the (now defunct?) blog That Drinking Feeling, a comment that may capture something important about the blend for a lot of people of a certain generation. It was my dad's scotch, and he had a bottle of it in the house most of the time while I was growing up; it therefore was my first scotch, a regular feature of my wee college cabinet until I tasted Laphroaig and left blends behind. Coming back to it now, I'm surprised by the familiarity I have with it, not so much a reek as a reminiscence. Makes me wonder which of the cocktails here would work with such a particularly tenacious blend. I'm also finding dominant tobacco notes in it, along with a lot of other reviewers, which makes me wonder if there are ways to play with that aspect.

Very interested to know how you prepared it. Did you stuff the chicken cavity before roasting?

What kind of pasta did you use?

I've got a pretty good version working here, using the good molasses suggestion and trashing the bad powdered espresso one: 200 g brown sugar 200 g molasses 120 ml espresso Makes about 375 ml.

In the Choptank review, the allusions added up to something essential in the review and weren't nonsensical or misleading at all. The Balmer references frame Sifton's point about the sorts of faux-authentic elements the restaurant uses to build its climate and culture (JHU lax; Old Bay); that wasn't at all the case in the DBGB review, a restaurant that relates to CBGB only in name and location.

Interesting question. I'm not sure.

I grew up reading Lester Bangs, Greil Marcus, Roger Ebert, and a few other critics who rose to the occasion when they had less-than-praiseworthy things to share with their readers. I always find myself happy each Wednesday to check out what Sifton's got to say, but I just realized that I've been secretly longing for his droll, astute ear-boxings. Here's his take on Choptank: Any review that ends with a quote from the Wire's resident philosopher Snoop (“Deserve got nothin’ to do with it") has me hooked, sure, but I don't think it's merely the (very) clever allusions. "[A]s safe as Cal Ripken"? Ouch. Bangs would be proud.

Discussion of Sifton's NYT restaurant reviews can now be found here.

Gotta try those pickled mustard seeds. I have a batch of the paechu (napa) kimchi started, and am asking kimchi questions over here.

A few of us have been fiddling with the kimchi recipes in David Chang's Momofuku cookbook. I made the oi kimchi -- a quick pickle -- and loved it, and so I decided to take the plunge and make a batch of paechu kimchi: A few questions for you experts: 1. I'm assuming that I don't need to worry too much about the top layer of the pickles, yes? I can push them down using a small pyrex bowl if need be. Yes? No? 2. Can someone clarify the temperature at which I should be fermenting them? I've seen everything from "warm part of your refrigerator" (~45F or 7C) to "room temperature" (68F or 20C). I have a dedicated curing chamber that can be adjusted pretty much anywhere in that range; to be on the safe side, I started off at 45F. What say ye? 3. Is 1" chunks vs entire napa halves or quarters simply a matter of preference or style? 4. How do you avoid eating the entire batch before stuffing it in a jar?

A few good results in a row: No science here, but I think that using cool water, being sure to mind the gap and not fill it all the way, and unmolding carefully (a little warm water over the mold helps) is beneficial.

Over in the Artisanal = Illegal topic, there's a discussion of the legal tussle around "rectifications." It made me wonder whether we could come up with some clear production standards for infusions that accounted for actual scientific facts, given the wide array of claims fungus, yeast, mold, and the like. What are the legitimate issues here?

Enjoying an aquavit Old Fashioned with Skane, Angostura, and gum syrup. While I certainly appreciate the importance of keeping the Old Fashioned old fashioned, it is a drink where gum syrup truly contributes something wonderful.

Does anyone have a homemade Triscuit recipe?

I've never used the Sumeet, but, well, as someone who wanted the mortar & pestle effect myself, I voted with my wallet.

I've got a Rancilio Silvia here, so I'm good, but I wonder if the Medaglia d'Oro instant espresso powder would work in this application.

I found a link for it:

I think it's what was in the Tribune a while back: 1 tablespoon each espresso and water plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, all mixed and allowed to marry up nicely.

I just got a bunch of limequats and I'm trying to figure out what to do with them. I'm not even sure what they are, exactly. Can anyone enlighten me?

I froze the penang paste above and defrosted it this past weekend to cook with a fantastic piece of brisket I had. Even with the freezing, the paste was the best I've ever had. In particular, the complexity and integrity of the sauce was remarkable, owning no doubt to the fine particles of each ingredient thanks to the Ultra Pride.

I have one of those "brain confit" head colds, and this mug of Norbu's medium roast Ali Shan Oolong from Winter 2008 is really hitting the mark. I clearly like the heavier oolong roasts....

Thanks for the links, Homaru! What can we expect to see? What are you going for with these shows?