Chris Amirault

The Grown-Up Soda was disappointing: flat, not very grapefruity, bad balance. I used these ratios: 1 1/2 oz tequila, 3/4 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz ginger syrup, pinch of salt, topped with the GUS. Needs work. I'm thinking that phlip's got the right idea.

Welcome to the eGullet Society, Gustibus! Uptopic a bit, Chris explained that his cities have been chosen by FTV and that he has little room for tweaking. Perhaps next time, eh?

I completely agree, Maggie -- uptopic you'll see I was describing one with tequila, not vodka. The in-laws picked up some grapefruit Grown-Up Soda at the store, and we're got some (no cracks, please) Jose Cuervo tequila in the cabinet. I'll report back later on the results.

The one I had was made with a Jarritos grapefruit (toronja) soda (click for an image). I'm on the look-out. We have Polar here in most grocery stores, though, and that half 'n' half idea is a good one.

Started thinking that I might have to take a crack at the Sonoran hot dog tonight -- and given the holiday in the U.S., I also thought it might be worth bumping up this topic to see what styles your dogs will be displaying.

I had dinner at a fantastic local Mexican place (Chilango's on Manton Ave for those near Providence) that has a couple dozen tequilas available. One at our table got a pefectly serviceable margarita, but I spied a "Salty Dog" made with tequila, lime juice, salt (in the drink itself, clearly), and a Mexican grapefruit soft drink. It was wonderful, particularly in the non-air-conditioned main dining area on that sweltering night, and it got me thinking about variations on the Salty Dog, which, in the standard vodka and grapefruit juice version, is pretty pedestrian (here's the version at cocktaildb.com). Google tells me that there are a few others out there with gin, and some other "salty chihuahuas" and the like. What variations on the salty dog do you crave on hot days? I'm going in search of that grapefruit soda later today -- fingers crossed. edited to add: I just found this reference by our own Katie Loeb to a Paloma, created by David Wondrich (aka Splificator). Proportions, anyone?

Abra, I'd use well-soaked wooden or bamboo skewers, two per kabob. The meat binds to them quite a bit better, I find, than to metal.

Can't really do the local/seasonal thing without changing your menu pretty regularly, either.

Phew. I'm relieved to see that you won't be giving up Campari. I cannot imagine summer in NC (or anywhere, for that matter) without regular, large, cold Campari and sodas. Great start!

Aw, man, brunch? C'mon! Howsabout johnny cakes for breakfast in Providence?

I think the tradeoff is cool (you want the fish cold to grab that smoke for as long as possible) versus moist (too much moisture prevents a good pellicle).

Um, how does one get smoke in there? Or is it just a big crockpot with the label "BBQ" on it?

Great piece. I particularly liked the philosophy expressed in the sentence, "Without really trying, I stopped thinking about food and starting tasting it." Of course, your tastings took place in a nearly perfect context, one that had already benefited from your good thinking (and acting!).

Just learned of this accolade -- not too shabby for a place that's just opened. Travel and Leisure has just named La Laiterie as one of their four favorite places in the U.S. for food pairings that are "well beyond wine": Click here for the full piece.

Of course you do! What an idea.... Now there's something to do with those one-piece rinds you cut off after smoking your own bacon!

It's a good question, and I'm definitely packing up the curing equipment for the next few months -- particularly after reading this article on these issues. It lists common pathogens and discusses the particular problems raised by current demands: There are some interesting explanations here (e.g., that green tint seems to come from Lactobacillus viridescens) and more precision concerning some techniques (e.g., the percentage of vinegar in a cleaning solution to wash away molds should be 10%). Interesting reading, if a bit scary.

Yep: brine it, smoke it at 200-225 until it hits 155-160, then pull it. Poifeck.

How about making your own sausage? (He writes, predictably.)

It's a big plastic bin, basically: click here. I really appreciate the input, man. Are there any good online resources for meat safety that you can recommend?

Sure, I could move it outside -- but then I'd bring it right back into a wet, musty basement that's surely got evil things seeping from the walls and floors. Still worth doing?

Well, my curing chamber is in my basement, so I can't use that hydrogen peroxide gas, and I'm pretty careful about cleaning everything -- but, again, my basement is very far from a sterile environment....

I went downstairs and saw the curing chamber and regretted my post above. I think that we need a separate topic for food safety issues with cured or smoked meats, eh?

Over in the Charcuterie topic, we've been experiencing odors, textures, and colors that range from sublime to funky to waaaay off. Being thoughtful, Abra raised the question about food safety: Smart points -- but as I thought about it, I realized that I really didn't have any solid information beyond the material covered in Ruhlman and Polcyn's book (which some have seen as excessive) concerning food safety with cured and smoked meats. What are the basics? What are the issues we should be considering? Beyond keeping things ultra clean during prep, what are the things we can do in our home curing chambers and garage refrigerators? And if we have something in that funky range -- how green is green? when does chalky mold become fuzzy mold? -- and are distraught at the thought of tossing our product into the trash, where can we turn to make the right decisions?

I've closed this topic as the season is over. Click here for season two.

I'm pretty careful, Abra. I'm not one of those green-meat-eating types like uptopic, you know? And as soon as I can find a way to print money, I'll be very happy to stock the freezer with every Bactoferm product!