Chris Amirault

Is this an example? What's it called in Arabic?

Agreed on vegan in general. However, vegan kimchi seems useful for people who avoid dead animals.

Hey. I've got that exact same Nick & Nora glass, and it's got an Ott's Special in it right this moment. What do people use as a sub for Abbott's bitters when, you know, you don't have johnder around to make it for you?

I wouldn't buy vegan kimchi, myself, but that probably means that they're not using those salted shrimp, right?

Two Strega drinks tonight. First, the aforementioned Burning Times: 2 oz Plymouth gin 3/4 oz Strega 1/4 oz Fernet Branca 2 dashes Boker's bitters Stir; strain; lemon twist. Second has a more interesting backstory. In 1937, the United Kingdom Bartenders' Guild, President one Harry Craddock, published a little book called Approved Cocktails (scribd version here), in which a drink invented by Jack Powell made an appearance: Ott's Special 1 1/2 oz dry gin (Broker's) 3/4 oz Strega 3/4 oz dry vermouth (M&R) dash Regan's orange bitters dash Fee's orange bitters Stir; strain; orange (lemon here) twist. I wish I knew who Ott was, because he is, indeed, special. This is a fantastic drink.

I don't understand, Ruth. It sounds like she made a mistake. What was the stupid thing it taught?

Baked? Broiled?

For the second Tuesday comparison drink, I think it would be very interesting to see what approaches you'd get if you asked for an Old Fashioned (Cock-Tail). If you want something a bit more specific, you could specify the spirit, but I'm hoping at least one of you'll go to Mayahuel....

Sam, that freezer is going to change your life as much or more than the dishwasher, I predict. You can make meals double or triple the size you'd normally make for many things, freeze them with a vacuum sealer, and reheat them precisely with your immersion circulator or other tool. In a lot of cases, there's very little loss of quality.

Famous Grouse and Compass Box's Asyla are the two standard issue mixing scotches at most quality cocktail bars in the US.

This 10-quart one? Jeepers, no discount even at Amazon. Can you just grab a used one off eBay, or are you putting your home and body at risk?

Dick, can you weigh out a tablespoon of each of Diamon and Morton's for us? Another interesting book on salt is Mark Kurlansky's Salt.

When you work in a restaurant, one of the things that you have to negotiate is the chain of communication from the top -- corporate or chef -- down to the customer, and you want to remove as many obstacles to miscommunication as possible. One of those obstacles is the explanation of what something on the menu is. I've heard (now departed) servers at the restaurant where I bartend explain that "guh-nocky" are "like potato puffs except chewy," for example -- not exactly what you want customers to understand about your gnocchi.

It's been a few years since we had a pressure cooker topic, so I wanted to get one started here. They're all the rage, something old that's new again. I've never had one and haven't a clew about what I'd want. What recommendations do people have?

Following with great interest. I expect some terrific cocktails, guys -- and if we can get a shot from behind the bar at PDT, well, that'd be cool too. Blog on.

Does anyone have an online source for rice bran oil?

Heck, me either! Just in case I'm terribly wrong, I started this topic.

I'm getting a bit of blowback for suggesting that carob is a sign of a bad dish when you see it on a menu. I'm old enough to remember the days when nearly every place had "carob this" and "carob that" as substitutes for chocolate; as are many ersatz foods, those things were largely inedible. But I'm willing, nay, happy to have the scales lifted. So I searched on carob and found one topic called "Carob Chips -- Yuck!"That didn't help me. What are some good recipes for carob?

Such as what? And how many in the family?

Sure. It's possible. Anything's possible. But if I see the word "carob" on a menu, I'm not ordering that item for all the reasons above. Tuscan: good one, ambra! Though sometimes people call cavolo nero "Tuscan kale" because they don't want to explain what "cavolo nero" means.

Jenni, carob indicates an attempt to provide ersatz ingredients, and that is a bad, bad sign.

Carob drives fear into my heart.

From Ted Haigh's terrific Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, tonight's crunching through the documentation libation: Lucien Gaudin Cocktail 1 oz gin (Death's Door) 1/2 oz Cointreau 1/2 oz Campari 1/2 oz dry vermouth (M&R -- stayed Italian) Stir, strain into a coupe, lemon twist. Yes, I know, should be orange, but I think the lemon brings out more notes in the drink than the repetitive orange. Plus I have no oranges at home.

Is anyone else picking up a slight apple-y note in the Redemption? Makes me wonder how it'd fare in applejack drinks....

You might have noticed that Dave Viola's member handle, vice, just changed color. He's purple because he's a probationary member of our volunteer hosting team. A few months ago, we initiated a multistep recruitment process, sharing job descriptions, a code of ethics, and other materials. In several in person and online discussions, our team raked him over the coals about commitment, skin thickness, and commitment to our membership. He's just started his probation, during which he's learning how to use the moderation tools. If all goes well, in three months he'll become a full-fledged host. We're always on the lookout for people interested in volunteering in different aspects of the Society. If you have the skill, an hour or so per day, and the ability to make a multiyear commitment, why not consider playing a larger role? If you're interested, just send me or any other manager or director a note.