Chris Amirault

While we're on the subject: what does "Improved" mean in this context?

Question: several folks have done artichokes for ~1h at 185F per Keller's general vegetable advice. I have two good-looking, fully grown globe artichokes. How do you prep them for cooking? What do you add to the bag?

What's the purpose of this discussion? To determine how best to order a drink? To clarify the muddy, muddy waters of history? To create a taxonomy of drink types that can stand the rigors of set theory, logical analysis, and the ghost of Jerry Thomas?

Fantastic report. I'm interested to know how you'd compare Pochés, and Jacob's. I always use me own sausages, tasso, etc., but I'm interested to know how these two compare.

My thoughts on APDC here. Going to Montreal and missing APDC is like going to Barcelona and missing the Boqueria, or going to NYC and missing Katz's.

I'm doing a piece about a local tortilleria/taqueria and was there today to have lunch and do some background work. While there, I went through the entire store looking for the hard-to-find list up-topic: nada. I'll try again in Tucson.....

Very interesting. What rum & gin are you using? Tonight's libation is a variation of the Jakewalk, a drink designed by Dave Wondrich (member Splificator) for the Brooklyn bar of the same name. It's a popular staple at Cook & Brown Public House, where I tend bar and consult: 3/4 oz reposado tequila 3/4 oz white rum 3/4 oz St. Germain 3/4 oz lime 2 dashes Peychaud's Shake; strain; orange twist. It's a great drink, but I rarely have reposado tequila at the house. So I wondered: what would happen if the tequila weren't aged but the rum was? 3/4 oz Appleton 12 3/4 oz Milagro blanco 3/4 oz St. Germain 3/4 oz lime 2 dashes Peychaud's Answer: it's delicious.

Interesting notes from Joel Robuchon on preparing mushrooms in the Wall St Journal: I didn't know that about chanterelles, and I have never cooked with fresh porcini (sadly). Can anyone corroborate Robuchon's advice? Or dare to opine otherwise?

Tonight I had a notion that the BT Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters might be a nice combo.

Bought my first bottle of Strega today, and I'm intrigued. Seems like a wildly under-utilized ingredient with a lot of potential. First attempt: 2 oz Plymouth gin 3/4 oz Strega 1/4 oz Fernet Branca 2 dashes Boker's bitters Stir; strain; no garnish, though a lemon twist might be nice. Needs a name.

Interesting combination. I wonder if using pineapple syrup (demerara syrup poured over diced pineapple and left overnight) and more bitters would make for a good Old Fashioned variation....

We do this too -- we call it "fending," as in "Fend for yourselves!!"

Anyone made one of these Fitty-Fitty variations? From the Savoy via Vermiere: Deep Sea Cocktail l Dash Absinthe. 1 Dash Orange Bitters. 1/2 French Vermouth. 1/2 Old Tom Gin. Olive and lemon -- not a typo. If I have the presence of mind to get some NP tonight, I'll give it a try sans olive.

It definitely reduces stress in the sense that you have things planned out. But as I read this, I realized that I resist such weekly battle plans because it is the cooking itself -- and not heating and assembling -- that reduces stress for me.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. Steven, are you including ice packs in your bento? I wonder what the temp is in there throughout the day.

That is astonishingly helpful. I'm going to follow it to the letter this afternoon if I have the ability. Thanks. ETA: Of course, I need the tea delivered first....

Jeepers. The regulatory arrogance at that place is astonishing.

There's an idea I'm gonna steal.

Thanks, WC, but I have a question. I tend to dump tea into a strainer, pour water over it in a pot, set a timer and drink. Thus I'm a bit confused by the phrase "start the infusions." Assume idiocy in your explanation.

Hate to quibble about time, but quibbling about time is what I'm doing all day long. So, to that end, a trip to get a "fresh protein" takes at least an additional 15 minutes, cutting dinner prep time by half. Maybe I need to look into this pressure cooker idea. And I definitely have to check out the broiler in these new ovens.

No. I confess that they scare the bejeezus out of me.

I do think that pork chops that you brine, SV, chill and hold for a day or two are excellent reheated to about 3-5C below temp and then seared or grilled hard. And, as with most things, bacon grease works wonders, along with some quatre epices.

A very, very dear friend brought a bottle of Ransom back from the west coast for me. After a few Improveds, snooped around and found this: Fantastic drink -- immediately in the rotation. Thanks KD1191 (and Maks!).

I am a pu-erh newcomer. Snooping around Norbu this morning, I spied this 2007 Spring Yong De Mao Cha, a loose pu-erh. From the website, my emphasis: I ordered some -- that foresty stuff really puts me over the moon. However, I realized that I haven't a clue about how to brew pu-erh with my office set-up: two small ceramic mugs, a glass teapot with a large stainless strainer, and a speedy kettle. I realize I'm not getting a cake from the early 20th century here, but I still don't want to make a dumb newbie mistake and ruin an otherwise compelling experience -- and potential addition to my tea repertoire. Any thoughts?

Spied the 2010 Spring Wu Liang Mountain (Yi Mei Ren), a Yunnan black, on the Norbu site today and got some. Will report back.