Chris Amirault

One-quarter of US adults are avoiding foods containing gluten.

I just ordered Left Coast Libations from Ted Munat and Michael Lazar. (Click here for a Society-friendly link to Amazon.) I've been seeing very good reviews of the book around town, and as I don't have any "left coast" books in the library save the excellent Art of the Bar (Amazon link here; eG Forums topic link here), I took the plunge. The list of contributing bartenders is impressive and includes several folks from the under-appreciated cocktail community in Portland OR such as David Shenaut & Jeffrey Morgenthaler, at whose bars I've been honored to sit, drink, and learn. Anyone got it? I'll report back when mine arrives.

Can someone list the Oaxacan ingredients that you're finding difficult to source? I'm considering buying the book and, though I have have source issues here in RI for many Mexican items, will be heading to Arizona in a few weeks and expect to load up on a few things there.

You're not likely to find anyone slapping a whole cow on the prep table, but surely there are farm-to-table restaurants in Chicagoland that break down pigs, lamb, rabbits, and poultry on a regular basis. Perhaps you could stage at a few.

I got my fall order from Penzey's the other day, and I cycled out some old white cardamom for new. Had a bit of Tito's vodka for a tincture, and when lime popped up as a MxMo theme, I figured a White Lady variation was just the thing: 2 oz Plymouth gin 1 oz lime juice 1 oz Cointreau 1 tsp white cardamom tincture 2 dashes Scrappy's grapefruit bitters

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to let you know that we're announcing the next three workshops as part of the Classic Cocktails Course sponsored by Cook & Brown Public House and the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. Here's the lineup, all on Sundays from 6-8 pm: October 10: Classic Cocktail Basics November 14: Gins and Rums: You Like Them More Than You Think December 12: Classic Holiday Cocktails (to coincide with a RI Monthly shoot on the same topic!) You can make reservations through OpenTable or at the restaurant's website. I've attached the flyer, which has more details. As always, feel free to ask questions! Classic Cocktails Basics Oct 10.pdf

Dave Arnold and Nils Noren over at Cooking Issues have really hit their stride lately, particularly if you have an obsessive interest in cocktails, infusions, and other liquid matters.

As the NYT reported in September, Jonathan Benno has left Per Se and is opening a restaurant in Lincoln Center named... wait for it... Lincoln. The WSJ covered friends and family this weekend prior to the September 24 opening: Any other information out there? Anyone going soon?

With the New England weather staying warm, I'm grilling some chicken tonight using a marinade I threw together with ginger, garlic, cumin, and some pomegranate molasses. Serving it later with chana dal and broccoli; will report back!

We have Hennessy VS at work, and I have that or Landy VS at home. As for cocktails, I could drink Vieux Carrés for a long while. We put this drink of mine on the dessert menu at work, a spicier drink than the VC that's been popular: Bitter Yak 1 oz rye 1 oz cognac 1/4 oz Fernet Branca 1/2 oz Benedictine -1/4 oz demerara Stir; strain over fresh ice; orange twist.

Always happy to learn that there are nuts out there who rival Society members with their obsessiveness.

I have four of these, so I'll try cutting in v slots to see what happens. It's something that I'd like to try also bc I often spill a ton of water getting the overfull trays into the freezer.

Here's the NYT piece to which Rona refers. The Amazon note I just got says the arrival time is estimated at March 08 2011.

I don't know if you consider Providence part of the Boston area, but if you do there are a few Armenian bakeries down here. The best quality stuff I know of is made by Sonia at Sonia's on Park Ave in Cranston. I've seen gata and nazook there regularly but haven't tried it (just learned their names!), and I can say with confidence that the lahmejun is terrific. She caters, too -- that's what she did before the store opened formally -- so you probably could request specific other items.

I'm six minutes in on DVR and am riveted. Listening to Eric Ripert defend -- defend! -- Le Bernadin is fascinating. Whatever the problems of this show, I continually am excited at the prospect of watching a new one.

Makes sense. I'm always trying to cool the bowl down, not heat it up.

At Cook & Brown Public House, where I work, we have a Loretta Lynn Fizz that flies off the rail: 2 oz sloe gin 1 oz lemon 1/4 oz simple syrup (or to taste) soda 4 drops rose water Shake sloe gin, lemon, and simple; strain over rocks while adding soda. Drop rose water on top.

So at this point what are the stellar taco fillings for a crowd? I'm doing the sous vide carnitas in a couple of weeks and would like to grab another protein or two.

All right, let's get this going. Some opening thoughts. Basic TC structure, with expected twists, elimination, etc. etc. Nothing new there. Does anyone know what that blowtorch to the side of the KitchenAid mixer bowl was for? I look forward to the first time that a KA engine implodes and spits pieces into someone's buttercream, btw: good TV that will be. It seems pretty clear that we're not going to get too much information about process, at least at this stage, but I thought that some of the desserts promised interesting stuff down the road, when fewer contestants will allow for more exposition of the food. Can someone define "cupcake" for me? (And, no, I'm not talking about Johnny Iuzzini as this show's cross-gender heart-throb a la Colicchio.) I hope that this doesn't turn into Real World: Ganache, but it sure smells like we're headed in that direction....

Sigh. Can we please get back to "Here's anything you could possibly want: make your best meal"? Even better: two days in Singapore made me glimpse a world in which chefs could have both access to high quality Western/European ingredients -- not limited by whoever has the fastest time in the 40 yard dash to the walk-in to grab the one lobe of foie gras -- and to high quality ingredients from other parts of the globe. The whole cutesy "here's your protein" business smelled funny, as if the elves were making "challenge component" out of necessity. Tom's bizarre monkey eating joke didn't help matters either. As for the winner. I'd be very happy to eat food prepared by Kevin -- with Voltaggio doing sous.

I've been making the 2 to 2 for a few different folks at the bar lately, and last night I dry-shook it like a Polaroid picture for a several minutes with a Hawthorne strainer coil before adding ice. The meringue was amazing: lasted well over an hour, at which point I had to wash the glass. I love that drink.

Yikes. This is the sort of thing that drives a man to order ten bottles for hoarding at home.

Is there contact information for Mr. Pattemore? I'd love to get a more developed explanation of that claim.

Dave, where can you find the Neisson white? Town in E Prov had it for a while but no more.... And Kent: Dave is right, you lucky dog.

I've always been a big fan of Laphroaig, and when I saw this Laphroaig Quarter Cask, I grabbed a bottle. It's more potent (96 proof) and a bit younger into the smaller barrels; you can read more about it here. I love it: more oak and a bigger "angel's share" seems to translate into a fuller, more oily mouthfeel, and it seems to have more complex flavors than the usual Laphroaig 10. Just the right thing to nurse during tonight's Top Chef finale.