Rob Simmon

Grog Log and Intoxica are both loads of fun, although I don't think you really need to buy the 30 or so specific types of rum specified. Maybe somebody could have a crack at categorizing the rum styles into a more manageable number? My favorite: Beachbum's Own

I've tried a few of the squirrels, and the only one that's a keeper (in my mind) is the New Jersey Squirrel: applejack, creme de noyau, and lemon juice. (I think it should be renamed the "Jersey Girl," but that's just me.) I can't help but wonder if they would be improved if any noyau save the painfully artificial types were available in the states.

This board is fantastic, thanks for all the advice. In response: I did not roast the bones, I was going for a white stock to use in "sjoman's beef in spicy broth" from the Aquavit cookbook. Turned out well, but I will use less lime juice than the recipe called for in the future. Although I considered reducing the stock some, Peterson's Sauces warns against it, especially if using bones. Next time i'll try for a double or triple stock, and jam another knuckle in there.

I spent today on my first attempt at making a veal stock. After 6 hours+ of simmering 1.5 lbs of very meaty veal bones and a few veggies in a 3 quart pot, I ended up with a very thin stock and some extremely tender and (surprisingly) still tasty stewed veal. Unfortunately, I wanted a rich stock, and was expecting all the flavor to be cooked out of the veal. Any ideas what went wrong?

as of 6 or 7 o'clock last night (EDT), mine's in. hoping for the best.

I've tried it--not a big fan. Definitely viscous. On the other hand, my shaker isn't big enough to add the water, so I couldn't cut it at all. I think the large number of assertive ingredients just become overwhelming. Other forgotten cocktails: I can't get the Jupiter to work right (probably the King Eider Vermouth) On the other hand, the 20th Century is truly amazing. The Monkey Gland and Blood and Sand are weird but good. Neither of the champagne cocktails float my boat (Seelbach and French 75) The filmograph is worth making more than once, and the Millionaire is good but very sweet.

Just out of curiosity ... why are you all drinking cocktails in England? I think it's better to stick with the local specialty--cask conditioned ale. (Although that belongs in another forum!)

Next attempt: 1.5 oz. bourbon .5 oz. Navan .75 oz. blackberry puree a few small sprigs of mint this recipe is starting to improve, but the blackberries [although more acidic than raspberries (but not remotely as acidic as lemon juice)] are still not tart enough, and the relatively potent mint (a variety called "mint julep") really took over even though it was pretty scraggly. I was actually feeling pretty happy about my skill as a creative mixologist, but then I mixed up a <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=42813&st=0&p=614566entry614566">Tantris Sidecar</a> (mentioned by slkinsey in the <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=72982">Pegu Club</a> thread) and was profoundly humbled.

← It depends how you define "in depth". I work in the food hell of Greenbelt, and live not much closer in. I am well aware of the amazing array of ethnic places (I probably visit Pho 75, Food Factory, Mandalay, Costa Allegre (tacos), any one of a number of ethiopian restaurants, and the vegetarian Indian buffet across the street once a month each), and hit 2-3 super high-end restaurants a year for special occasions, plus another 1-2 on travel [this summer being a notable exception (did I mention I was completely blown away by molecular gastronomy?)]. Aside from minibar, I <strong>really</strong> like Palena, had good experiences at Equinox and Le Paradou, and enjoyed the trio of Ceiba, DC Coast, and Ten Penh. Sushi Ko, Kaz's, and Sushi Taro are all good for the obvious. Citronelle was a disappointment (my appetizer and entre were almost identical) and I've never been to Maestro, the Galileo, or The Inn at Little Washington. I'm not trying to say that DC has bad food, but that people flock to steak houses and other rather boring places while ignoring something brilliant. It's not just DC metro residents, but the national press, who don't recognize what we have. For instance, Chicago Magazine compared Aline and Moto to WD-50 and Per Se (Per Se !?! -- one of these is not like the others.) Another article I read rated NY, Chicago, SF, Las Vegas, and New Orleans as the best food cities in the U.S. I'll grant the top three as being clearly superior to DC (although recent trips to SF have been relatively disappointing), but Vegas?--it's almost entirely duplicate restaurants. (I've never been to New Orleans). Maybe I'm just pissy because Ruby Tuesday's, Friday's, and Chevy's are always packed, and the handful of decent neighborhood ethnic places within 15 minutes of Greenbelt are never more then 3/4 full. I really just wanted to point out that minibar is spectacular and inspiring.

ok I lied. Not having any raspberries, I went with the rum idea: 1.5 oz. white rum (Matusalem) .5 oz. Navan .5 oz. lemon juice 1 sprig mint shake with ice, garnish with a twist it comes out tasting similar to a La Floridita (with creme de cacao, not maraschino).

After a partial re-thinking: 1.5 oz. bourbon (Buffalo Trace) .5 oz. Navan A small bunch of mint (hard to quantify how much, exactly) shake hard with ice Turns out not much different than a mint julep, but the Navan hides some of the bourbon character, making it acceptable for non-bourbon drinkers (like my test subject). Next I'll try this with the pureed raspberries.

It just didn't seem to be what was missing. But perhaps the licorice accents in Peychaud's would complement the vanilla.

If you really want to know ... I had David Wondrich's <em>Killer Cocktails</em> flipped open to the brandy smash, and saw the bottle of Navan my girlfriend had brought up from the basement sitting on the counter. I asked myself if vanilla goes with mint, thought to myself "it works for Tom's of Maine" and started experimenting. The addition of raspberries came from the desire to add tartness that wasn't lemon or lime. Maybe Applejack, Navan, and manzanita would do the trick (has anybody here tried manzanita?)? Modifying a twentieth century cocktail seems to be a pretty significant departure. Not to mention the fact that I'm fresh out of both Applejack and Lillet (I'm trying to exercise some self-restraint so I can justify buying a certain trio of very expensive cookbooks from a very famous spanish chef, and draw down my excessive liquor collection (Beachbum Berry calls for far too many varieties of rum)). How about mixing the Navan with a highland scotch? Vanilla plus vanillin? I think I'm going to need a new liver before too long ...

I don't understand it--3 months after opening, Chicago's Alinea is garnering an ever-increasing chorus of praise, and two like-minded establishments (Moto and WD-50) are receiving national media attention. Meanwhile, minbar goes unmentioned despite its relatively long history and purebreed pedigree (Jose Andres returns to El Bulli annually to work with Ferran Adria). Here on Egullet Alinea spawned its <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showforum=163">own forum,</a> and has <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=66997&st=0">a thread</a> 11 pages long. I was able to get Friday night reservations for two at minibar with less than 24 hours notice--astonishing for a restaurant that seats only 6. I know DC caters to the expense account meat and potatoes crowd, but that's ridiculous. I arrived at the minibar, brother in tow, without having a specific idea of what to expect aside from lots (and lots) of tiny courses, and cotton candy foie gras--and I thought that meant cotton candy foie gras, not foie gras <em>wrapped</em> in cotton candy. I was also somewhat trepidatious, since of two previous trips to Cafe Atlantico one was disastrous and the other mediocre (granted, the first--truly awful--experience was probably before Jose took over). The polished copper bar, intimate setting, and wonderful aromas (apples sauteed in red wine, I believe) certainly made a positive impression, but I was still worried. Needlessly. With the first course, I was stunned. A thimblefull of olive oil and dash of vinegar encased in a crystalline caramel shell. The experience was similar to reading William Gibson's Neuromancer, or hearing the Rite of Spring for the first time. Truly revolutionary (at least to my sensibilities). Although no single additional course had the impact of the olive oil bonbon, the sequence of ideas, techniques, and tastes was a continuous rush. Every dish was described by the three chefs--one for every pair of diners. Highlights included pineapple salmon ravioli (bites of salmon wrapped in pineapple), liquid cantaloupe ravioli (cantaloupe juice in a gelled shell), the famous deconstructed new england clam chowder (lightly killed clam with baked potatoe foam), and the philly cheese steak (exquisitely rare Kobe beef wrapped around a cheddar cheese sauce). Misses (relative misses, these were still intriguing) were the zuchini in textures (but I've never liked zuchinni, so I'm biased), deconstructed guacamole, and sweet pea caviar (both too cold, which muted the flavors). A dish that may define the minibar was the deconstructed glass of white wine: a white wine gelle spread across the bottom of a long, thin rectangular plate with evenly spaced, tiny piles of flavor components commonly found in wine: lemon zest, mint, vanilla, etc. The chefs (with whom we were constantly interacting--a true joy) instructed each of us to sample the flavors one at a time, and guess what they were. A much better way to learn about wine than the aroma wheel! I left that night with my head absolutely spinning. In fact, I was so impressed that I arranged a trip to Chicago to see <a href="http://www.bodyworlds.com/en/pages/home.asp">Body Worlds,</a> and squeeze in meals at Alinea and Moto. I'm glad to say minibar held its own. Although they are similar in a broad sense, the three restaurants each have a distinct feel. Alinea seems to be more about experimenting with complex flavors. Moto is pushing the boundaries of technical preperations. minibar (should I capitalize a lower-case proper noun at the beginning of a sentence?) is more intellectual, encouraging you to think about what you're eating. They also have many dishes with minimal ingredients, focusing on texture or temperature combinations, rather than complex blends of flavor, and perhaps more playful (even if the pop rocks are gone). The atmosphere is welcoming and the chefs are amazing. An extra bonus--it's a lot less expensive than the Chicago pair, and every bit as good. Now, is anyone willing to send me to NY to sample WD-50 on an expense account? How about El Bulli?

Lately I've been trying to design a new cocktail, and although I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track, I can't nail down the right proportions of ingredients. It started when I tried to think of something to mix with Navan (the vanilla liqueur made by the same folks who bring us Grand Marnier) after makign a brandy smash. Attempt#1: 1.5 oz. cognac .75 oz. Navan and a sprig of mint, shaken. Too sweet, too vanilla, definitely needed something sour. So off to the market for some fresh raspberries (recalling raspberry tarts garnished with a mint leaf) which I pureed and strained (I figure commercial raspberry syrup would add too much additional sweetness). attempt #2: 1.5 oz. cognac .5 oz. Navan .75 oz. Raspberry Puree generous bunch mint Too minty, which buried the raspberry and vanilla, and still not sour enough. attempt #3 (approximate): 1.5 oz. cognac .5 oz. Navan .75 oz. Raspeberry Puree 4 mint leaves Just didn't come together somehow, primarily still lacking a sour component. Any suggestions? I don't want to add lemon juice, since I think the lemon flavor will throw things off. I'm considering tracking down some citric or malic acid crystals, but I almost think that's cheating. Otherwsise, I'm stuck, unless I can get a batch of tart raspberries. thanks

Nonino Amaro is pretty pricey ...

A friend of mine was visiting Chicago a few weeks ago and his friend and him snagged a resv. on a sat.nite, (could have been sunday), last minute wise and with luck. My friend, who likes good food but is NOT a foodie , had an OUTSTANDING experience, enjoyed every aspect of the meal. He thought the food itself was sublime. Great job to all up there!!! ← I scored reservations for early this coming Thursday night a week and a half ago, so they're obviously not entirely booked months in advance! Now I'm going to start another thread asking about cheap places to eat so I can afford to feed myself the rest of the trip (we're going to Moto, as well.) Thanks for the help.

I ordered from Monin successfully over the internet. Got passionfruit, rose, violet (for blue moons), jasmine, lavendar, and vanilla. All quite tasty, and natural ingredients. I'd also like to try their orgeat.

<p>Beachbum Berry's <cite>Grog Log</cite> and <cite>Intoxica!</cite> have quite a few recipes with passionfruit juice, passionfruit nectar, and passionfruit syrup.</p> <p>One picked at random from <cite>Intoxica!</cite> (exclamation point mandatory). The Octopus:</p> <ul><li>1 1/2 ounces orange juice</li> <li>1 1/2 ounces passion fruit nectar</li> <li>dash angostura bitters</li> <li>1 1/2 ounces 151 Puerto Rican Rum</li> <li>1 1/2 ounces club soda</li></ul> <p>Pour everything but the soda water into a tiki mug filled with crushed ice, top with soda and stir.</p> <p>Lots of good stuff in those books, but you end up with a frightening number of rums in the liquor cabinet (and enlisting friends to smuggle Havana Club). <cite>Intoxica!</cite> has more passionfruit juice recipes, <cite>Grog Log</cite> has more syrup recipes.</p>

I'm heading to Chicago over the last weekend in August, and I'd like to try Alinea [which I found out about after being blown away at minibar here in Washington, DC)] but I get the sense I'm unlikely to get reservations (they're closed until Wednesday). Any suggestions if I can't get a reservation just by calling? If I can't get any, what other restaurants in Chicago should I consider? Moto? I've recently been disappointed by several well-known restaurants, and am hoping for something that will be intriguing. thanks in advance (and apologies if this really belongs in another thread)

Absolutely. Dave Wondrich's experiments indicated that stirring with cracked ice results in the coldest drink. ← Would you be surprised to learn that I gleaned the cracked ice info from <cite>Killer Cocktails</cite>?

I promised I'd post my experimental results, but have been procrastinating. We tasted two martinis, identical ingredients (2 oz. Gin, 1 oz. King Eider Dry Vermouth, lemon twist. Unfortunately, I forget my choice of gin—probably Plymouth) with different preparations—one shaken for 10 seconds, the other stirred for 30. The Result: the stirred martini was warmer, otherwise they tasted the same. (Granted, the experimental conditions were inadequate, certainly not double blind.) The shaken martini was cloudy with ice chips, flaws not present in the stirred. Perhaps cracked ice would chill the drink faster than large, whole cubes?

It's my understanding that the aeration of shaking a martini enhances the botanicals in the gin (and likely the vermouth, too.) Although I must admit I've never done a side-by-side comparison. Therefore, I will conduct the experiment this weekend, and report back. If anyone else tries, please share your experiences!

I made this variation on the dacquiri last night, but have not come up with a name: 2 oz. gold rum (I used Cockspur from Barbados) 3/4 oz. lime juice 1/2 oz. Monin Jasmin Syrup

After searching around on the web I ordered two different types of passionfruit syrup, but still haven't bitten the bullet for the Trader Vic's. Tasting notes: <strong>Monin Passion Fruit Syrup</strong> Ingredients: pure cane sugar, water, concentrated passion fruit juice, natural flavoring, citric acid very sweet, very passion-fruity, nice acidic bite: concentrated and straightforward <strong>Rose's Passion Fruit Cordial Blend</strong> Ingredients: water, sugar, passion fruit and orange juice (6%), acidifier, flavor, colourant (South African spelling!), stabilizers,sulphur dioxide and benzoic acid mild, as much fruit juice as syrup possible substitues: Alize (after tasting a spoonful, I'd say it wouldn't work) Dafruta passionfruit liquid concentrate-- focused and tart, maybe 50/50 with simple syrup? Monin is the tastiest, at least when comparing spoonfuls of the stuff straight! I'll report back if/when I finally acquire a bottle of Trader Vic's.