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Found some decent Apricots at last Saturday's Farmers' Market, so I'll be giving my own apricot liqueur a try this week, following Jackal10's procedure for Damson Gin. Well, not exactly. I'm going to use Pisco, 'cos it's the closest, reasonably priced thing I can find to Eau de Vie, and I won't sweeten until after the initial month's aging. Woo! Leaving those pits in. Cyanogenic Glycosides, here I come.

Looks beautiful to me, Susan. Yum! Gumbo would great for our foggy San Francisco "summer" as well. Thanks for bumping the thread. Though, unless I'm mistaken, that looks an awful lot like Cilantro in the garnish...You got some sort of Mexican/Asian/Cajun fusion thing goin' on, up there in Minnesota?

Tried the "Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale" from De Proefbrouwerij last Friday. At 9%, it certainly was a good way to get the party started. It's a tart, dry beer with elements of fruit in the nose. I enjoyed the first few sips; but, as it warmed, a bitter element to the finish lingered at the back of my tongue. Pretty striking Hay-Barnyard-Brett funk element to the aftertaste, as well. It's an interesting beer; but, I doubt I would seek it out again.

I haven't tried that liqueur; but, one of the liquor stores I shop at keeps trying to sell me Massenez' Crème de Gingebre. I may give in one of these days. I believe Gary Regan has a cocktail in his "New Classic Cocktails" that uses Ginger Wine and scotch. (A couple googles later...) Ah, yes, "The Debonaire". I've always meant to get some Ginger Wine and Highland Scotch to give it a try. What does the recipe mean by "Highland Malt Scotch", though? Famous Grouse, OK? Or something swanker? Sorry, I know next to nothing about scotch whisky. I think the many pints of Auld Reekie washed whatever small bit I learned at the Scotch museum in Edinburgh right out of my brain. Or maybe it was the margaritas at Viva Mexico... --- DEBONAIRE COCKTAIL By Gary and Mardee Reagan 21/2 oz. Highland Malt Scotch 3/4 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur Stir both ingredients to chill and strain into a chilled martini glass. No garnish.

My wife and I have been to fish in Sausalito a couple times now, and have had great meals on both occasions. The seafood is mostly locally sourced and as fresh as fresh can be. Great oysters at the raw bar (or grilled). They usually have some sort of whole grilled fish (striped bass both times I've been) and that has been really good. If you're there with a few people, I recommend you share that dish, however it is prepared. Also, both times I've been, there have been local grilled or fried sardines on the menu. "Fries with Eyes"! Yum! For me the restaurant is just the right combination of fantastic food and casual atmosphere. The only downside is it can be quite busy, so sometimes there is a wait for a table. Oh, and despite the title of this thread, while I think fish is quite "reasonable" for the quality of ingredients, the size of portions, and the fact it is in Sausalito, it isn't cheap. I think the original chef earlier this year; but, the quality of food doesn't seem to have suffered. edit - tried to fix some grammar things.

The Italian name for this sort of Hazelnut Chocolate paste is, "Gianduja". I believe it is diffcult to make without commercial equipment.

Is "Valencia" a good answer? 1/4 of a valencia orange, handily enough, seems to give about 3/4 ounce of juice. I just chopped it in half and then quarters and squeezed it in to the measuring cup. I'm a bit worried about the letter A, since I don't have real absinthe, and am not sure about Alexanders or any of those awful sounding "After Dinner" or "Angel Wings" cocktails. Learning experience, I'm sure. Next up, various Absinthe cocktails murdered with Henri Bardouin Pastis.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Thursday, June 8, 2006 Bordeaux for less dough: Region's expensive wines steal the spotlight, but there are also good deals, Tim Teichgraeber A TASTE OF BORDEAUX, Tim Teichgraeber Pairings: Riesling tames tart tomatillo sauce, Lynne Char Bennett Recipe: Grilled Achiote Pork The Chronicle's Wine Selections: German Rieslings: QbA & Kabinett, Lynne Char Bennett The Cheese Course: A roll in the hay does wonders for Vento d'Estate, Janet Fletcher The Cocktailian: Love Potion gets its zing from ginger vodka, Gary Regan Recipe: Love Potion Adapted from Typhoon on Broadway, in Portland, Ore. Letters to Wine: Judgment Day II - the fallout Commentary: Exclusive auction party actually benefits the masses, Linda Murphy Wine Business Insider: Washington's largest wine company buys one of Oregon's oldest, Cyril Penn Dick Erath, one of Oregon's pioneering winemakers, has sold his 70,000-case winery Erath Vineyards to Washington's largest wine company, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates...Charles and Shirley Roy, owners of Roy Estate, a 17-acre vineyard on Soda Canyon Road in Napa Valley, settled a lawsuit with Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer in Napa County Superior Court on May 31...Imported wine sales are on the rise, taking market share from domestic wines... 96 Hours Bargain Bite: Yucatasia, Linda Compton CRITICS' PICKS: THE SCOOP ON THE UNUSUAL, Amanda Berne "Scoop shops are opening up like mad and are an ideal stop-off for a cone any time, but restaurants are doing a fine job of wrapping up a meal with interesting house-made flavored ice creams." Dining Update: La Salette, Bill Addison Dining Update: Scoma's, Michael Bauer

Inspired by my friend who is attempting to cook his way through "Joy of Cooking" from begining to end, I thought I might try the same with a cocktail book and try to gain a larger perspective on the world of cocktails. Rob's already working on the "Mixer's Manual" so I thought I might try Craddock's "The Savoy Cocktail Book". I'll try to make as many as I reasonably can with what ingredients are currently available and post pictures. If you want to help, let me know. My liver will thank you. I will work on my velvet light box, I promise. First up is "The Abbey". 1/2 dry gin (1/5 oz. Beefeaters) 1/4 Lillet (3/4 oz.) 1/4 orange juice (3/4 oz.) dash angostura bitters Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. I really like the translucent orange color of the cocktail. It almost seems to glow from within. Flavor is light, orangey and a little bit bitter. Like other Lillet based cocktails I've had in the past, I don't seem to notice that I'm drinking spirits. Something about Lillet seems to transform gin into spring water. Could be dangerous.

I keep trying to think of some sort of combined cogent answer to mbanu's question, and can't come up with a single consistent answer. First, there is a long history of very sweet drinks in the US. Just look at the various "angel" drinks or Pousse Cafes, which are really nothing but stacked liqueurs. Sweet drinks are nothing new. Second, Embury, self admittedly was almost solely concerned with what he described as dry aperitif cocktails. He admitted there were other types of mixed drinks; but, only grudgingly admitted them to his book. To me, though, the value of Embury isn't his curmudgeonly take on liquor brands or recipes. It is the "roll your own" aspect of the book. I think he was the first author to say, "Here are some rules for cocktails, knock yourself out. You don't have to be an ordained high priest to present the sacrament of the old-fashioned or sazerac." Third, I guess a lot of us feel like we are struggling back from what we considered the sickly sweet drinks of the 1980s and 90s. I know they still serve horrible slushy margaritas on Bourbon Street and such; but, oh, the headaches those drinks remind me of. Ouch. Fourth, is vodka. Tasteless, flavorless, inebriation. I know it is popular in many circles. Personally, I like the flavor of a well made tequila, gin, rum, or whisk(e)y, and I want to enjoy the flavor of those spirits in whatever cocktail I enjoy, not drown them in sweetness or fruit. I have to believe that the quality and variety of spirits and cocktail ingredients that we enjoy in this modern world surpasses any that was enjoyed at any point in past ages. Especially the variety of spirits and freshness of ingredients. It is up to all of us, bartenders, cocktailians, and enthusiasts to craft the cocktails that express the spirit of our age. Maybe, some of the recipes I make up or favor are on the dry side. Anyone can disagree. Unless you are over at my house for a dinner party. Then it would be nice if you enjoyed yourself. If you don't like the cocktails, there's usually plenty of beer.

Do health food or herbal type places carry dried violet flowers or petals? Guess I wouldn't be averse to trying to make a small batch. Probably be cheaper than shipping from France or England.

Interesting, I've never thought of combining Gin, watermelon, and cucumbers. When it gets hot, and we start to get decent watermelons, I make Sunburned Senoritas (tequila, lime, watermelon) and I've made a number of cucumber and gin or cucumber and aquavit cocktails. Hmmm... I've combined cold soups in a single bowl, say a honeydew and cantaloupe soup, for the color effect. Usually doing something lame similar to a yin yang sign. Could you layer your cucumber and watermelon juices in a tall clear glass? Might be striking.

Abra, Three weeks is plenty, especially with microplaned zest. Home made limoncello doesn't come out the bright yellow like the commercial brands. I suspect there may be something other than Lemon zest, alcohol, sugar and water in many of those. ~Erik

Sounds great Linda! I've got a Strawberry liqueur going myself. Used Pisco as the base liqueur instead of vodka. Should be sweetening it next week. I'll let you know how it turns out. I need to investigate better bottles. I've been using re-sealable ones from a health food store; but, they are just so darn expensive. Thanks for the tip on the beer supply stores. I've got pomello-cello and limoncello that need bottling, not to mention a pomegranate liqueur from last year! Next projects are apricots, cherries, and, in a few weeks, Nocino. I also want to try dapple dandy pluots again this summer. Sheesh, I really need to get that stuff out of the aging jars and into bottles.

mbanu, Do you have any examples? Specific websites or books? I actually find, when I am out at bars, most people drink pretty sweet cocktails and most bars have pretty sweet cocktail menus. I guess the only real exception I can think of is the dry martini phenomenon. Most places, if you order a martini, you'll get only a dash of vermouth or even a vermouth wash on your glass. Other than that it is a big glass of vodka or gin. When I ask for a 1-4 Martini, even if they are making it with top shelf vermouth, bartenders often look at me like I am some sort of alien. Sometimes, I do find the dry martini proportions cross over to other classic cocktails like Manhattans or, even worse, Negronis, and you only get a dash of campari and/or vermouth. ~Erik

I do wish Buffalo Trace had a secure website for ordering. However, while you're ordering Peychaud Bitters, you can also order some of Mr. Regan's bracing orange bitters for the Martinez cocktails in your future. I find those even more difficult to find than the Peychaud.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Thursday, June 1, 2006 Judgment Day: Part Deux What the 2006 showdown between California and France really proves, Linda Murphy Pairings: Sweet and sour flavors meet their mate in Riesling, Lynne Char Bennett Recipe: Five-Spice Fish with Spicy Sweet & Sour Sauce The Chronicle's Wine Selections: 2004 German Riesling: Spatlese, Auslese and Eiswein, Lynne Char Bennett The Cheese Course: Andante Dairy Nocturne is at its prime, thanks to greener pastures, Janet Fletcher Bargain Wines: Easy-drinking California Pinot Grigios are picnic-perfect, W. Blake Gray Letters to Wine: Scarecrow tactics Spirits: Kentucky's beasts of bourbon are true to America's spirit, Josh Krist 96 Hours Bargain Bite: Sunrise Deli CRITICS' PICKS: Peas in a pod: Give (fresh) peas a chance, Amanda Berne "Opening up a bag of frozen peas is way too easy. Besides, once you try the real thing -- the fresh, sweet, straight-from-the-pod variety -- you'll be ordering English peas off every menu during their peak." Dining Update: Albona, Bill Addison

Put them in a tall vase? With water? Do I trim the top? If so, how far down? What's loamy soil? ← Yep, tall vase with water. Just like flowers. Keep it topped up with fresh water. I've never trimmed the tops, I guess you could a bit, if they looked ugly. RE: Soil. They like rich sandy soil and plenty of water. Regular potting mix is probably fine. When you get to the planting them part, you might want to stick some bamboo stakes or chop sticks in there and tie the lemon grass to them, to help keep them from falling over. They tend to be a bit top heavy until they get their root system more established. Here's a good link from yougrowgirl.com: How to grow lemongrass from a store-bought stalk edit - added link.

Lemon grass is easy. Get a few fresh looking stalks from the grocery store, preferably with as much root attached as possible. Put them in a tall vase in a sunny spot. Soon, they should start to sprout roots. When you start to see new green growth at the top, plant them in container with some loamy soil and keep them moist. Not sure about sun; but, you may need to give them some shelter from too much direct sun. It's a tropical plant, so with plenty of water, heat and humidity, you should have a good size patch before the end of the year. Frost sensitive, though, so you will need to bring it in for the winter or keep it in a greenhouse, depending on your exact zone. ~Erik

I seldom come across Belgian beers I don't like. I've recently been fascinated by the beers of Brasserie Fantôme and the Belgian style beer of Belgian expat Pierre Lebbe at Brasserie Lebbe. The Brasserie Fantôme are dry and fantastically complex and probably not appealing to all, with their clear notes of hay and farmyard (brett). However, I find, after tasting both of these clearly hand made beers, the clean tasting Belgian style ales of Unibroue and Ommegang seem a bit soul-less. I did recently try a new Belgian beer called something like "lost cow" that I didn't care for. It was darker in style, almost like a Belgian Barley Wine. Just didn't do it for me.* ~Erik *Haven't figured out what this beer was called; but, I suspect it may have been from the Netherlands, not Belgium.

Broad beans and Fava Beans are the same species, Vicia Fava. Actually a species in the "Vetch" genus and an "Old World" legume. I'm not sure about variety differences between various countries. The next thing I really want to try is fresh Lima Beans. I hated these when I was younger, and am curious what they would taste like to me now. ~Erik

Oh, cool! I saw the Nostradamus just last weekend and was wondering about it. I will have to give it a try. Somewhere I read, the odder the name and the label of Belgian Beer, the more interesting the beer inside. Nostradamus certainly has a quirky name and label! ~Erik

This was enjoyable enough last night it seemed worthwhile to come up with a name. I was thinking of a play on orange smash/crush. How about "Smitten Orange"? Given all the orange torture involved, it seems pretty apropos.

This Aperol cocktail wasn't bad. Orangetastic? Orange-R-ific? Probably be quite nice on a hot day. Sort of an orange crush for adults type thing. 2 oz Gin Juice 1/2 orange Aperol Long curly zest of 1/2 orange soda water String your circular curly orange zest like you are making a crusta, and fill your glass with crushed ice. Fill half with Aperol. Add gin and Orange Juice to an iced cocktail shaker, and shake to chill. Strain into glass. Top with soda.

Chris, I really enjoyed reading your piece. I can't think of a better way to put how I felt about the article than Ivan's sentiment above. Thanks for being honest and sharing a bit of your life! Cheers! ~Erik