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Andrew, Thanks for sharing your pictures. Looks amazing! Cheers! Erik

As far as I know, slivovitz is always made by fermenting the whole plum fruit and then distilling the resulting mash. I second the recommendation of Massenez' products. I recently discovered them and have been really impressed with the quality of all I have tried so far. Massenez also have a good overview of the the process of the manufacture of eau de vie on their website.

I'm not familiar with that particular liqueur; but, have made homemade cranberry liqueur from the recipe on Gunther Anderson's website and it turned out well. Cranberry Liqueur

It's in the same plant family with spinach and beets (Goosefoot or Chenopodiaceae). It is sort of half way between these two. Milder than beets; but, sweeter and more flavorful than spinach. To me, chard really represents the idea of Agridulce, the sweet sour flavors. If you don't like that sort of thing, you won't like chard. One note, if your family is prone to kidney stones, some people think that this family of plants, with their high levels of Calcium Oxalate, can be a bad idea.

Oooh! Neat. Looks similar to a Nocino, the green nuts are even harvested on the same day. Walnut Liqueur from Chartreuse Though, in Italy, they'd probably use grain alcohol for the base spirit. Sounds like this is based on grape eau de vie.

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Thursday, February 23, 2006 Elegance in a glass: Aged for decades, Cognac ends a meal with style, Richard Carlton Hacker COMMENTARY: At last, there's a wine made for men -- and it's not beer, Linda Murphy Wine Business Insider: Constellation lays off 65, Cyril Penn Letters to Wine Spirits: Coffee drinks give 'I'm buzzed' a double meaning, W. Blake Gray Recipes: The Coin Diva Cafe Gates Pairings: Pinot Noir inspires lamb daydreams, Joyce Goldstein Recipe: Shashlyk -- Grilled Lamb Kebab The Chronicle's Wine Selections: Russian River Pinot Noir, Linda Murphy The Cheese Course: Factories make sheep's milk taste sweet, Janet Fletcher 96 Hours Bargain Bite: La Calaca Loca, Carol Ness Review of La Calaca Loca in Oakland. CRITICS' PICKS: Finger food "Digit-lickin' good Bay Area chefs are putting their own spin on finger foods -- and with attitude." Dining Update: Da Flora, Amanda Berne Dining Update: Lark Creek Inn, Michael Bauer

Went to the Toronado Barley Wine fest last night with some friends. Sadly they were down to only about 20 barley wines left. We were disappointed not to be able to try the Dogfishhead or Russian River Brewing Barley Wines. Of those we tried, the two that made the most impression on me this year were the Speakeasy Old Godfather 2006 and the Pizza Port Hops On Rye. Last year, I didn't think the Old Godfather was even really a barley wine, it tasted so much like their IPA. This year they have managed to make a true barley wine and still maintain the speakeasy character and flavor profile. The Pizza Port Hops on Rye's main failing may have been a bit too much character. Extremely hoppy, with the Rye's flavor coming through quite clearly. I liked it. Others felt it was too extreme. I also tried a Moonlight Brewing St. Lupulin on cask, which I believe is a fresh hop beer. I thought it was pretty outstanding, though, some in our group compared it to the smell of a barnyard. I agreed, but, didn't think that was necessarily a bad thing. New mown hay, silage, and the like. Kind of nice.

Did some poking around on the internet. Preiss Imports, which I guess now owns the Hirsch name and remaining product, makes and/or distributes 4 Ryes under the Hirsch Selections brand. The Canadian Ryes are made by Glenora Distillers in Nova Scotia and come in 8, 10, and 12 years old. According to their website, they also distribute a 21 Year Old Kentucky Rye that was distilled in 1983 by Hirsch in Bardstown, KY.

I guess this is close to the whole "bartender as psychic" thing and probably doesn't happen very often at busy bars. But, you know, if a bartender can even get it close to right, after a couple drinks, with some small amount of direction, in a quiet bar, I will really remember the experience. Or even better, point me in the direction of something I didn't know I liked... edit - add comment.

If you change the BevMo to pick up at SF-Bayshore, the one closest to me, the website sez they have 8 available currently. But, $86.99 is too rich for my bourbon budget, unless I get a big payout from uncle sam this year.

Not sure if there ever was a Hirsch Rye from the A.H. Hirsch company; but, the more commonly available one is from Canada.

My wife and I had a nice dinner at Universal Cafe on Valentine's Day. This was the first time we had been there since the restaurant changed hands a couple years ago. The space hasn't changed at all. It was Prix Fixe for $65 per person. To start they brought us an amuse of poached salmon on brioche toast with a touch of creme fraiche and a bit of caviar. For the first course I had a dungeness crab and belgian endive salad and my wife had a garlic soup scented with perigord truffles. The salad was quite tasty, though I was a bit disappointed that they chose to fine matchstick shred the endive. Just my preference; but, I like the big oblong leaves. I was afraid the garlic in the soup would destroy the truffles; but, it was very mild and delicous and the scent of truffles dominated. For main I had a lamb chop with arugula salad and gratin of winter vegetables. The lamb was fantasticly flavored, but closer to Rare than the mid-rare I had ordered. My wife had a beef tenderloin and some sides which escape me now. Hers was also on the rare side. For dessert I had a rose scented creme brulee and she had a huckleberry tart with some sort of gelato. Both desserts were delicious. Again, restraint was practised with the flavors, so instead of overwhelming the brulee, the rose scent was only hinted at. They delivered the bill with a few more cookies and a home made caramel. For wine, we ordered a Bucklin "Mixed Blacks" Zinfandel blend. It was a complex wine which stood up nicely to our big meaty main courses. On the whole, service was friendly and attentive. There was a bit of a lull between the soup/salad course and the main course and we felt a bit like they were rushing us through our dessert course. On the whole I would class it as a very good meal. There wasn't really anything about the experience that really blew us away; but, it was all very well done and I'm sure we will be back before too long.

Has anyone else used Bittersweet Smoked Paprika (Pimentón Agridulce)? I am not quite sure what to do with it. The flavor of the La Chinata Hot and Mild are very similar differing only in heat. The bittersweet seems to me to be pretty different. In fact, I think it is milder than the "Mild". Anyway, I'm just curious for some recipes would show it off for its unique flavor.

No problem, Snowy. If anyone is in CA, or can have liquor shipped to your state, some of the BevMo locations appear to still have some of the gold top 16 Year A.H. Hirsch Bourbon for a few dollars less than John Walker & Company. A.H. Hirsch 16 Year

Oh, cool. I read about this in the K & L newsletter a few months ago and have been curious about their take on Nocino. It seems like a craft product. The cocktail recipes on their website, though, are not particularly appealing. Nutslide?! I suspect the homemade Nocino I've had is a less sweet liqueur; but, I find it makes a tasty cocktail when substituted for sweet vermouth in a wet martini. I wonder how it would be in a Rye or Bourbon Manhattan? Hmmm... Rye and Nocino seems appealing, even at 9:00 AM... Erik

Is there a way to fix the purple color? Admittedly, the ones I usually get are not quite as completely purple as the photo above; but, when I cook them the purple usually turns kind of grey/blue. I used some in dumplings this last weekend and it wasn't all that appealing. If my camera was working, it might have gone in the gallery of tasty yet regrettable foods. -Erik

u.e., I got it on a whim at a store called Chocolate Covered on 24th street here in San Francisco. It's a nice little store with a pretty large selection of chocolates. PS. I believe I was thinking of another bar when I was talking about the Vosges Red Fire above and am going to edit that post.

Eurochocolate Website I just found the website above with lots of information about Modican chocolate. Fascinating! Apparently, the pastry workshop of Don Giuseppe Puglisi is run as part of a half way house and shelter for women "in difficulty". Their Website, unfortunately, in Italian.

Has anyone else tried Casa Don Puglisi Chocoslab - Chili Flavor from Sicily? I've recently been on a roll with Chili flavored chocolate. Like the Dagoba Xocolatl and Vosges Red Fire Bar. The Casa Don Puglisi is quite unusual. First off, it is a beautiful package, brown paper wrapped with twine. There are only three ingredients, Cocoa Paste, Cane Sugar, and chili. The chocolate itself is crumbly and crunchy, similar in texture to a much refined version of Mexican drinking chocolate. The chili flavor is an accent to the ethereal bitterness and sweetness. It is quite delicious and unlike any chocolate I've tried before.

I usually stick with the dark red stemmed chard, as it seems to have the strongest flavor. Chard grows into 4' tall monster plants in our cool climate and is available just about year round. Quality isn't usually a problem at the various farmers' markets. Whatever you do, be sure and eat the stems as well as the leaves! They are the tastiest part. Recent article Article on Bright Lights Chard from the San Francisco Chronicle. This how I usually prepare it, though, I add a pinch of pepper flakes and an anchovy filet or two. This somewhat unusual pasta recipe from the Chronicle can also be very tasty with Chard and/or Beet Greens.

Are ratafias made with other ingredients in Spain, or only the green walnut one? The ingredients aren't that far from a typical Italian Nocino. What would the typical "booze" be in Spain? I haven't ever tried mixing Nocino with dairy; but, I suppose it could be OK...Might even be an interesting addition to walnut gelato.

I was hoping it was just being flaky; but, it appears I'm going to have to send my digital camera in for repairs. It might be a while before I get to taking photos of the aeropress and coffee making with it.

Here is the list of Barley Wines for this year. I'll probably go on Tuesday or Wednesday. --- Toronado Barley Wine Festival 2006 Description: Saturday February 18 to Saturday 25, 2006 Toronado Barley Wine Festival 2006 # Brewery Barley Wine Name 1 Moylans Old Blarney 2 Triple Rock Odyssey Ale 3 Magnolia Old Thunderpussy 4 Hoptown DUIPA 5 Glacier Brewhouse Big Woody 6 Big Sky Old Bluehair 7 El Toro Yo 8 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Gnarleywine 2004 9 Russian River Old Gubbilly Gotch 2005 10 Anchor Brewing Co. Old Foghorn 11 21st Amendment Lower de Boom 12 Thirsty Bear Brewing Co. Bearley Legal 2004 13 Elysian The Great Pumpkin 14 Full Sail Brewing Co. Old Boardhead 1995 15 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2006 16 Beermann's Bourbon Barrel 2004 17 Bear Republic Old Scoutters 2005 18 Speakeasy Old Godfather 2006 19 Pizza Port (Carlsbad) Hops On Rye 20 Half Moon Bay Moonglow 21 Farmhouse Brewing Old 97 22 Rogue Old Crustacean 2003 23 Anderson Valley Horn of the Beer 24 Mad River John Barleycorn 2005 25 Stone Old Guardian 2004 26 Alaskan Brewing Co. Big Nugget 2003 27 Eldo's Croaking Toad 28 Iron Springs Barstow Lundy 29 Green Flash Barley Wine 30 North Coast Old Stock 2004 31 Kona Old Blowhole 2004.5 32 Marin Brewing Co. Old Dipsea 2005 33 Snake River Devil's Teat 34 Pizza Port (Solana) Shark Attack 35 Real Ale Brewing Sisyphus Barleywine 36 Rubicon Wheat Wine 38 Drake's Barley Wine 2003 39 Uinta XI 40 Alpine Great 41 San Francisco BC Alexander Gunn 42 Bison Brewing Co Organic Barleywine 43 Seabright Leroy 2005 44 Mt. St. Helena Barleywine 2003 45 Deschutes Mirror Mirror 46 Standing Stone Barley Wine 47 Midnight Sun Arctic Devil 48 Schooner's Barleywine 2002 49 Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Code Blue 50 Dogfish Head Old School Ale

This version turned out well. Look out for the "just blueberry", though. It stains like you would not believe. Any fresh blueberry experiments will have to wait until they are in season, as they are ridiculously expensive right now. 1 1/2 oz bourbon 1/2 oz Knudsen Just Blueberry (or other blueberry juice) 1/2 oz lemon juice 1/2 oz Creme de Myrtille (blueberry liqueur) dash fee's bitters

I'm curious, too. They sell whole, raw cacao beans at the mexican grocery down the street, and I was wondering what I would have to do to use them to flavor a liqueur or something. I think, from what I've read about the chocolate making process*, the husk should be separated if you are going to use them to make cocoa powder; but, I'm wondering if I'm not going to eat them, if I have to worry about that. *All About Chocolate Website at the field museum.