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Mrs. P, For both of these I pitted and quartered 2 pounds of fruit, covered with 1 bottle of vodka and macerated for a month in 1.5L jars. Then I filtered out the solids with cheese cloth, filtered again through paper towels, sweetened with 2:1 simple syrup, and am currently aging them. I am planning on filtering and bottling this weekend, so I will post pictures. For the Dapple Dandy Pluots, I used my standard vodka, Finlandia. The pluot smelled very good when I filtered, though it held on to a lot of the liquid in a mushy paste that was a very slow to filter. I did not add much simple to it as it smelled pretty sweet already. It is a light brown-ish pink. For the sugar plums (hybrid prune plums) as an experiment I used 100 proof Absolut. I doubt I'll use 100 proof again, since it costs about as much for 750L as 80 proof vodka costs for 1.75L. I'm hoping this is OK. When I filtered this one, it seemed a little close to cough syrup. It is very dark in color. Eau de vies? Since I am not sure where you are from you will have to tell me what you mean here. I live in the US, so to me, eau de vie usually means very expensive fruit infused liquor.

Not to mention my other favorite agua fresca ingredient, Jamaica (Rosella, Roselle, Jamaica Sorrel, Hibiscus, karkadé...)! If that's not sour, nothing is! I've been meaning to get some and experiment with mixed drinks. -Erik

JohnL's attitude is certainly the healthiest. Some interesting experiences I've had... Folks bring wine as a gift, open it themselves and drink it all. Brought a couple of bottles of wine as a hostess gift to a gathering and they only served those two bottles. Hello! Empty glasses and bored guests! Do I have to break into your cellar? Went to an Octoberfest party in Napa where guests were trying to outdo each other by bringing obscure and very expensive German Wines. Some brought whole cases. Man it was great to taste all those delicious wines; but, I felt kind of inadequate about the 6 pack and single bottle of (very nice!) Riesling I brought. -Erik

Boy, no response, yet? I've put off responding because I find I like the idea of cider more than most of the actual stuff I've tried. I don't care for English style cider. I can't really think of a good reason, aside from the fact that I really love English beers, so it seems a waste to drink cider at bars there. Possibly there is some really good stuff that I've never had the opportunity to try. The alcoholic American cider I've tried so far seems too soda poppy. Too sweet, fruity and fizzy. I do like the French ciders I've tried. They are drier and a bit more champagne-like in style. If you ever get the chance, try some of Eric Bordelet's Pear or Apple Cider. It is amazing stuff. I've read there is an interesting thick and very alcoholic version of Breton cider that is only available locally. There are also some interesting seeming sweet dessert "Ice Ciders" being produced in Canada, which I have yet to have the opportunity to try. Interestingly, prior to 1900, hard cider was very popular in the US. For some reason its popularity declined around the turn of the century, and was all but destroyed by the various temperance movements and prohibition. -Erik

That does sound interesting. I've vowed to try a couple new things with Quinces this fall. Perhaps this will be one of them. Though, I guess selling bitter almonds is illegal here in the states, so I will have a hard time following the recipe exactly. Some folks apparently substitute peach or apricot kernels. I don't have experience with trying that myself, yet. I even chickened out of leaving the pits in my plum and pluout liqueurs this summer. -Erik

Decided I was in the mood for a Sour last night. I thought I remembered that Whiskey Sours had egg whites sometimes and had some left over from doughnuts, so I put one in. 1 1/2 ounces Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon 1/2 tsp. simple syrup juice of 1/2 small lemon 1 egg white Dash Angostora Bitters Combine in an iced cocktail shaker and shake, shake, shake! This was my first time trying a cocktail with egg whites. Boy does it give the cocktail a neat texture and rich flavor. Discovered today what I made was a "Boston Sour". -Erik

Yeah, I've been there. Most people just don't know what to ask for or what they might like. They've just been exposed to the super sweet watered down stuff you get in most bars and chain restaurants. But, I also don't really know what I would say myself. If I were over at someone's house, I wouldn't ask them to make me a Pegu Club or a Corpse Reviver #2. Or in another example, my father-in-law enjoys thinking of himself as quite the bartender; but, his drinks are far too large and far too strong. As much as I would like to please him by asking for a cocktail, if I want to be standing by the end of the night, I stick with beer or wine. I agree with kjohn. Plan a small menu of drinks that aren't too challenging for you to execute or your guests to enjoy. The most successful drinks I've made for non-hard liquor drinkers are champagne (or prosecco) cocktails. A $6 bottle of prosecco, some bitters, a little sugar, and limoncello is a fantastic aperitif that will appeal to just about anyone. If your guests don't hate gin, French 75s are also fun. I don't know anyone who doesn't like a good mojito. Definitely a good drink for Cosmo drinkers. Moscow Mules or Audrey's Gin Gin Mule are also appealing to most. Though you have to be careful with the really easy to drink cocktails. We had Moscow Mules at a friend's election debate party last year. Oh boy, my head hurt the next day. For folks who know and like Whisk(e)y, but don't drink it mixed much, a well made Sazerac can be a real eye opener. -Erik edited for usage

Last year our hosts served champagne with a dollop of pom wonderful pomegranate juice. Something about anti-oxidants which I thought was pretty lame. So very California. You've inspired me to serve cranberry champagne cocktails, except I'm going to use homemade Cranberry Liqueur instead of cranberry puree. There's still time to start your own! -Erik

My wife and I are midwestern transplants and have recently discovered the joy (and pain) of chestnuts. They are starting to show up at Farmers' Markets this year. What else can we do with them? Anyone got a good gelato? PS. I guess they are quite good for you. Lots of important trace minerals and one of the few nuts that is actually low in fat.

Wine Lovers Lose Millions Thackrey, Saintsbury, and Tres Sabores among those who lost wine.

The whole thing does sound good, as well as the simple syrup. I get confused about Cinnamon, though. I find myself gravitating towards the flavor of Mexican cinnamon. Is Mexican cinnamon "true" cinnamon? I know there is something about cassia bark, etc. and some cinnamons are true cinnamons and others are cassia. Not sure where Mexican falls. -Erik PS. We're big Almodovar fans here. Can never make Gazpacho without thinking of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown".

Hasn't Coppola marketed some sort of wine in a can for a while now? I seem to remember it was a pink sparkler named after his daughter. Not sure if I've ever seen it in a store, though. -Erik

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Section for Thursday, October 13, 2005 A brush with crush , W. Blake Gray Intrepid reporter W. Blake Gray spends a day participating in Seghesio's wine harvest. Forget giant spiders; little bugs are scarier, W. Blake Gray Writeup of "The Botanist and the Vintner" by Christy Campbell. Benefits: Hop Kiln music festival supports hurricane fund Hop Kiln benefit in Healdsburg...Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma Black Tie Gala...Domaine Carneros Greta Garbo tribute...Rohnert Park Wine and Epicurean auction...Geyser Peak winemaker blending at Elle Decor Magazine event. Pairings: A childhood favorite matches Chardonnay, Lynne Char Bennett Recipe: Sunday (Chicken) Noodle Soup The Chronicle's Wine Selections: Carneros Chardonnay The Cheese Course: Bandage-wrapped Wensleydale isn't hurting for flavor, Janet Fletcher Just in time for the new Wallace and Gromit movie, a write up of Wensleydale! Spirits: Handmade Texas vodka wallops the corporate products, Wes Marshall Tito's corn based Vodka. Recipe: The Batini This is the "2004 Official Drink of Austin," created by the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. Letters to Wine This year's grape harvest keeps looking better, W. Blake Gray

Pomegranates are one of my favorite fall fruits. Some experimenting with Fee's Mint bitters and Pomegranate juice led me to this idea. I liked the mint flavor in combination with Pomegranates. However, it seemed to me that Fernet was a more interesting bitters. I'd like to try it with BrancaMenta; but, haven't managed to locate any yet. Adjust simple syrup, depending on the tartness of your pomegranates and personal taste. I only got 1/4 cup or so of pomegranate juice from a medium pomegranate. You might want to use a commercial product. -Erik --------- 2 oz Gin 1 oz Fresh Pomegranate Juice 1/2 tsp. simple syrup Fernet Branca to coat glass Chill a cocktail glass. Add a little Fernet and turn to coat the inside of the glass. Shake out excess. Shake Gin, Pomegranate, and Syrup in an iced cocktail shaker. Strain into glass.

Eek! I certainly hope so! Beachbum Berry's Grog Log

Those are all fine, serious books. How about the other side of cocktail culture. Maybe a tiki book or two? Something by Jeff Berry? -Erik

BTW, I don't normally use microwaves for much regular cooking; but, some things do work well, especially for single diners. If you get a craving for a whole steamed artichoke, a great way to do it is to, wash, trim, wrap tightly in platic wrap, and then cook on high in the microwave for 5-7 minutes. Let stand until cools slightly and look out for steam when you open. Serve warm with salty melted butter or galicky aioli. -Erik

I have to say my personal favorites are Black Trumpets. Dried or fresh, they are so amazingly pungent. The dried ones are great in risotto. This week I tried a new sort of trumpet mushrooms. They grew in clumps and had very long stems, almost like enoki. I think they might have been Pleurotus elongatipes. Really tasty in a stir fry. The other new and exciting mushroom this last week at the farmer's market were called flamingo trumpets. Has anyone tried these? They were shaped like regular trumpets; but, were a delicate pink almost like rose petals.

Made a pumpkin ice milk that turned out pretty well. My last custard based ice cream was a little too rich, this one may have been a little too lean. Maybe 1 cup half and half and two cups milk next time. Great clean flavor though! I wanted to keep it simple; but, I think next time I will also add toasted pecans. -Erik ----- Pumpkin Ice Milk Custard Base: 3 Cups Whole Milk 4 Egg Yolks ¾ Cup Sugar (I used half dark brown sugar and half white sugar) 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree 1 tsp. Cinnamon ½ tsp. Nutmeg ½ tsp. Ground Ginger 1/8 Cup Bourbon Whiskey For Custard: Whisk sugar into egg yolks. Scald milk. Temper egg and sugar mixture with a couple tablespoons of hot milk. Add egg and sugar mixture to Milk and bring up to 180 degrees F. Whisk together Remaining ingredients. Combine Pumpkin mixture with Custard base, strain and chill. Freeze according to your Ice Cream Maker's instructions. Makes about 1 Quart.

As Daniel notes, if they haven't been pre cleaned, the outside skin of cactus pears has lots of tiny spines, and care must be taken while peeling. A pair of heavy duty rubber gloves is handy. The flesh inside has many smallish and incredibly hard seeds. So be careful when chewing. You'll probably want to pass it through a strainer or food mill. A shot of tequila, the juice of half a lime, and a couple ounces of cactus pear pure over ice or shaken and served up, makes a very nice cocktail. Flavor reminds me a of a cross between watermelon and pink guava. -Erik

I use a DMT whetstone fine grit sharpener as needed for all my knives (well, except the serrated ones). Not sure about frequency. Mostly I guess it depends on the type of steel in the knife. Don't sharpen the Wustofs all that often. The stamped chicago cutlery knives get dull pretty fast. I should get a smooth steel for daily use and some way to sharpen the serrated bread knife. Will have to put that on my birthday list. -Erik

I regularly make a oven braised salmon recipe of Julia's with Dry Noilly Pratt Vermouth, and think it tastes great. I think she may even recommend it in the cookbook (The Way to Cook). On the other hand, for deglazing sautes, I've had some failures. Sometimes the flavors of vermouth just do not play well with other items. To me, mushrooms especially seem to pick up the bitter notes of the vermouth and magnify them. After a particularly unpleasant experience with some Maitakes, I've vowed to stick with a nice dry sauvingon blanc in the future for most deglazing. -Erik

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Section for Thursday, October 6, 2005 Bringing France To Berkeley, W. Blake Gray Berkeley wine importer Kermit Lynch and his search for "finesse" wines. Lynch turns a failed job hunt into an ideal lifestyle, W. Blake Gray Fortunately, the Pinots released by Joseph Swan Winery have improved. Their Zinfandels remain outstanding. An English defense of the New World, Jancis Robinson Letters to Wine Wine Business Insider: Canada's largest wine company tries to sell itself, Cyril Penn Vincor expected to be sold...Who's who and where. Bargain Wines: Chardonnay lovers, this column is for you, W. Blake Gray Beer of the Month: Make merry with Marzen, Linda Murphy 'Tis the season for Octoberfest. If you can't get to Munich, don't forget Octoberfest By The Bay. The Cocktailian: Fate joins gin, lychee for a Fukien Mist, Gary Regan Recipe: Fukien Mist Adapted from a recipe by Chris Hopkins, bartender at Ana Mandara restaurant in San Francisco. Pairings:Potatoes with punch for full-bodied Syrah, Lynne Char Bennett Recipe: Roasted Potatoes with Eggplant & Tomato The Chronicle's Wine Selections: Sonoma County Syrah The Cheese Course: Character comes with time for Dutch 'farmer cheese', Janet Fletcher Tasting delicious Dutch aged Gouda or "Boerenkaas".

Well, sort of. You usually don't leave them long enough for the yeast to start converting sugar into alcohol, just CO2. I think once they start fermenting, it's time to throw them away. I've been meaning to try Ginger Ale, which I guess is pretty easy. Not sure about Cola. I think the main flavorings are Kola (Cola) Nuts, Cinnamon, and Lemon. I've got no idea where you could get the nuts. -Erik

I tried the 2 to 1 sugar syrup this last time and found it to be really thick. I would describe the viscosity as on par with honey. Is that what you folks usually get? I find it is a bit difficult to mix into cold cocktails. I wonder if there is more "junk" in the washed raw sugar I use, which might contribute to viscosity. They are big crystals, so I would expect that I am using less sucrose than someone using the same volume of refined sugar. -Erik