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I really enjoy a good Petit Syrah. It is sometimes a rough and tumble varietal; but, there are certainly folks who manage to produce exceptional wines from it. Along with the wineries already mentioned, I really enjoy how Navarro handles Petit Syrah. Like many of their other wines from "heavy duty" grapes, they go for a much lighter style than is typical, making them very approachable and enjoyable when young. Not sure how well they cellar, as they always seem to disappear within a year or two. Vinum's PETS is a fine quaffable Petit Syrah for its price range. Great wine to bring to a BBQ or spaghetti dinner. Plus, a portion of the profits from the sale of the wine benefit the San Francisco SPCA.

Oh, man, now you are making me jealous. I grew up near New Glarus and love those beers. A pony keg of Spotted Cow, friends, some meat, and a grill. The best! That and the beers from Kalamazoo Brewing (Two Hearted Ale!) are almost enough to make me move back to the midwest.

Don't have much to add, aside from they make a fine sandwich with some nice coarse rye. I grew up in a Norwegian immigrant family here in the US. Along with pickled herring, they were a pretty common snack food. If they aren't to your liking, I'm sure you won't have a hard time finding a cat that enjoys them! ;-)

I use Diamond Kosher Salt for just about everything. Got in the habit of using it when I worked in restaurants and love to be able measure by feel. I also have some Japanese Natural Sea Salt (Arajio) that is a little finer for table salt.

This is pretty boring, I know; but, I like it so much, I seldom make anything else. Marinate half a pint of halved cherry tomatoes in basic homemade salad dressing (dijon mustard, garlic, lemon, thyme, olive oil). Just before serving toss rocket and basil chiffonade with dressing and tomatoes. Spoon onto cold plates.

Oh, damn. You're right. I hadn't looked too closely at them and for some reason I was under the impression they were Australian. My only excuse is my local market separates wine only by varietal, not by country. Perhaps they were sitting next to the Shiraz. Oh, now I see. Went back to check, it was not the very attractively packaged Owen Roe "Sinister Hand"; but, the also attractively packaged Innocent Bystander Syrah/Viongier from Victoria, Australia, I was wondering about. added correction

Since the arrival of Ms. Waters on the scene, I would say California Cuisine is fresh seasonal local produce and simply prepared main courses which allow their individual ingredients to shine. Favas, Artichokes, and Strawberries are three things which pop into mind from my last trip to the farmers' market. It is also still Dungeness Crab season.

Wednesday night is spaghetti night in our house, so in the spirit of this discussion, I thought I would give a reasonable Aussie red a try. As Peter Lehmann is mentioned in a couple posts, I saw his "Clancy's" at a local wine shop and picked it up. We get a lot of reasonably priced "field blends" from California wineries and find them perfect for our pasta dinners. In general, I thought it an interesting, if not very serious wine. I guess my comment would be it seemed like the wine maker was stacking the berry flavors of the various grapes, instead of balancing them against the savory elements. Not sure if that makes sense; but, as I am tasting wine, I feel like you should get past the fruit and savor the other flavors of the wine. In this case, I felt like there were multiple layers of fruit, and the Cabernet Sauvingon's earthiness was very hidden in the background. Probably wouldn't buy it again. zoramargolis recommendations sound good. From her comments, it seems like we may be close to the same page in wine likes. I will keep an eye out for those. How about Owen Roe? Our local natural food market has a couple of his wines.

Just a couple points to add to this already erudite discussion. Making cocktails is not easy, no matter what spirit they are based on. It seems to me it requires an attention to detail greater than most everyday cooking, and closer in fact to baking. Getting the proportions wrong or forgetting an ingredient in an Aviation or Corpse Reviver can nearly ruin a drink. Even seemingly trivial things like ice and the brand of spirit can make a huge difference. Vodka, to a certain extent, makes this easier, as it has next to no flavor. You can overpour it a bit and it won't ruin the balance of a drink. The only thing you really have to worry about is the other flavors you are combining. I've been drinking a lot of gin lately, and am endlessly fascinated by how it combines its complex flavors with other ingredients. It is also interesting how different brands and styles work differently in various cocktail recipes. A Negroni with Tanquerey gin is a very different cocktail than a Negroni with Plymouth gin. I will also note that any of my friends who are serious about vodka do not use their nice vodkas in cocktails. They drink it straight. They would weep bitter tears if they saw you pouring their precious Cord or Belvedere into a Cosmo. Erik fixed typo

I tend not to be an overly adventurous wine buyer. Most of the wines I buy are in the $15-35 US range, most of them closer to $15. In general, I won't spend more than US $35 retail, unless it is a special occasion or a wine I particularly covet. Usually I find wines and winemakers I like and stick with them. For domestic producers I like the wines from folks like Navarro, Franus, Ed Meades, Greenwood Ridge, Joseph Swann etc. Small-ish producers who provide what I perceive as value and quality without a great deal of hype. I haven't had a lot of luck with random selection of Australian wines, even with recommendations from wine stores or magazines. Part of it, I suppose, is the styles of wines I favor, like Sauvingon Blanc from the Loire (Sancerre!), steely Riesling and flowery Gewurz from the Anderson Valley, or briar-ey peppery Zinfandel from Napa, don't seem to be much in vogue in Australia. I also find the mutability of the Syrah, (or Shee-razz, as you folks like to say ,) grape to be something of a barrier to my enjoying it. For some reason, I've never really felt I've gotten a handle on the essence of that grape as a varietal. That said I've enjoyed dessert wines from Yalumba's Museum Series, "Port" from Hardy's, and recently a 2001 Shiraz from Ben's Run. I would welcome any other recommendations of wines or wineries. Erik added some stuff

No mean-ness taken. Guess I should have said, "at least two bottles of very good bourbon". The price for Knob Creek, is about the same here as you describe. I guess I had something like the Van Winkle 12 yr reserve in my mind when I wrote that. Was thinking more of a special occasion splurge Bourbon. Which would be what the Absinthe would have to be. Erik

I'll probably be visiting England this summer. I've never tried Absinthe; but, enjoy many of its tamer derivations (Herbsaint) and some of it's coarser ancestors (Arak). I suppose it would be interesting to at least give it a whirl, if not pick up a bottle. But, is nice Absinthe really worth the money? $75-100 is two very good bottles of bourbon or one bottle of Sazerac Rye. Those are things I know I will enjoy having around the house. Curious about people's opinions... Erik

Not really an expert on the history of gin; but, I can tell you some of the botanicals used in Bombay are, "almonds, lemon peel, licorice, juniper, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia bark, cubeb berries, grains of Paradise." Got that from their annoying flash website. Nothing about those really screams "curry" to me. Is Bombay Gin really that old a company? I don't really remember noticing them in the US until some time in the 1980s or 90s when they started seriously promoting themselves at bars as a premium gin.

Grew up in the midwest myself, where rhubard also grows like weeds. I have always been philosophically opposed to spending money to buy it; but, gave in this weekend due to an excess of strawberries. Didn't pay attention to the cost. Will check the next time I go to the market. After enjoying fresh strawberry rhubarb jam for a couple days now, I'm thinking I might have get a plant for my garden.

I enjoy stouts; but, find lately, unless it is a cold winter night, I don't enjoy the really high alcohol ones like Stone's Imperial or North Coast's Rasputin as much as I used to. A little too intense, I guess. However, I will never pass up a good Guinness, and recently discovered Beamish is also quite delicious. Though, the nitrogen delivery widget of the "draft" cans of Beamish isn't quite up to the level of perfection of Guinness' and I would advise opening them over the sink. Erik

You are of course correct. 240 degrees F is the minimum required temp to destroy the spores, and as long as your jar is sterilized and no new source of contamination is introduced, it is fine. Personally, I would still keep it in the fridge. Didn't mean to doubt your knowledge about preserving. I just read your post and shivered, since you didn't mention any best practices for preserving low acid foods under oil. Erik

andiesenji, I don't want to sound shrill; but, please do not continue to do this. You've been lucky so far; but, there is a very real risk of botulism storing a low acid vegetable under oil at room temperature. http://cecalaveras.ucdavis.edu/garlic.htm "STORING GARLIC IN OIL Extreme care must be taken when preparing flavored oils with garlic or when storing garlic in oil. Peeled garlic cloves may be submerged in oil and stored in the freezer for several months. Do not store garlic in oil at room temperature. Garlic-in-oil mixtures stored at room temperature provide perfect conditions for producing botulism toxin (low acidity, no free oxygen in the oil, and warm temperatures). The same hazard exists for roasted garlic stored in oil. At least three outbreaks of botulism associated with garlic-in-oil mixtures have been reported in North America."

Here is a picture of my Blood Orange Ratafia. I guess I would expect some sediment/cloudiness, since juice is used. Should I be concerned? So far no vomiting or sickness after drinking. Keeping it in the refridgerator. 6 blood oranges, zest and juice, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 star anise, 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 2 parts vodka to one part orange stuff. I do like the flavor the star anise adds. Don't think I will add the peppercorns next year. While the zip they give it isn't unpleasant, it distracts a bit from the delicious berry flavor of the blood oranges. Here're the new experiments from last week. I gotta get one of those microplane zesters.

Back at you from the other side of the world. I did use dried porcinis, and a combination of the soaking liquid from the mushrooms, chicken stock, and the cooking liquid from the asparagus. Also did not have robiola, and used some parmesan instead. Also, I saved the tips of the blanched asparagus and added them to the rissotto at the end. Turned out very tasty. Marjoram is a great match for porcini and asparagus. fixed image link

Sooo, I picked up a bottle of Don Amado Reposado Mezcal and gave it a try. My initial thought was, hmmm..., I wish they had tasting rooms for these sorts of things, so I would know what I was in for. If only Tommy's wasn't so far out in the goddamn Richmond! Oh, yeah, tequila bar you can only get to by driving. That's a great idea. Oops, I digress. Big time Camphor odor and from the first taste I get what they mean by wet cement and pears. Still not sure how I feel about it. However, the odor and flavor does get inside your head. Tastes nothing like any tequila I've ever had. There might be some sort of familial resemblance in flavor profile. Nothing easy to pin down. For tequila I stick with Herradura and Sauza. I can't imagine this stuff in any cocktail known to man. Perhaps the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster... The second time I try it I begin to detect a sour component to the taste or aftertaste, which I imagine might connect it to its roots in Pulque. As a straight liquor, it is fairly smooth, despite the unusual flavor. On the whole, just about the weirdest thing I've put in my mouth recently. And it didn't even have a worm. Erik fixed spelling

Saint Pat nettle wrapped soft cheese from Cowgirl Creamery. Sourdough Batard. Calimero's Asparagus and Porcini Risotto adapted from the "March of Asparagus" thread. Roast Chicken Breast marinated in Lemon, fresh Oregano, and Olive Oil. Lovely 2003 Sancerre from Hubert Brochard.

Oh, dammit! Our London friends have been promising to take us to the fat duck for about 2 years now. I finally thought we were going to get there when we visited this summer. Now with all this publicity, we've got a snowball's chance. Erik

Strangely, I was just reminiscing about Lombardino's the other night and wondering if it was still open. I used to go there when I was a kid. That is so cool that they have restored it! I'm definitely going to have to try it the next time I am back in town. Did they keep the stuffed dog by the door, the replica of the Trevi Fountain and the wishing well in the middle of the dining room? It was such a magical place to me when I was a child. I grew up nearby, went to school and worked in Madison for years (Pasqual's, Botticelli's, etc.) before moving to San Francisco. Sadly, my restaurant info is now about 15 years out of date, though it is nice to see some names I recognize. Erik

That risotto does look good. I wouldn't have thought of it myself; but, I can see how marjoram would work well in this dish. Another use for the Monster that took over my herb garden. Thanks for taking the time to do the photos. I believe that will be dinner. If only I could get fresh porcini here. <sigh> My most common method is to snap thin-ish asparagus above the woody part, cut on the diagonal in 1 inch lengths, saute a clove or so of minced garlic or shallot in Olive Oil for a couple, add asparagus and cook until just colored, squeeze in half a lemon's worth of juice, toss with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Somehow it really accents the minty flavor of the fresh asparagus.

Only in a fragrance garden. No culinary use for the leaves. They have scent; but, no pineapple flavor. However, the flowers of Pineapple Sage are tasty, make a nice garnish, and hummingbirds love them. By the way, if you do plant lavender and want to use it for food, be sure to choose a culinary variety. The two main varieties which are commonly used for cooking are an L. X intermedia hybid named 'Provence' and an L. angustifolia named 'Hidcote'. Many of the other ones are great for potpourris; but, shouldn't be used for food. Erik