eje

Thanks for allowing me the benefit of your experience. Now I can't wait for pomegranate season to roll around again! I also want to try to make a pomegranate liqueur (ratafia). Erik

Trichinosis used to be a problem in pork. However, it has been almost entirely eradicated in farmed pork, so is not the concern it used to be. However, if you are ever served Wild Boar (or other carnivorous or omnivorous game,) you should insist it being cooked to at least 150. Erik

Well, OK then. I haven't been to a lot of Vietnamese restaurants here; but, a couple of my favorites are Yummy Yummy and PPQ in the Sunset district. Both are pretty low key and have excellent Pho and combination plates. Some smaller restaurants run by younger local restaurant owners which I really like include Firefly, Blue Plate (3218 Mission), and Charanga. I also have had a couple very nice meals at Incanto in Noe Valley. Two restaurants which I consider institutions that shouldn't be missed on any trip to San Francisco are the Tadich Grill and Swan Oyster Depot. The Tadich Grill has been in operation since 1849 and has the feel of being somewhat stuck in time. If you are a foodie, I would be remiss to not recommend our lovely new Ferry Building Plaza and Farmer's Market. Though, honestly, if you are going to be here on a Saturday morning, you will probably be more likely to see chefs at the Alemany Farmer's market. Not to mention cigar smoking asian grandmothers peeling sugar cane with a machete. Aside from Burritos in the Mission at El Toro, Pancho Villa, Taqueria Cancun, La Coroneta, Papalotte, etc. (I don't want to start a holy war by recommending one in particular,) San Francisco isn't a particularly great town for authentic Mexican Food. I haven't been to Mom is Cooking for a few years; but, it certainly is a dive and may be as close as you are going to get authentic Mexican food here. There are quite a few "Nuevo Latino" restaurants around these days and some are quite good. I have had very good meals at Platanos (Latin Small Plates) and Limon (Peruvian). I'm not a great resource for bars; but, ones I like are Zeitgeist, Casanova, and Toronado. Erik

Didn't get to this last weekend, and since it is only Tuesday, decided to give a small version a try. Not the James Bond version; but, what I have handy. 3/4 oz lillet 1 oz finlandia vodka 2 oz boomsma gin rocks to a third of an old fashioned glass or so lemon zest Very nice and clean. In fact amazingly nice and clean. [pathetic attempt at comedy] Am I drinking tasty alcoholic water? Am I falling over? Ooops. [/pathetic attempt at now drunken comedy] Erik

One of my friends got one towards the end of the evening because I couldn't remember if I'd had it before. Unfortunately, it was towards the end of the evening, so I still don't have a clear recollection of what it tastes like... When I first moved to CA, I drank a lot of Sierra Nevada's beers. After a while I got kind of tired of something in the taste or style and haven't really gone back to them. Usually, we stick with beers from Speakeasy and Deschutes for our regulars. I haven't really experimented with aging beers, aside from my annual Anchor Christmas Beer taste off. Is it really necessary?

I've never quite been able to figure out which mint is exactly right for the Mojito. I think the proper variety may be Mentha nemorosa, however plants.usda.gov, suggests that is just a synonym for Mentha x villosa, a naturally occuring hybrid of Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens) and Spearmint (Mentha spicata). Many recipes suggest spearmint as a substitute for cuban mint. I will note that the plant which San Francisco was originally named for is also called Yerba Buena; but, it isn't a mint at all. It is a close relative of the kitchen spice Savory and its botanic name is Satureja douglasii.

Thanks carswell! I was thinking of the moulded when I said "plastic slug" and extruded when I said "superficially resemble corks". I wasn't really thinking of the composite ones; but, I guess those should be included as well. This site has quite a bit of information regarding various wine closures. http://www.corkwatch.com/

LindyCat, I just noticed you said you made your own grenadine. I love grenadine and pomegranate; but, understand many grenadines don't even involve them. How do you make your own? Thanks! Erik

Alcohol should act as a preservative; but, the big factor will be cross contamination. If you store them in the refrigerator, only removed them with a clean spoon and keep a lid on the container they should keep fairly indefinitely. On the other hand, if your container wasn't clean to start with, you take them out with your fingers, and leave them out open on the counter overnight for your cat to lick... You know, typical food stuff. Throw them out if they start getting cloudy, sprout mold, or smell funny. Erik

I assume there have been many discussions of wine closures here; but, I would be interested in knowing some terminology. There are at least two main styles of plastic/synthetic corks. Ones that look kind of like plastic slugs and ones that superficially resemble corks. Anyone know what the proper names for these are? If there are any wine makers listening, I hate the plastic slug ones. Often they are nearly impossible to remove from the bottle. Then when you do get them out, you almost need a pliers to get the "cork" off your corkscrew. Erik

I just noticed this thread. I live a few blocks from the Alemany Farmer's market and just love it. It has many of the same vendors as the Ferry Plaza; but, usually much cheaper prices. Almost every Saturday, my wife and I trek down, buy most of our produce for the week, pick up tamales for lunch, and most of what we are going to make for dinner Saturday night. Asparagus is just starting to show up, we have a fantastic new cheese vendor (Spring Hill Cheese), and just this week, a guy roasting peanuts to order! Also, one of the first vendors on the right sells the most amazing fresh California grown Kiwi Fruit. We like to get the giant mis-shapen double kiwis, which for some reason they sell for less ($1 a pound this week). Anyway, I'm willing to bet that after tasting their Kiwis, you will swear that you have never really tasted a Kiwi. Also, someone said above that it goes until 5 in the afternoon. While it is true the hours are from Dawn to Dusk, a lot of the vendors start packing up shortly after noon. You can get some good deals in the afternoon; but, you will miss out on a lot of the more desireable items. Next week, I will try get up earlier and take photos. Erik

Jeff, Fantastic photos! Thanks for posting them. Curious about a couple things. Did you pick the wines or were they available as part of the tasting menu? Presenting different courses to men and women seems a little odd. Did the members of your party know this would be the case? You've got me trying to guess which are the "girlie" dishes. touaregsand, given the variety and quality of citrus currently in the markets, it doesn't surprise me that they are featured heavily. It's that time of the year. Erik

Boy it is insights like Mr. Splificator's that caused me to join this site. First, I am not nor have I ever been a professional bartender. I might have poured wine at that wedding when I was working for a caterer; but, really aren't we all better off forgetting that? However, if I were a bartender and someone asked me for a Vodka Gimlet, I would probably make it with Rose's. On the other hand, the argument for using Rose's at home seem somewhat specious. Nostalgia is great; but, when it involves using horrible products, best to move on. To me the argument for Rose's sounds like the argument for Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup in a casserole. OK, Mom did it that way. Do I really have to? Can't I just saute some mushrooms and make a nice bechamel to hold things together? It isn't the same as the casserole my Mom made; but, isn't it quite a bit better? Don't I feel better after eating it? It's always been part of my trip that any food made with prepared or processed food could be better made with fresh ingredients, even if it doesn't seem so initially. And as others have pointed out, the Rose's Lime products we buy today really have no real resemblance to those the Gimlet was originally created with. Probably the homemade lime syrup folks are making above is closer to the Rose's of the past than the hyper saturated corn syrup sludge sold in those bottles. Erik

I've been gathering the ingredients for this since traveling to New Orleans last October. I love Pomegranates and Passion Fruit and figured that making a from scratch Hurrcane would be pretty tasty. Since Pomegranates are now kind of trendy as an anti-oxidant it isn't that hard to find Pomegranate juice. Tougher to find Passion Fruit Nectar. Fortunately, some of the natural and gourmet markets here carry the Looza brand of fruit Nectars. Ok, it is kind of red-brown, so it's not the prettiest drink; but, it is really tasty. --------- Hurricane Revisited 1 jigger Pomegranate juice (Knudsen's Just Pomegranate) 1 jigger Passion Fruit Nectar (Looza) Juice of 1 lime 2 jiggers Amber Rum 1 jigger Dark Rum 1 oz Simple Syrup (or to taste, I like my drinks small, tart, and intense) Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into two glasses. ---------- Pre-Hurricane, my wife said, "What is it with you and this cocktail thing? I just don't think I like them." Post-Hurricane, she said, "More!" I really shouldn't put this recipe up. They are just too tasty. Erik

I was trying to be fairly faint in my praise of its food and beer. It is, however, only a half a block from the Moscone Center. Which may be a plus, if you are looking at having to sit through a particularly painful Q & A about Game programming or some such. Forgot to mention beers to try in the Bay Area. I don't think any of these are particularly widely distributed, so worth asking for if you are staring at a bar full of unfamiliar taps. Speakeasy's Prohibition, Big Daddy IPA, and Untouchable Pale Ale are all worth a try. All are very hoppy west coast style strong ales. Stone Brewing's Arrogant Bastard may not have invented the West Coast style Strong Ale; but, it may have perfected it. To me Stone has to be classed among the top 10 Craft brewers in the US. Anchor Steam is of course well known far and wide; but, their Liberty Ale is less well distributed and a fine light IPA. It is often on tap here. Anderson Valley Brewing Company's Beers are very good. To me they are nice West Coast Ale's in the Anchor Steam tradition. Whatever you call that style. Lager style Ale? Moonlight Brewery makes quite a few good beers that are sometimes on tap. I'm fond of the Death and Taxes Black Beer, and Twist of Fate Bitter. Lagunitas makes a few beers which are good and some that are very good. I tend to think their seasonals are their best. If you see Gnarlywine, Hairy Eyeball, or Sirius give them a try. I love all the Bear Republic beers I have tried. Especially the Racer 5 IPA and Hop Rod Rye. Cheers! Erik

I know some restaurants do this already. When we asked for the recipe for the Ginger Rogers Cocktail at Absinthe, they simply printed it out from their POS terminal. Erik

Not juice, per se; but, a slice of blood orange muddled with the bitters and simple syrup in the bottom of an old-fashioned gives a slightly different flavor and a little extra aromatic zip to the drink. Erik PS. I also experimented with wedges of Satsuma mandarins in Old-Fashioneds. While the blood oranges were interesting, I think I may prefer the mandarins. Further study is obviously necessary.

Strangely, TiVo just taped an episode of Epicurious for us which featured "American Rustic Cuisine" and the lovely folks at Manka's. http://www.epicurious.com/features/tv/episodes/episode92 My wife and I have stayed and eaten there a couple times over the last 10 years or so and have never had anything less than fabulous food. Not sure when you were there; but, the rooms always seem to me to be painfully perfect. Thick fur rugs on the floor, Kiehl's sampler in the bathroom, beautiful furnishings and fixtures. Unfortunately, (for us) the last time was in 2002. Since then, I believe they have expanded the inn to include some cabins down on the Tomales Bay. We think it is a great, albeit quite expensive, special occasion getaway.

For beer, there are two microbreweries within striking range of the Moscone Center, Thirsty Bear and 21st Amendment. Thirsty Bear is a huge club type place with pretty OK beer and fine tapas. It has the advantage of being a half a block away. Pool upstairs, if you like that sort of thing. http://www.thirstybear.com/ I haven't been to 21st Amendment; but, I have had their Barleywine elsewhere and quite enjoyed it. It is my understanding the food is quite good, as well. http://www.21st-amendment.com/ Our best beer bar is Toronado in the lower Haight. The bartenders can be a bit surly; but, the selection is amazing. Plus they don't mind if you bring in take out from the Rosamunde Sausage grill next door or Memphis Minnie's BBQ across the street. http://www.toronado.com/ At this late date, I doubt you will be able to get in to a tour of the Anchor Brewing Company; but, you might want to call and see. It is certainly worth checking out. http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/tourinfo.htm Upscale restaurants in that neighborhood include LuLu, Hawthorne Lane, and Azie. I've been to LuLu and Hawthorne Lane and enjoyed them. To me they are not exactly relaxing, though. http://www.restaurantlulu.com/restaurants.html http://www.hawthornelane.com/

My illusions of James Bond as a lush are shattered. I'll give it a try this weekend, I bought a bottle of Lillet for Corpse Revivers, and was looking for some other drinks to try it in. By the way, for those of you interested in portion size trivia, while I was looking up English drink sizes, I discovered that the standard "pub measure" for liquor in Scotland and Ireland is 35ml, 10ml larger than the standard English measure. Apparently some English pubs have also recently started using this measure. Uh, is "interesting" the right word? <sigh> Why even call it a Martini? Super Freedom 75 Deluxe, perhaps?

Dear Uncle Ovipositor, That does look like a lot of fun and agree with your outlook! I grew up in the midwest, where it was not uncommon for folks to have a whole roast pig at a special occasion picnic. I recall going to a butcher where they cooked them once, they had special ovens and big trailers they would use to get the pigs to the picnic. It was always so succulent and delicious! Jealous. If you still had room for beer, I hope you stopped at North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg... Erik

For some reason I had it in my head this morning that a jigger was 1 3/4 ounces and a generous pour would be close to 2. 1.5 is the amount I should have done my math with. Giving this some thought, in England the size of drinks has been regulated by the government for quite some time. Think of all those funny upside down bottles. A little web research leads me to the fact that a "pub measure" of spirits is 25ml. Pre metric system it was 1/6th gill (1/24th pint). An American 1.5 ounce shot is 29.7ml. Probably an equivalent metric recipe would be: 75ml gin 25ml vodka 12ml lillet Don't ask me to convert it to ounces, it will give me a headache. I still want to know what is in a $50 martini. Erik

← So, am I correct in reading this as 6 ounces of Gin, 2 ounces of vodka, and one ounce of Lillet? Large drink, indeed. Guess there wasn't a lot of spying going on after dinner. Erik

Haven't tried those. Fancy jar, though! When I was looking around for a Maraschino substitute for my home Old Fashioneds, I ran across D'Arbo Sour Cherries in Compote on sale at a local gourmet grocery. I had also had a jar of French Congac cherries in my hand; but, they were just too expensive. D'Arbo is an Austrian company and I'm a big fan of their jams. The cherries are quite tasty, if a bit small. Ingredients are just water, sugar, and Ascorbic Acid. Erik

It is in Dr. Cocktail's book which I do not have handy. If I remember correctly, the drink was named after a female double agent, and Bond never drank it after he discovered her treachery. Someone else will surely have the book handy or a more accurate recap of the story. I always thought it was more gin than vodka, like 2 to one, with the usual splash of infused wine, in this case Lillet. Erik PS. $50 martini? What is in it? A whole bottle of Gin?