Ktepi

Just tried both of those things with Peychaud's and with Regan's orange bitters -- it definitely does give you a feel for the thing (and Regan's is surprisingly good in club soda, actually). Excellent, thank you.

What's the best way to try a new bitters, especially if you don't know much about it? Club soda and simple syrup, just to get a feel for it? An old-fashioned or Manhattan? I just picked up a few bottles of bitters from eBay -- which was an interesting diversion, when I was looking for a place I could order Luxardo Maraschino since not many places will ship to NH -- and other than Fernet Branca, I don't know the first thing about them. I'm not even sure which ones are digestive bitters like Peychaud's etc., and which can be drunk almost-straight like Campari. (Though anything labeled Amaro, I assume falls into the latter category.) (I also got a small bottle of creme de violette, so it might pay to keep an eye on the auctions.)

Meyer lemons are perfect for Shaker lemon pie (tons of recipes via google etc). Unlike most lemon pies, and like the above tart, it uses whole lemons sliced as thin as possible. The sweeter rind makes them good for roasted lemonade, too.

Any Campari cocktail will brighten my day, any time of the year. But a good Old-Fashioned with a couple Montmorencies is up there, or gin and tonic with a healthy squeeze of lime and a splash of maraschino.

This is practically the position I'm in as it is, because when I moved my bar was practically empty, and I've had other more critical expenses. What I've found is that as I use something up, whether I "reload" it or buy something else instead depends on the time of year. So, right now, in an unseasonably mild November following a toe-numbing October: 1: Prichard's fine rum 2: Some other dark rum 3: Bourbon 4: Campari 5: Starbuck's coffee liqueur 6: Peychaud's bitters (so hard picking just one bitters) 7: Rye 8: Absinthe (I have to be able to make a Sazerac) 9: Cointreau or other triple sec (I've been using a homemade kalamansi-and-orange liqueur so feel odd specifying a brand) 10: Auburn vanilla liqueur In the spring, sub gin and maraschino for two of those -- in the summer, likewise plus tequila -- and so on.

Mini dark chocolate bars in four flavors: Candied kalamata olive (I had previously candied kalamata olives using the two week increasing sugar concentration method, and diced them for this) Aniseed Sesame seed and coarse salt Green peppercorn Liked all of them enough to make again, but the candied olive one is just fantastic -- which I wasn't expecting, especially since it tastes exactly like dark chocolate and kalamata olives, but somehow manages to be great anyway.

No photos because all I have a flashless, focusless free phone (alliteration comes with the calling plan). I don't usually have much of a breakfast, maybe because I work at home and am able to have more substantial lunches than most people probably do. But Sundays I tend to have a large breakfast mid-morning -- pain perdu, if I have bread around for it. This morning was crabcakes, something I've never quite gotten right -- I erred on the side of a little too much filler this time, probably because last time I used too little and they fell apart when I flipped them. Still good, just a bit heavy. Topped them with an egg over easy and a sauce of demiglace, cream, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and pecans -- my go-to seafood sauce. Some grits would have been nice if I were only having one crabcake, but as it is I barely finished. French press coffee with cream and a shot of Strega, and um a can of Vault Zero.

Oh, no need! It sounds good -- and when I'm getting things anyway and it's not big enough to significantly add to the shipping cost, it's a good time for me to try it. If they still have shanks on sale when I place the order I'm going to get a couple of those too -- from Christmas to Epiphany tends to be very pork-focused for me.

Do you recommend the bacon, Percy? Does it crisp up well? I was just looking at D'artagnan's site not half an hour ago and thinking of trying some when I order my Christmas foie.

I know there's a homemade liqueur thread, but I'll probably tinker with this. For today: Cider Liqueur 4 cups unpasteurized apple cider (you know, the nonalcholic kind), boiled down to just over 1 cup and strained through a coffee filter to get rid of the solids. 1/3 cup bourbon couple few dashes of Angostura dash or two of Goldschlager -- I added a little at a time until it hit that window where the liqueur tasted different than it had a moment earlier, but before a recognizable cinnamon flavor set in The bourbon holds up very well to that concentrated cider, and this is a drinkable strength as-is -- or, I'd reckon, on rocks. I'm sure pimento dram or various spice infusions would work nicely, and if I had any left, I'd try it on the rocks with a little Islay scotch.

I can't believe Jungle Jim's hasn't been mentioned yet -- specialty markets will beat it in their own category (though I've been in many wine shops with a smaller selection, and even more Asian markets with less to offer), but the sheer breadth of inventory is ridiculous enough that I'm always disappointed when there's something I can't find -- and then it often shows up on the next visit.

I don't think you can go wrong with Liuzza's (though I think there are better things to get there than the oyster poboy -- I think Jason has a picture of the barbecue shrimp poboy on his thread). Also, this isn't a place, but I don't see people recommend it enough: if you're getting a soda with lunch, and you like root beer, and they have Abita root beer in bottles? Get one. Get two.

My one complaint about Hannaford's: no rye flour! I mean, I can get it at Harvest Market, which is no further away, so it's not a hardship. I was just surprised, I didn't think it was all that unusual an ingredient. And while I can't quite go so far as to recommend Haluwa (actually, it's just right for when it's the sort of thing you're in the mood for), I can confirm that they deliver to Hollis Crossing. With Rice n Roll now something else, they seem to be one of only two places that delivers (Gianni's is the other), and of those two the only one that takes credit cards. My question: is there an Asian market in Nashua that's particularly better than the others for produce? I saw dragonfruit at Hannaford's for $8.99 a pound, and I suspect it'd be cheaper somewhere else -- my friends who spent a year in China loved it, but even they don't think it's worth that price. I know there's an Asian market of some sort near the Pheasant Lane Mall, that's probably my default destination. Also planning on going to the Peddler's Daughter for lunch or dinner soon, unless someone's had a horrible experience there and would like to talk me out of it.

Trying the Old Pal right now and really like it; I'm surprised how much the bourbon comes through. Lately I've been drinking a lot of Campari and tonic with a dash or two of Goldschlager -- which I'd picked up to dash into hot cider but tried with Campari on a whim. Even with just a dash, the cinnamon survives the Campari and really kind of seems to suit it, especially this time of year.

I don't know what it is about Campari -- I think I may have first tried it in late summer, and have a lot of early fall memories of it as a result. The bitterness really suits the season for me, and I especially like it with Thanksgiving food. I wound up getting rye, brandy, Goldschlager, Dubonnet (it was on sale and I haven't tried it before), and Grand Marnier. Last night's drink: unpasteurized cider (of the still, non-alcoholic sort) heated to a simmer, poured into a mug with 2 oz bourbon, 2 oz Goya ginger beer, and a dash of Goldschlager (a little seems to go a long way).

Looking for some quick advice if that's all right: I'm hitting the liquor store today to "autumnize" my liquor supply, but can't afford to fully stock the bar because of impending Christmas and birthday shopping. I have: two kinds of rum, Auburn vanilla liqueur, Strega, Stone's ginger wine, Kijafa cherry wine, sparkling wine, Noilly Prat dry vermouth, absinthe, homemade triple sec, homemade spice liqueur (clove/mace/cinnamon/allspice/peppercorn), bunch of bitters (Regan's orange, Angostura, Peychaud's, Unterberg, homemade vanilla bitters) and flavored syrups. I'm definitely buying bourbon because I use it for eggnog and hot cider, some vodka to cook with, and probably Starbuck's liqueur because I'm thinking of doing some sort of "cafe au lait eggnog." Maraschino is unavailable, as is anything strictly mixologist like that -- falernum, fernet branca, you know. I'm at the mercy of the state liquor stores. They do have Sortilege, though, a French-Canadian whiskey-based (I think?) maple liqueur. They don't have Laird's bonded but have Laird's blended -- is it worth buying, or should I wait until I'm in Massachusetts sometime and look for the bonded? I drink ... everything good. I mean, I'm an eGulleter. I suppose what I'm trying to figure out is what's going to give me the most autumnal drinks to play around with, without being too repetitive -- Campari seems appropriate to the weather but doesn't lend itself to as many drinks as whiskey does.

Haha -- I love pigs' tails and the other odd parts of the pig, it's a combination of all those years in the South and Fergus Henderson's Nose to Tail. I froze some of them to use for feijoada at some point in the future -- black bean stew with as many parts of the pig as possible. The others, I had for lunch today with Brussels sprouts: braised them for two hours until the skin was soft, rolled them in cornmeal and cayenne, and roasted them for twenty minutes until the skin crisped up a little. With all the little bones, they're a lot like turkey necks surrounded by pork skin.

The mozzarella IS good! I picked some up yesterday on y'all's recommendation. I almost picked up some of the tomatoes to have with it. The Concord grapes are also very good, the best I've bought in a store -- I don't know if they're theirs or not, but they're very fresh. If I hadn't bought so many apples, I'd wish I'd bought enough grapes for a pie. Anyway, I finally made it to Blood Farm, and highly recommend it -- though I also recommend calling in an order in advance. There wasn't a whole lot in the display cases other than the supermarket cuts, plus some pork roasts, good lamb cuts, and goat (chops and stew meat). But they were able to go in the back and bag me up a bunch of pig tails, clearly wondering why I wanted them, and they smoke a lot of meats -- including lamb, which I've tried to have people smoke for me in the past, to no avail. My mother says their ground beef is excellent; I picked up a package of it, some stew beef for goulash, stew goat, a chine-end pork roast, and ground lamb. They'll give you a price list if you ask for it, too. It's a very no-frills place, and easy to miss while you're driving by, if you aren't looking for it. Prices seemed about the same as the supermarket, mitigated by the fact that more cheap (but worthwhile) cuts are available. They did a lot of business while we were there, too -- it was twenty minutes before closing, and in the five to ten minutes I was there, five different people came in to pick up orders. They'd just UPSed something to the Boston Museum of Science, too, I saw the shipping slip on the counter Between Lull and Blood, I'm really a happy camper right now. Okay, and the whoopie pies at Hannaford's. I don't know when in God's name they started selling whoopie pies in stores, but I hope they never stop.

I have to restrain myself from using smoked paprika, or I'd get sick of it from using it on everything. But things I absolutely love it for: On deviled eggs, especially pimento cheese deviled eggs (1 part pimento cheese, 1 part egg yolk for the filling, mayo to thin) With potatoes -- roasted or home fries -- along with onions and bacon. Man, is it good with potatoes. For curing pork -- this or chipotle is a great way to make up for the fact that I don't have a smoker, so I can cure pork belly and get that undeniable bacon flavor. With fish -- smoked paprika and a couple other things on a fillet, bronze it, serve it with rice and it goes with just about any sauce you feel like ... tomato, cream, demiglace, or just a squeeze of lemon juice. This was my default way of cooking trout for probably about a year, couple times a month.

Around this time last year, I got about three-quarters of a goat -- the whole goat minus organs, one leg, and the head -- from my butcher, for $2 a pound. Someone'd special-ordered the head and leg, and it was just easier for them to order the whole goat. Anyway, so that filled my freezer and then some. This was especially mild goat, so the ground meat made a great ground beef substitute, just fatty enough that burgers didn't dry out and meatloaves didn't fall apart. The chops did well marinated in buttermilk (sometimes with Old Bay, which is how I often make chicken). We wound up with mostly braising cuts, which were great for curries and similar things -- but every once in a while, even if it was a cut identical to one I'd had success with before, the meat just wouldn't cook right. It'd tense up and dry out, no matter how long I braised it, instead of relaxing and becoming tender like stew should. Over the course of the goat, I'd say we wound up ordering three pizzas we wouldn't have otherwise -- which, for $2 a pound for the lot, wasn't too bad a thing. (For the successful braises: Penzey's vindaloo and rogan josh spice blends were perfect for the goat.)

Bump to recommend Lull Farms, on Broad Street in Hollis. When I was a kid, they basically sold berries in the summer and apples in the fall, and while those things are still true, the produce selection is pretty terrific. I picked up callaloo this summer, along with a ton of wild blueberries and champagne grapes -- neither of which I had found at Hannaford's. Half of the blueberries are still in my freezer, frozen for a rainy day. Yesterday they had the expected apples, which were terrific (I picked up Empires, Spencers, and Honeycrisps), and the cider that was my reason for being there (it's unpasteurized, $5/gallon, and already pretty dark). What I didn't expect to find was the eight or nine kinds of heirloom tomatoes, including Evergreens (which I think are the tomato I know as German Green) and Cherokee Purples. They had three or four kinds of cherry/grape tomatoes too, all grown at the farm, and fingerling potatoes -- again, something I hadn't been able to find at Hannaford's. I didn't buy any tomatoes because my mother grows tomatoes in her garden, so I feel guilty buying any -- but man, a Cherokee Purple on a BLT is a pretty amazing thing. They also sell premium ice cream and sodas, whoopie pies (from Wicked Whoopies and another company), and fresh bread. Real glad I've been checking it out.

Pig tails. Maybe I should really say skin-on pork picnic, because pig tails are almost more of a guilty pleasure -- there's so little meat on them compared to the amount of fat and skin. But oh gosh, are they good. And I deeply miss skin-on cuts of pork right now, having only found one all summer in New Hampshire. Runners-up: Skirt steak, which more than any other cut of beef I enjoy equally rare or braised till falling apart; duck leg (I like the breast, but to be honest I buy ducks for the legs and heart, and the breasts are an afterthought that I usually sear and slice up for sandwiches); pork jowls, whether smoked or not. Oh man oh man, pork jowls. And snoots! Ah geez. I'm going to go check the yellow pages for a butcher.

Unpasteurized apple cider. It's early in the season so I think it's a little too sweet and light for me right now, but I'll pick some up anyway -- by November, though, it'll be perfect. Apples in general really, but real cider is what I missed most in the years I lived away from New England.

Carrot greens are great with chorizo or thyme -- I use them in pasta a lot, and I make a pesto-like, salsa verde-like, sauce with carrot greens blended up with garlic, chiles, oil, and sometimes other greens if I have them around. They're one of the greens I use for gumbo z'herbes, too -- they don't really stand out there compared to the stronger flavors of beet greens and whatnot, but it brings the total number of greens up.

Just tried the butter-stuffed method (w/ thick-cut crispy bacon, Louisiana hot sauce, and ketchup): very good. I think I lost a fair bit of the butter, but it was very juicy and rich, like it'd been basted from the inside.