Schielke

I wonder if this new pasteurization technology could drastically improve the taste of bottled (well, probably not bottled, but bagged or something) salsa? They aparently squeeze the hell out of it instead of heating it a bunch. Ben

Yes. See! Pretty cool huh? Seriously though. Is flamed orange oil different from non-flamed orange oil?

My understanding of his techinque is that he holds the ligher or match in front of the glass and sort of bends/snaps the orange peel to release a fine spray of orange oil through the flame towards the surface of the drink. It's the fine mist of orange oil that actually ignites, not the alcohol in the drink. You can then drop the peel into the glass as a garnish, or use a strip of orange peel like he has in the photo. So does this "flamed" oil add to the drink flavor or aroma-wise? This part definately adds to the alure of the drink...and anything on fire is better. Ben

I believe they are regular sized Portobellos Ben

So am I correct in interpreting from the picture above that he slices a circle of the peel from the orange for flaming duties? Does this piece actually go in the drink or does the flamed oil go in? It looks like the drink already has some orange peel in it. Thanks! Ben

If anybody doesnt know how to flame an orange peel.... Burn Baby Burn Ben

Heh Heh, I suppose any of us Washingtonians could order it through the LCB. Their spokesperson said that we can order anything that is available in the United States... somehow I do not think this will work. Ben

Really, 1 Liter? I would have assumed 750 mL since that seems to be the most standard bottle size round these parts. Unless that is strictly an American standard and the recipe is european in nature. Yeah, Dale hit it right on the head. He might as well have outed me. Ben

Sweet. Time to stock my bar for the Gully. Ben

Hmmm, I wonder if it is in Bellevue or Redmond. Sign me up! hehehe. Ben

When I was drowning in my chocolate soup at Le Pichet the other day, I had the presence of mind to inquire about the current Roast Chicken preperation. The waitress told me that it was being served with a flageolet at the moment. FYI Ben

This sounds pretty similar to what we have here. The workers are government employees who are charged with distributing and controlling the liquor distribution. They seem to care less about liquor and I have never seen any of them excited about any product they are selling. We dont have the take a number racket and for that I am thankful! Phew! Our stores are closed on sunday too and have strange hours on top of that. Ben

I just got back from California yesterday where I bought a bottle of Tanquery 10 in a Grocery Store for 18 bucks. Damn. I think I will do all of my liquor shopping in California. I'll be going back down in a week or so. I will have to make myself a shopping list. Ben

Ha! I laugh at your challenge! I polished off a cup of the exact same hot chocolate you mentioned today! Katie only got halfway. We were wandering around downtown and decided we needed a chocolate bomb so we wandered in and got some. Ohhh so good. I was sorry I finished the whole thing though. I was full the rest of the day. Ben

Pizza and hot dogs are the big sellers at the Costco food counters here in the NorthWest. I think the pizza is overrated though. We also have a new Costco Home store here in Kirkland (Do you guys have Kirkland Signature products across the US?) and will be getting some kind of Costco "gourmet" food store in the near future. Only time will tell if it is any good. Ben

What is abalone sashimi like? Is it much like surf clam or giant clam? How does the flavor compare? I have seen a tank of abalone at a fish market in the International District here in Seattle. Funny looking things. As I understand it one type of abalone cannot be fished any more in certain parts of the world. I guess it is pretty pricey in Japan too. The abalone at the place I mentioned before was not overly expensive I remember. Ben

I just noticed that the latest newsletter on his site lists the D2- The first price is retail, the second is single bottle, the third is case discount. Ben

Yes, Whole Foods can be pricey at times...also known as Whole Paycheck. But they carry so much great stuff that I dont care. If you want a great wine selection and great prices to boot, check out Leschi Mart down in Leschi. The guy there has some great deals, esp in bulk. Leschi Mart Ben

You could also get liquor on a (gasp!) Sunday! A friend of mine was telling me about how they went to get liquor on New Years Eve only to find the store closed in his area. He had to drive across town to the next store. Closed on New Years Eve!!!! WTF???? Arghhh, I surely hope this bill makes it. Ben

The interesting thing I found out in that discussion is that there is no current liquor tax in our state. The LCB just marks it up 45 percent because that is what they can get away with. If it were privatized, we would see taxes on it no doubt. I just hope the taxes would not make competition a moot point as far as price goes. I am sick of paying these horrible prices for liquor here. Gaahhh! I am going to California this week though and will pick up something fun for cheap no doubt! Ben

You are dead on about that cheese- it is my favorite blue to date. I tasted some of it when I was last at Mistral and I had to know where he got it. I now make a point of getting some regularly. Do they give you a discount when you buy a wheel? Ben

Liquor Control on KUOW last Friday This was an interesting piece that I was listening to last Friday. It is about the argument over whether the liquor control board has a conflict of interests where they both control the distribution of alcohol and provide customer service for people buying it. The liquor board representative that appeared seemed to be very skewed in his reasoning. He seemed to think that his job was to reduce the sale of alcohol to the public. I remember him saying that a private alcohol system would lead to more people buying alcohol! (gasp!) I was happy to hear Washington State Senator Tim Sheldon inform us that he will be proposing a bill that will eliminate the Liquor Control Board here. I am crossing my fingers. What do you all think of this whole business? I am generally in favor of most things private and not state run, but there are good arguments the other way. The revenue from the system is obviously a benefit. Supposedly we can special order any liquor that is sold in the United States from any Washington State Liquor store so variety of product is kind of taken care of. I just think the government should keep their grubby little fingers out of my scotch. Ben

I have never been a fan of the wings at Hooters...not that I have ever been before! I do know that the local wing place here in seattle (Wing Dome) deep fries all the wings and then sauces them by tossing them in a bowl with a bit of the sauce. I would guess you should do this while they are fresh out of the fryer. Man, now I want some wings. Ben

Damn you nightscotsman!!! Why must you tease me so? Ben

All I know about Konnyaku (spelling) is that it is made from yam flour and has caloric value. Aparently it expands 30 to 50 times its size in your digestive system, which makes you feel full. It is used as a diet food in japan and is sometimes flavored with seaweed. I would love to know the taste, uses, and any interesting experiences you have had with it. I am sure I can get it here in Seattle at one of the Asian Groceries. Are any brands better than others? Can you make it at home? Would you want to? Thanks everybody! Ben