FrogPrincesse

You know, I was a bit worried about that too. So that's why I went with the Pierre Ferrand dry curaçao instead of Cointreau. Overall the drink did not taste too sweet. I think if you like a Martinez or a Hanky Panky, you will like this too.

Last night I had Misty Kalkofen's Hocus Pocus, inspired by Plantes Vertes in the Drinks thread. I used the ratios from this article so it's heavier on the Fernet. With Junipero it was pretty intense. I would make it again with a different gin, probably Beefeater.

Wonderful article ... Thanks for posting the link. You are welcome. Let us know what new soups you come up with!

I was able to find it with the name of the bar. Here. It's a creation by Misty Kalkofen.

So this is like a Hanky Panky with curaçao? Most recipes I could find for the Hocus Pocus, like this one in CocktailDB, are just gin, lemon, and cointreau (no sweet vermouth or Fernet), aka a White Lady. As long as it works to soothe your roommate's sorrows...

Great looking food on the thread, as usual. Steve Irby's fried oyster salad and oyster platter are especially appealing; also the beautiful seafood on the previous page (Baselerd's oysters, robirdstx's crab cakes, mm84321's langoustines...). That would make a magnificent seafood feast. Here are a few recent dinners. Goat cheese ravioli with orange and fennel, based on recipe in Babbo. Still practicing on my ravioli technique. I think I am starting to get the hang of it now, but it takes me too long. Charcuterie platter for an epic raclette party with good friends. Happy freezer discoveries - Neapolitan meatballs (Molto Italiano) with spinach bucatini. Grilled Muscovy duck breast; carrots with cumin, thyme, butter, and Noilly Prat. This was a very large duck breast, perfect for grilling. I cured the other one. April Bloomfield's cabbage and bacon. I used home-cured fresh (unsmoked) bacon.

I use white bread. Works great.

I was in the mood for gin last night and made myself a Cloister cocktail. It has the structure of a classic cocktail but apparently appeared for the first time in Playboy's Host & Bar Book in 1971. 1.5 oz gin (PDT specifies Tanqueray; I used Junipero), 0.5 oz yellow Chartreuse, 0.5 oz grapefruit juice, 0.25 oz lemon juice, 0.25 oz simple syrup, grapefruit twist. I really liked the crispness of the cocktail and how it let me appreciate the botanicals from the gin and chartreuse. It was a little bit like a lighter version of the Last Word. The Junipero worked very well.

When you say "bonded applejack" do you mean Laird's bonded apple brandy? That would be closer to the calvados although still probably a little different. Applejack is a blend with NGS while the bonded is the 100 proof young apple brandy. Correct. That should have read bonded apple brandy.

Don't get me wrong. I also use Evernote, iPad/iPhone Notes, Eat Your books, eGullet, etc, etc, to record my cooking notes. But when I am in the middle of a cooking project, I prefer to have a physical notebook next to me. I later transcribe the notes elsewhere as necessary.

Got mine for $22. I used to pay $9 or more for the small bottle.

This one had potential and an interesting name, but I should have trusted my guts. Way too much sweetener. I would make it again with 1/4-1/2 oz cinnamon syrup (instead of 3/4 oz; this was the BG Reynold FKA Trader Tiki syrup), and 1/4-1/3 oz cherry liqueur (instead of 1/2 oz). More Scotch than Sincerity: scotch, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, cherry liqueur, angostura bitters Oh and I finally killed that bottle of Glenfiddich 12, so it's finally time to buy something new for scotch cocktails. What should I get? I was thinking Highland Park 12.

Mine is a Moleskine notebook. I use it to keep track of menus and prep lists for dinner parties, notes from conferences, etc. When I have a cocktail party I like to write down recipes that I will be making so I have everything in one place. Here is a sample page. And Kerry, we need to see a few pages from yours, not just the cover!

These guys also detect peach in their Lagavulin's nose but it's the 30 years. Also here in the 2013 Distiller Edition. Mine does not have any peach - just checked last night to make sure!

Gorndon Ramsey's broccoli soup with broccoli from my CSA. For the garnish, I did not have any goat cheese and used crème fraîche instead, a little bit of Abequina olive oil (which tastes bright and green), roasted hazelnuts, and fleur de sel. Have you seen the article about soups on Serious Eats? It has a systematic approach to soup-making that I find inspirational. The Food Lab: How to Make Creamy Vegetable Soups Without a Recipe.

Erick Castro is getting more press. Interview for Virgin Atlantic: Erik Castro: The King of San Diego's Cocktail Bars. .

Oh wow. A custom-made tiki mug. Very cool.

A petition was initiated a few days ago by Josh Miller of the rum & cocktail blog Inu a Kena to exempt bartenders from the disposable gloves law. It has already collected more than 8000 signatures.

It's amazing the number of views you get when you post something called Naked and Famous on flickr. I guess I should not be surprised. Anyway, this creation by Joaquín Simó is a delicious drink. Equal parts mezcal, aperol, yellow chartreuse, and lime juice. Sour/aromatic/bitter/smoky. Everything meshes together. Great combo and a very attractive color.

Detailed tasting notes on Luxardo and Maraska maraschino liqueurs on the Booze Nerds blog.

I was very eager to try the latest batch of Enjoy By IPA from Stone (02.14.14). Disappointment - very little fizz. The taste was right but the beer was practically flat. Here is the October release, but on draft, for reference (in the front).

I like it too. What brands of rye and absinthe/herbsaint did you use?

Also this one from the Food Lab on Serious Eats that was just published last month and compares results from white vs. brown sugar (among many other variables).

Yes, they are still very much into blue curaçao and piña coladas which is a little odd, but things are changing a bit. This 2008 article from Bon Appetit proclaiming that Tokyo is the Cocktail Capital of the World is still pretty far from the truth...

The Boker's bitters have a base of cardamom and coffee, while Angostura has strong cinnamon notes. So even though the flavor profile is different, they are still close enough that they can be used in cocktails calling for Angostura or "aromatic bitters" in general. My bottle has a dropper that delivers much more than an Angostura bottle, which compensates for the milder flavor if that's a concern (I haven't noticed it). I prefer Boker's to Angostura in a Japanese Cocktail and also I think in a Martinez (haven't had one in a while). They make a great Manhattan too if you are looking for a slight change of pace.