FrogPrincesse

I second the recommendation for the Koriko tins. I have two sets and they work beautifully.

So, what did you wife think about it? While I was enjoying a Kingston Negroni I made another awful realization - I had not made a proper Manhattan in months! (the desperation Manhattan I had to make at a recent party that had a do-it-yourself bar using Canadian Club whiskey does NOT count...). So that's what I ended up making for my husband. Rittenhouse rye, Cocchi vermouth di Torino, Jerry Thomas' decanter bitters, brandied cherry.

The other day I realized with horror that I had never tried Joaquin Simo's Kingston Negroni. I had tried a cocktail combining Campari with Smith & Cross in Benjamin Schwartz's Professional, as well as countless Negroni variations, but not this one for some reason. I decided to remedy the situation immediately. Not as crisp or bitter as a regular Negroni (this was equal parts but I've seen recipes for the Kingston Negroni cutting down the vermouth to 3/4 which makes sense). But it's wonderfully flavorful with the rich aroma of the S&C balancing out the Campari.

Thanks! I had read the wikipedia entry but could not really tell what it was like.

I am not familiar with ginger wine - how does it differ from ginger beer, tastewise?

tanstaafl2 - agreed. Plan is to keep enough of the old bottle to do a side-by-side and see if I could detect a difference.

Oh, and after following the discussion between tanstaafl2 and KD1191, I checked my bottle of Rittenhouse (that I have a tendency to hoard because it's really good and can be hard to find in San Diego), and it's the DSP 354. So now I have an excuse to finish it if the new stuff is supposed to be even better!

Restocking the bar except for the bottle on the left which is new and was already put into good use in a Nouveau Carré. Was also looking for a good genever (Bols or ...) but did not have any luck so far.

Thanks for the plum cake recipe link, Anna. Kerry - Are you going to reveal your 19 vermouth ingredients? Also, are you improvising or following a specific recipe? It's fascinating to follow you along (as usual)!

The plum cake looks very appetizing actually in a rustic kind of way. What kind of dough recipe did you use?

Hassouni - You are very welcome. That drink sounds tasty. I can't get Rittenhouse but I suppose I could try a less potent version with the Sazerac 6 I have. It actually warmed up to 67F here today after a couple weeks of hovering in the 35F - 45F range. Feels like summer again. You are located in Canada, right? The Sazerac should make an excellent version too. I like that rye; I just think that it's a little pricey for what it is (at least in the US where it is significantly more expensive than Rittenhouse).

Prawncrackers - Many thanks for what looks like a fabulous recipe. I have some pasteurized crab claws that I plan on using, so this won't be as decadent as your recipe with live crabs, but still worth trying I think.

Last night I was looking for something with orgeat and a dark spirit, but not a Mai Tai. And I was not after something like the Japanese or its bourbon cousin, the Attorney Privilege, both very good cocktails when I am in the mood for a sweeter flavor profile. After trying one of Chris McMillians' creation with the End of the Road recently, I tried a cocktail that was named after him, the McMillian which incorporates some of his favorite ingredients: rye, orgeat, curacao, Benedictine, lemon juice, Angostura bitters, and mint. After a mint aroma, the first impression is that this is a strong rye-forward cocktail. It tastes sharp even though there is only a small amount of lemon (I used a Meyer lemon as I was out of regular lemons). It has a strong spice and orange oil finish. Interestingly, the mint blended with the other ingredients to add another layer of flavor, but there was no mint flavor per se. It was perfect for the first day of fall weather in San Diego (rain for the first time in months and 65F today... brrr).

Here was the beer board on a recent visit at Blind Lady Ale House . Started with the Petrus aged pale and the St Louis gueuze. The guy taking our beer order double-checked with me that I was aware that the Petrus was a SOUR beer before he let me order it. I thought it was funny because I love sourness. I could practically drink (and enjoy) vinegar neat. Anyway I digress... The Petrus was indeed sour and dry, and was the perfect way to get my taste buds ready for the meal. The St Louis was nice and tart. The second round was the Stone Enjoy By 10-25-13 and Maredsous triple. The Stone was an intensely piney/hoppy double IPA with crazy aromas. The Maredsous had a deep flavor and was dangerously smooth for 10% ABV. It reminded me of my first time trying a triple with my parents during a trip to Belgium when I was a teenager. Tasted fabulous but I was surprised to find myself a little "light-headed" after just one beer when it was time to stand up and leave the restaurant.

Outstanding food everyone. The game meats on the thread are particularly stunning (hare, pigeon, grouse, ...). Something I really miss here. Prawncrackers- would you mind sharing your recipe for crab linguine? That looks like something I would like to try very soon. Thanks!

Was in the mood for a Martini variant last night so I made an Imperial Cocktail. I recommend it - it's excellent and beautiful too. I used Erik's specs (more or less). Also there were no olives on hand so I cheated and used a tomolive (thoroughly rinsed).

We have not yet explored the duck eggs and only just learned that they were a gift from the husband of the lady who supplies our gorgeous chicken eggs. We are open to suggestions as to how to make the most of this unexpected gift. Duck eggs indeed have a richer taste and a higher yolk to white ratio. I love they sunny side up, on top of asparagus when in season (asparagus Milanese), or on top of a croque madame. Delish!

Rafa- what mezcal did you use? Fidencio Clásico, which has moderate smoke and a lot of jammy fruit on the palate. Thanks. Added to the booze wish list!

Rafa- what mezcal did you use?

rotuts - I just re-read the thread which mostly deals with a comparison of pressure-cooking vs. sous vide rather than traditional techniques. The additional time needed for sous-vide as well as a "lack of nuance", "muddying of taste and texture", and not "produc[ing] the wonderful sauce" are mentioned. So what is the main purpose of sous-vide for stews? It's still not really clear at least to me... Thanks!

Heidi, I prefer to store mine still attached. If the stalk is too big, you can cut it in half. I detach them as I use them. I haven't tried cooking them still on the stalk and the TJ's recipe does not look too promising. I like to do something similar to this recipe (using less oil) where they are fried and served with pancetta, Parmigiano, and a balsamic reduction (which gives a little bit of sweetness but much less than in this crazy-looking TJ recipe). Straight balsamic works too if you don't mind the acidity (I like it actually).

I am currently working on a traditional bourguignon (the meat is marinating in wine as I type) and wondering what the advantage of a sous-vide bourguignon would be? For traditional stews that can be left unattended in the oven (mine will be going at 325F for 3 to 4 hours), I don't really understand what sous vide can improve but I am curious...

Both are very good restaurants and we would (and will) go again to both in the future. Marche Modern is more of a classical type of tasting menu with a strong, not surprising based on the background of the chef, foundation in French cooking (but many influences from around the world). TBL3 on the other site is novel, more unusual, New American cuisine with more unexpected dishes. Marche Modern is perhaps on a one Michelin star level whereas TBL3 competes with the best restaurants in San Francisco and LA and is more on a two Michelin star level. If we would have to choose between both we would pick TBL3 as we in general prefer restaurants who try to push the culinary boundaries. Costwise TBL3 is ~$170 for 12-14 courses and Marche Modern is about $110 for 7-8 courses Thanks. I am in love with the food at Marché Moderne, plus it is really reasonable for the quality that you get, and it's exactly the kind of good that is close to my heart - elevated bistro food, without pretension. I am on the fence regarding Table 3, mostly because I've never spend that kind of money on food ($260 with wine pairings, so that's about $340 a person with tax and service...). But it's very nice to read your review while I debate whether to splurge some day.

Czerquershuus, Thank you for recommending Dan Carlson's Last Caress. It immediately caught my eye because I thought that the rye + maraschino liqueur combo looked promising. It is at the basis of one of my favorite cocktail, the Brooklyn, and many of its variations including another favorite, the Red Hook. The aroma was citrus-forward. On the first sip I tasted the rye with a lot of spice, then a hint of lemon, herbs from the Benedictine, long finish. Overall it felt very smooth and had just a hint of smoke from the mezcal in the background. The rye + Benedictine combination reminded me of the Monte Carlo that I tried a few nights ago. Really good.

There was a previous discussion of powdered egg whites in cocktails here. Some complained about the taste and tendency to clump. Also they have to be rehydrated before use.