FrogPrincesse

Regarding Cusano Rojo - I am pretty sure that this is the first bottle of mezcal I ever bought. My criteria at the time were 1) the worm (of course) and 2) the price. I think my parents still have it somewhere in their liquor cabinet (almost 20 years later). It is pretty bad.

I don't think that you will find too many cocktails per se or interesting aperitifs that were created in France in that timeframe. Creme de cassis was invented at that time so a kir variation would be an obvious choice, but they can be quite sweet and would not be very original. A bunch of apetitif wines were created in that time period (Dubonnet, Saint Raphael, Picon, Byrrh, Lillet, etc), so instead of trying to find a historically-accurate option, you may be better off just creating a new drink for the occasion using one of them as an ingredient. Absinthe as Mjx suggested is a good idea too, given its popularity at the time. Thinking about ways to incorporate these ingredients, there is one drink in PDT that could almost fit the bill. The Paddington, which is a rum-based version of a Corpse Reviver No. 2 (more or less), could be made with rhum agricole. It already uses Lillet and absinthe. You would need to switch the marmalade for something more French as well and it would need a new name. Just a few thoughts...

Last night I tried a very simple drink from Jeff Berry's Tiki+ app, Jasper's Jamaican (based on a creation by Jasper LeFranc). A daiquiri sweetened with allspice dram and a touch of simple syrup. Grated nutmeg on top. Quite bold. Not paticularly subtle, but it works. Not bad for a Monday.

Regarding Vegetable Literacy, I had a little bit of free time this weekend and started reading it. I really enjoyed what I read so far. There is a nice summary of each vegetable "family" at the beginning of each chapter, followed by a detailed write-up for each vegetable which includes information about the history, common varieties, nutritional value, recommended preparations, and affinities with other vegetables. Beyond the recipes and the beautiful photography, I can see the book as a great resource on detailed information about each type of vegetable and also as a source of inspiration. It looks very well researched. Seeing the vegetables grouped by family instantly triggers lots of ideas for new dishes.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments on the halibut & Meyer lemon salsa. I think that one was my dish (if not sorry for jumping in). Not sure where you are located, but I they are still in season in San Diego.

Fully agree. Fizzes, especially the ones with eggs, make great brunch/lunch drinks while Collinses are for lazy afternoons...

I had a couple of nice fizzes lately. This picture perfect Ramos Gin Fizz at 320 Main made by Shaun [with a delicious Trader Vic Mai Tai on the right]. Well worth the wait. Creamy with a gorgeous taste - subtle orange flower water, with the gin coming through. It will be tough to top that one off. Dave Stolte from Home Bar Basics summarized the technique in a detailed post on his blog. A Masala Fizz from Craft & Commerce. I've had it a tad creamier but this is a great brunch drink with chai-infused gin, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, egg white, and sparkling water.

Made this Lazy Bear (Jacob Grier) last night: Smith & Cross, rye, lime juice, honey syrup, whiskey barrel-aged bitters. Very smooth and a long funky finish. Dangerous stuff because it tastes like orange juice!

I just had to try this, with my new 16 oz bottle of Angostura... I almost used rhum agricole for the float and this would have been the way to go. Flor de Cana is too tame for this. The color is not exactly attractive (it looks like a watery Bloody Mary) but it does not taste bad. It is a bit on the dry side and the spices and texture are good. I have to admit that I prefer a regular (Trader Vic) Mai Tai though...

Thanks Keith. Actually cavatelli may be the easiest pasta to make. You just need a little cavatelli machine (see details here in the Fresh Pasta thread). You can make a large batch and they freeze extremely well. I was introduced to his technique by a local chef, Ryan Johnston. I am salivating over your John Dory (Saint Pierre as it is known in France). I love this fish. I have a rule that I must order it when I see it on a restaurant menu. Dinner last night was inspired by a couple of beautiful local halibut fillets, plus the Meyer lemons and green garlic I got in my CSA. Halibut with Meyer lemon salsa and green garlic champ (recipes from Suzanne Goin - see the Lucques thread for more details about the halibut) The night before we had leftover lamb shanks (another Suzanne Goin recipe - see here) and I made the green garlic champ that night. Served with lamb jus and tapenade.

Wow that Hanky Panky with Cocchi VdT was so good, even my husband who is terrified of Fernet thought it was nice! Thanks KD1191 for suggesting Cocchi VdT with Fernet. A winning combo for sure. I used the ratios from PDT: 2 oz gin, 1.5 oz sweet vermouth, 1/4 oz Fernet-Branca. I made him a Manhattan with Templeton rye and Cocchi VdT that had great chocolate notes and a dry slightly bitter finish. Bitter chocolate. I resisted the urge to use mole bitters and used the whiskey barrel-aged bitters for more constrast. Really great.

Time for a party! A really, really big party... I don't plan to be moving for a few years yet but that time is likely coming and I don't look forward to it. Regarding moving your liquor library, see Matt Rowley's (mbrowley) handy little tip involving Teflon/plumber tape.

Pretty good for a first time I would say! I just got my first of the season English peas in my CSA, which inspired me to come with this dish: Homemade cavatelli with English peas, almond and mint pesto, and homemade ricotta.

I like it. It has more chocolate than ripe berries notes compared to the Dolin, and is a little more bitter. Just a different style. Can't wait to try it in a Manhattan. That 'chocolate' in the Cocchi VdT pairs great with the minty characteristics of Fernet. It's very good in a typical Manhattan, but even better in a Fanciulli (6:3:1 of Rye/Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth, Fernet). Good to know regarding Fernet and Cocchi VdT. Maybe time to revisit the Hanky Panky as well then.

Speaking of Negronis, Gary Regan just wrote an entire book devoted to them: The Negroni: A Gaz Regan Notion (164 pages). There is no preview or review on amazon, so has anyone had a chance to take a look at it?

I have the regular ones at home and they are great, very plump and flavorful.

I like it. It has more chocolate than ripe berries notes compared to the Dolin, and is a little more bitter. Just a different style. Can't wait to try it in a Manhattan.

I made myself a Negroni last night with St George Terroir gin and Cocchi vermouth. It was really great, but to be honest the flavor of that gin is so fantastic that I felt a little bad muddling it with other ingredients. So for my husband I made a Bin n' Gitters, which is just gin, lime juice, and simple syrup with a bunch of crushed ice, topped with Angostura bitters and garnished with mint. This was a great way to enjoy this gin and its layers of botanicals (and yes that's a 1/2 liter bottle of Angostura in the background in case you were wondering!).

More gin maybe a la Toby Maloney?

There is a bunch of interesting Negroni variations in this article by Bon Appetit ("There's No Wrong Way to Screw Up a Negroni"), including a few that are featured on the menu at Hinoki and the Bird and were mentioned in the discussion in the Boulevardier thread.

More cocktail snacks: home-cured duck prosciutto, Norcino salame (Olli), pesto tartine on walnut & scallion bread. The pesto is Marcella Hazan's food processor pesto.

The Municipality: rye, Bonal, Averna, orange bitters, orange zest (expressed then discarded). There is potential there but the finish is not quite right.

Love the name. If you come up with further variations on that theme you have the Frank Black and the Charles Thompson IV that can also work... Perfect.

I would imagine that pressure would affect the ratio of alcohol in the vapor phase. See "Separation of azeotrope constituents" and "Pressure swing distillation" under this wikipedia article about azeotropes.

Is Vincotta (vincotto?) the same thing as saba? I love saba drizzled on fresh ricotta. Delicious. It also works (in small touches) with salads with bitter greens. Regarding spirulina, I haven't tried it on its own but it's one of the ingredients in Green Machine, a green juice/smoothie made by Naked Juice that I really like. It's used in small quantities (1.3 g in 450 mL) but you can still taste it. I crave that mineral flavor every once in a while.