FrogPrincesse

Grilled lamb chops scottadita with cumin yoghurt from Mario Batali's Italian grill Fresh mint, lemon zest and sugar (s+p) are chopped in a food processor and the mixture is spread onto the lamb chops. I grilled the lamb chops on a charcoal grill which only took a few minutes. On the side, yoghurt with cumin from freshly-ground & toasted cumin seeds. I opted to serve this dish with broccoli rabe from my CSA, blanched and then sautéed in garlic, olive oil and shallots. Simple and flavorful. I found the recipe here.

More beers that we tried in the past few weeks, all local except for the first one. Trader Joe's 2012 Vintage Ale Trader Joe typically makes a good job with their vintage ale (it's brewed by Unibroue in Quebec) and we grab a few bottles every year. This one is malty, a little sweet, with some winter spices (orange/clove). Highway 78 scotch ale Stone, Green Flash, Pizza Port collaboration 2011 Not much carbonation left. Malt, butterscotch. Good but a little thin. Brown ale (Black Market Brewing) Not bad, but not especially memorable. Malty with little complexity. Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout 2012 Stone/Iron Fist/Ken Schmidt collaboration A dry mint aroma that was not very pleasant. I did not like the idea of the beer (mint and chocolate in a beer?) but thought that somehow they would be able to pull a miracle. I did not like it in the end. 9.6% ABV Lost Abbey's Red Barn Spicy, hoppy

Rum Swizzle (from the Bartender's Choice app) made this weekend with Plantation 5 years rum, lime juice, Pierre Ferrand dry curaçao, and Angostura bitters. A little dry with the dry curaçao as the sweetener (I had to add a touch of simple syrup); next time I will try it with the Clément Créole shrubb.

Here is the Thomas Mint Julep that they serve at the Varnish made with Pierre Ferrand 1840 cognac and Smith and Cross Jamaican rum. Recipe as shared by Chris Bostik on Thirsty in LA

Brown Hornet - I only have good things to say about it. It delicious, even neat. Lots of botanicals (sage, fir) but they are not overpowering. Lance Winters, their master distiller, said that he was inspired by the smells he experienced during his hikes in Northern California. The Botanivore is more floral and has more citrus. The Dry Rye gin resembles a genever with more spice. I tried their three gins (there is a fourth, the Faultline, a limited release) and the Terroir was my pick.There is not a bad one in the bunch though.

In the current selection, this Landaff from Jasper Hills, a semi-hard raw milk cheese. Very flavorful. Unfortunately started developing mold after only a few days, I think the result of improper storage at the cheese shop (too much moisture). Radishes croque au sel on the side. Also this aged goat cheese with ash from Vermont (forgot to write down the name) that looked like a small Selles-sur-Cher but turned out to be super-soft like a Saint Marcellin. Not bad.

Sorry, I forgot to respond earlier. Top left is the Saint Marcellin of course! I still have dreams about it, it was fabulous.

Vieille Provision Saison Dupont. Yeasty with a lot of flavor and a crisp citrus finish. Delicious. Picked up a few bottles at $7 at Costco of all places.

Bought the two bottles on the left (Picon, Clement canne bleue 2011) during a recent trip to France. The one on the right (terroir gin) after an epic tasting of St. George spirits.

I would try a CR No. 2. How does it taste neat compared to Lillet and Cocchi Americano?

What you are seeing is just the tip of the iceberg I am afraid!

mm84321, my husband just commented that he thinks he is being deprived because I don't cook like that for him :-) Stunning food as always. Thanks for sharing!

These would make a perfect cocktail garnish (with built-in swizzle stick)! What are they?

Regarding the okolehao liqueur, my bottle does not taste sweet. You are right that there is a faint tropical/coconut flavor at first, but coconut rum does not come to mind. After this faint flavor, it packs a ton of punch & funk. It may be interesting to try it in an Eastern Sour instead of the bourbon. The stuff seems lethal though (and the Polynesian Paralysis well deserves its name! Better sit in a very comfortable chair before starting to sip on one). Maybe they have "refined" their formula over the years? My bottle was acquired at least a couple of years ago I believe.

Lucky you! I haven't had a chance to try it yet but other people had recommendations in the Tanqueray Malacca discussion here. Personally I would start with a martini or a pink gin.

Fully agree. I made myself a mini Prescription Julep last night and the combination of cognac and rye is great, smooth entry with a lot of spice from the rye, rich and delicious. I had something similar at the Varnish but now that I check my notes I see that it was actually a cognac + dark rum combo that they call a Thomas Mint Julep and that they top with powdered sugar. Also excellent.

Last night's cocktail for my husband was a Honeymoon Cocktail which is based on a recipe by Hugo Ensslin in Recipes for Mixed Drinks. In PDT they call for Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy which I used to have a bottle of, but decided in the end that I much preferred calvados. So I used calvados Pays d'Auge fine (aged for a minimum of 2 years) together with benedictine, curaçao, and lemon juice. Note that the version of the Honeymoon Cocktail in Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails calls for calvados. It felt quite strong with a lot of aromas and a touch of acidity from the lemon juice. A contemplative drink.

I like your system, it sounds like fun. You should join along and post your cocktail notes as you go!

I was trying to clean up my liquor cabinet last night and noticed this bottle of Bols genever with very little left in it. I decided to try the Mr. Manhattan Cocktail. No relation with a Manhattan; it's a gin sour with lemon and orange juice, plus muddled mint. I used a mandarin orange because I did not have oranges on hand, and simple syrup instead of lump sugar. Very refreshing (and too small).

If it's just a rinse, you could try some mezcal to get the smoke... that might work.

How about pomegranate for the acid? There are some examples in the EatYourBooks database (you can search by ingredients and it's a great source of inspiration!). See recipe here.

Believe it or not, these also happen to be two of my favorite things (and the mousse as well!)

Fabulous trip report, Kim! Thanks for sharing your notes and photos with us (plus now I won't feel so bad when I post my own reports - some will be very late as well if I ever get around to posting them!).

No, just the one that I mentioned already, the Polynesian Paralysis. Jeff Berry has a link for a drink with okolehao liqueur here (Brice Ginardi's Ohana Mai Tai which I haven't tried it but looks good at least on paper). Thanks for reminding me; Tiki Season is coming! (at least in San Diego).

Hey, don't diss the NY Post. It's got a good sports section. OK, sorry... not too much into sports and even less reading about them!