FrogPrincesse

Lamb chops with chimichurri Because it is paired with lamb, this chimichurri variation uses mint and parsley (but she suggests other versions as well). Also included are thinly sliced shallots, garlic and habanero. Everything is mixed with olive oil and we wait long enough for the herbs to "get to know each other". The lamb chops are pounded before they are grilled at high heat. They are served topped with the chimichurri (to which a little bit of lemon juice is added at the last minute) and a side of roasted peppers. We also had summer squash from our CSA. You end devouring the chops with your fingers and it's delicious. She demonstrates the recipe here.

A couple of recent Manhattan variations that we enjoyed. Cotton cocktail, which is a perfect Manhattan with orange bitters and a Pernod rinse. Sam Ross' Cobble Hill with rye, dry vermouth, amaro Montenegro and muddled cucumber.

Thanks for doing this! It's always fun to read your adventures.

Odd McIntyre from the Savoy cocktail book (aka Frank Sullivan, Hoop La!): equal parts cognac, Cointreau, Lillet and lemon juice. I was preparing myself for something on the sweet side like a sidecar (especially with the addition of Lillet), but it was crisp and light. A good warm weather drink!

There are good desserts too in the Babbo cookbook. Last weekend I made the Espresso Torrone with Drunken Cherries. It's a frozen nougat made with honey and caramelized sugar, egg whites and whipped cream. The texture is very light, similar to a mousse (semifreddo). I used a local dark avocado honey for an extra boost of flavor. I could not find coffee extract but used extra-strong espresso to flavor the torrone. There is also a little bit of amaretto in there. Making the torrone in the stand mixer. The torrone is frozen for a few hours in the freezer but it retains a soft texture. For the plated dessert, it is topped with dried cherries rehydrated in sweet vermouth with a vanilla bean. Next time I won't reduce the vermouth as much because I ended up with very little sauce (or I will just increase the amount of vermouth!). This was an unexpected flavor combination that was very good - honey + almond + coffee for the torrone, cherries + vermouth. The dessert is very light and I enjoyed the texture of the torrone.

Definitely going to order some bacon (and country ham) from Benton's. I just need to figure out how much!

I made a Benton's Old Fashioned last night with Bulleit rye infused with home-cured bacon fat. Very nice. I think I will try to put my hands on some Benton's bacon soon so I can try the original version and also assess my bacon-making skills!

Last week I tried the Bee Sting, a simple Bee's Knee variation with reposado tequila and a muddled jalapeño slice, lemon juice and honey syrup. Straighforward but hits the mark. It's fresh with a touch of heat.

My husband had a craving for chocolate so I made soft chocolate cakes with Valrhona chocolate. The recipe is here; I've been using it for years. Instead of ramekins, I bake them in muffin tins lined with paper cups. They cook very fast and are ready in less than 10 minutes typically.

So sorry to hear of your loss, Katie.

:-) Perfect!

I tried the Green Hornet variation with Junipero gin last night. It's a good "digestif".

Sorry to read about your loss, Kim. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Another good classic cocktail with pineapple is the East India (Harry Johnson) that I tried last night: cognac, maraschino, lemon juice, pineapple juice, angostura bitters. I used the ratios from the Bartender's Choice app. It would be hard to figure out in a blind-tasting what the base liquor is (at least for me). The cocktail is refreshing and tastes of spices, and I can almost taste batavia arrack. The maraschino is more prominent after a few sips in the finish. Imbibe magazine has a swizzle version of this drink by Guiseppe Gonzalez which looks good too.

The gold ones we get here are quite large and are from Hawaii typically. "Maui Gold" is a good one because it's not too acidic, but generally they tend to be a little acidic.

Good tips Elizabeth. I wish I had a choice regarding gold and white-fleshed pineapples. The gold ones seem to be the norm in San Diego, I don't think I've ever seen white-fleshed pineapples in the store. I've had them a long time ago in Tahiti if I am not mistaken - I remember that they were smaller and sweeter, and that their core was edible.

I made the most fabulous Tantris Sidecar a few days ago with fresh pineapple and a bottle of Pierre Ferrand "1840 original formula" cognac that I opened for the occasion. I had tried the Tantris a while back with Remy Martin VSOP and canned pineapple juice and had been moderately impressed. This time I decided to use better ingredients. I put small pieces of pineapple in the blender and doubled-strained to get the juice. For my next attempts I just put the pineapple pieces in my little handheld citrus juicer, which worked much better because you still get all a lot of fibers when you blend pineapple, even after careful double-straining. I think that Pierre Ferrand 1840 is a much better cognac for cocktails than Remy Martin VSOP (or Martell VSOP). Remy Martin always comes out quite harsh for some reason. The calvados was Daron which I like a lot as well. It's great neat and makes incredible ice cream. I made this version of the Tantris (from Imbibe magazine) which ups the cognac a little compared to the recipe Audrey Saunders posted on eGullet a few years ago ( 1 1/4 oz vs. 1 oz in her original recipe). I finally understand what this drink is all about. It is very harmonious, maybe a tad sweet. It is interesting that no single ingredient actually stands out but the combination is much more of the sum of its parts (the sign of a great drink!). The Chartreuse which can easily take over in mixed drinks adds to the beautiful finish of the drink. The pineapple is also quite subtle . Very impressed.

Dinner looks great, Dave. Duck confit and truffade are some of my favorite things - French comfort food! I am still trying to figure out that third clue though (cèpes/porcini) - even with the answer I still don't get it!

And I think I just got #3. We also call Italians "Latins" and therefore dessert will be Tarte Tatin.

Doing my best! Actually I have a feeling that #2 is actually OFFAL.

For #1 ("Once you have made foie gras you have a lot left over. What do you do with certain parts of it?") - It could be pâté grand-père which is made with chunks of foie gras. It could also be Tournedos Rossini. #2 ("What sounds like truffle, but isn't the same at all") - mussels? waffles? #3 ("[What] do you call an Italian in France? ") - "rital" comes to mind but I can't associate it with any French dish. This is really tough... I think we need more clues.

Thanks Hassouni. His recipe does look nice. I don't have any overproof rum though, I was hoping I could just use a bottle of Bacardi that does not have much use otherwise (even if that goes against his very first tip!).

After using a commercial product for a while I think that I am ready to tackle homemade falernum. It would be great to hear what everyone's current favorite recipe is. So far I found the following recipes (listed by publication date): The recipe by Dale DeGroff and its scaled-down version (2003): white rum, lime zest, cloves, almond extract + simple syrup. Falernum #8 by Paul Clarke (2006) where he adds ginger and lime juice to Dale DeGroff's recipe and uses Wray & Nephew overproof rum. Jeffrey Morgenthalers' variation on Paul Clarke's falernum #8 (2007) where he recommends soaking the cloves in rum for a few days prior to adding the lime zest and ginger. Paul Clarke's falernum #9 (2007) - similar to the #8 formula with the addition of toasted almonds. This was the version published in Imbibe magazine and Beachbum Berry Remixed. Paul Clarke's falernum #10 (2008): similar to #9 but no lime juice and the cloves are toasted. Chris Hannah's recipe (2008) is also based on Paul Clarke's falernum #8 and was posted by Jeff Berry on his site: amber rum (Old New Orleans 3-year) with lime zest, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, coffee beans, toasted pecans + lime juice, simple syrup, almond extract. Rumdood's falernum #2 (2009) which is another variation on Paul Clarke's falernum #8 with W&N + 151 overproof rums, lime zest, cloves, ginger, star anise + simple syrup, lime juice, lemon juice and almond extract. The recipe by Kaiser Penguin (2009) uses lime zest, cloves, ginger, allspice, nutmeg + simple syrup and almond extract. No lime juice because it "just [keeps] on fermenting and getting nasty". Kaiser Penguin's 5-minute falernum recipe (2010) - same as above without the almond extract and made in an iSi whipper. Dr. Adam Elmegirab's falernum (2010) with a mixture of overproof and aged rums, lime zest, cloves, ginger, star anise, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, black peppercorns, toasted almonds, vanilla bean + simple syrup and orgeat. Marcia Simmons' recipe on Serious Eats (2012): white rum, lime zest, cloves, toasted almonds, lime juice and simple syrup (no ginger). Any tips before I make my first batch? I would prefer a recipe with a decent shelf-life so I am leaning toward the versions that don't include lime juice. Adam already included a lot of useful tips in his post that I've copied below.

Golden Monkey (tripel ale) from Victory. My husband liked it, I don't care for it. It tasted very "thin" to me and I could not taste much other than fizz and bitterness.

Dave - you blog is making me so hungry! This is great. And thank you for the soup recipes, I will make sure to try at least one or two. Do you think the courgette/zucchini recipe would work with sorrel instead of watercress? I am trying to use what I already have. Thanks!