FrogPrincesse

In October, that's just bragging. Yes and no because it was really uncomfortable yesterday with 90+ degrees on the coast and 100+ inland. But I see that where you are located it's looking quite cold and rainy, so I should not complain too much I guess.

Thanks Kim. When I use 100% crème fraîche for the quiche (no milk or heavy cream), it always rises like a soufflé. It was more than double the height of the pan (I use a tart pan). Last night we started with some Reed avocados from my CSA with a mustard vinaigrette. This variety is very buttery and the avocados were perfectly ripe. Then I made a mixed grill with quail, sausage (bratwurst, jalapeno-pork and andouille), peppers, and a gratin Dauphinois on the side. It was my 6-year old daughter's idea to have quail. She was fascinated with the idea of having her own little "chicken". We got the quail at the farmers' market from Spur Valley Ranch. For dessert, the chocolate brownies from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert.

Continuing with the Classics, a Mint Julep with Buffalo trace bourbon to try to counter the heat wave in San Diego.

I like it too and it's a very good deal - it's currently on sale at BevMo for $24.

Yesterday the LA times published a mixed review of Modernist Cuisine at Home written by Russ Parsons (here).

Continuing to revisit some Classics with a guest from France. Brooklyn with Bulleit rye and Dolin dry vermouth. Captain Vadrna's Grog (not pictured). I finally finished my stock of Captain Morgan's spiced rum (bought a very long time ago when I knew nothing about rum) which this drink manages to make taste fantastic. Eventually I want to make my own spiced rum, but now I think I want to try this delicious cocktail with Kraken spiced rum. Margarita with Don Julio tequila.

Thanks flourgirl! Not usually a huge fan of zucchini, but Inspired by SobaAddict70's zucchini dishes in the Dinner thread (Zucchini frico here and Pasta con le zucchine here), I decided made the fried zucchini sauce with garlic and basil from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking last night. The zucchini, which I combined with a marrow squash from my CSA, was cut into allumettes, salted and degorged. Then it was wiped dry, floured and fried in garlic-flavored oil until golden brown. The pasta (I used fresh spinach bucatini) was finished in butter with the fried zucchini, fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese. I liked the texture of the dish and the zucchini was very good. A squeeze of lemon juice would not have been out of place to bring out the flavors.

Texture-wise, my experience was that the tiramisu ice cream was fantastic a few hours after churning. A few days later it was not as creamy, which partially explains my difficulting in making nice scoops. I agree that the texture could be improved, but the flavor was outstanding.

Dan - that looks like the recipe I used (from Sippin' Safari). Normally it's ganished with a long orange peel.

Still in love with the Nui Nui. Even with a fairly "basic" rum, it is spicy and complex, with layer upon layer of flavors. Last night, a lazy Negroni (no orange bitters or orange zest, just built in the glass with one giant ice cube). I used Beefeater gin and Vya sweet vermouth which worked great.

Rainbow chard and jerk chicken the other night. Last night, a very puffy quiche Lorraine for the little 1. For us, Baja grouper with roasted carrots.

My photo does not do it justice, but David Lebovitz's Tiramisu ice cream is amazing. Mascarpone + Kahlua + rum ice cream base drizzled with a "Mocha ripple" (cocoa powder + espresso). It's eggless so the base is just made in a blender.

I made the Grilled duck breasts with crème fraîche and roasted grapes again, this time served family-style. It's a great way to cook duck breasts. Grilled with a simple juniper berry-thyme rub, they are full of flavor.

The following cocktail could go under "Drambuie" or "Lillet", but since I found it in the PDT cocktail book I am just going to add it to this thread. The Prince Edward: Scotch whisky (the book called for blended malt whisky, I substituted Glenfiddich 12), Lillet blanc, Drambuie, orange bitters (I used Regan's + Angostura), flamed orange twist. Not bad; quite boozy and rich (on the verge of being syrupy). Maybe not the best choice with the heat.

I made a Corpse Reviver variation last night with bourbon, aka the Kentucky Corpse Reviver (recipe found via Eat Your Books, here). Elijah Craig bourbon, Pierre Ferrand curacao, lemon juice, Lillet. Very pleasant, but I still prefer the gin version.

Here is a link to a pdf of the cocktail menu at Pouring Ribbons, with the flavor matrix.

Regarding zubrowka, do avoid the brand Bak's. Their version is awful, completely artificial tasting. I have a bottle I have no idea what to do with.

Olive oil + lemon juice, plus the fennel fronds. Very simple!

For my husband who needed a break from Chartreuse I made the Little Bit Country that was mentioned way upthread. The ingredients are pretty straightforward with a combo of bourbon, maple syrup, lemon juice, maraschino, angostura and orange bitters, until you get to the final ingredient - muddled jalapeño. I was afraid that it would be overly spicy but it was perfectly balanced. The richness of the maple syrup did wonders with the jalapeno. There was some heat but it did not take over. The flamed orange zest was a nice touch. Another winner.

Sipping "That Green Drink" (from the Chartreuse thread) the other night I kept thinking that it had potential but was not quite right. It was just too busy and as a result felt too strong and heavy ("liquoreux" comes to mind). So I thought how great it would be to modify it and substitute tequila for the gin and refocus the drink on highlighting the herbal grassy notes of the Chartreuse rather than its syrupy quality with the white vermouth combo that I did not care for. Then I realized that there was already something similar in the PDT cocktail book, the Lawn Dart that combined tequila blanco, gin, lime juice, agave syrup, Chartreuse and green bell pepper. It tasted like fresh cut grass, with a slight kick from the muddled green pepper. Beautiful green notes. After a few sips I realized that it recreated the flavors I like in a good zubrowka/ bison grass vodka, which I have not had in a while because of the coumarin issue and reformulations for the US market.

Local halibut cooked en papillote with thyme and grapefruit segments. I served it with acorn squash and kale. Dinner last night was a quiche Lorraine with home-cured bacon. We had the quiche with this tomato, watermelon and fennel salad.

I made a salad last night with ingredients from my CSA: heirloom tomatoes, yellow watermelon and fennel. The fennel was amazingly tender and delicate; great with the tomatoes. I see the watermelon + tomato combo a lot in recipes but I still don't get it. The watermelon looked pretty but I don't think it added much.

A couple of drinks with orgeat, inspired by the 7 daiquiris in 7 days from The Mix Lab. First, the Look Normal by Rumdood. White rum (I used Flor de Caña) and lime juice sweetened with orgeat, maraschino, simple syrup and absinthe (I used pastis). It's reminiscent of the Hemingway Daiquiri with a kick from the absinthe (I had reduced the amount from 2 to 1 tsp). The orgeat mellows the flavors so it's quite mild and refreshing. The second drink was the Freshman Daiquiri by Theo Lieberman. White rum, lime juice, orgeat, falernum, orange slices. I think this was our favorite. The combo of orgeat + orange + falernum is a great one.

Thanks for the advice. One more excuse for me to buy yellow Chartreuse!

I had a Champs Elysées at Little Branch last night and it was masterful. Don't know the ratios or anything, but it was a knockout - perfect balance of all the ingredients. That shows you how ratios are key... This is such a simple cocktail there is not much room for error. My cognac could also have been the culprit; it's Remy Martin vsop but it's not really that good for mixing. It sounds like you had a fabulous time a Little Branch, I envy you!