FrogPrincesse

Still stuck in tiki mode, which is not a bad thing at all. We had Trader Vic's Mai Tais to celebrate tiki oasis last week - La Favorite "coeur de rhum" aged rhum agricole and Appleton Estate "extra" 12-year rum combo, with Clement Creole shrubb. Then a couple of days ago, I made Don the Beachcomber's Pearl Diver Punch (1937). It's a relatively involved recipe. First you have to prepare a batter/mix with butter (which I melted at low temperature), honey, cinnamon and vanilla syrups (both from B.G. Reynolds), and allspice dram (St Elizabeth). I found that half the mix recipe in Sippin' Safari was just enough for two drinks. The other ingredients are a blend of gold Puerto Rican-style rum (I use Flor de Cana gold for that purpose), Demerara rum (El Dorado 5) and gold Jamaican rum (Appleton 12) plus orange and lime juice, and falernum. The ingredients are blended for about 30 sec and then strained (maybe to remove unmelted chunks of butter but that was an unnecessary step for me). The verdict? This cocktail achieves a great balance between spicy (typical flavor profile for a Don the Beachcomber creation with the cinnamon and allspice), boozy (the rums play very well together), tropical (the juices are just enough to make the drink very easily sippable), rich and slightly sweet (with the touch of butter, honey and vanilla).

Very interesting. Is it this paper? I did not have time to study it in detail but it includes this information on page 10:

I have experienced something similar with a pre-batch cocktail that I had to prepare for an event. It was Captain Vadrna's Grog, a tiki concoction containing lime and grapefruit juices. To see the effect of aging on the drink, I also prepared it fresh and compared fresh and aged (24 hours in the fridge) versions side-by-side. I also gave it to my husband to try without telling him which glass contained the fresh version. We both agree that the aged drink tasted harsher, less balanced. My husband initially thought that I had used a different type of grapefruit juice for the two versions - he thought the aged version used normal white grapefruit because it was more intense, and that the fresh version was from an Oro Blanco grapefruit that I often use and is milder than the normal white grapefruit. When I told him that the only difference was the age and he guessed incorrectly, expecting that the cocktail would mellow over time and that the aged version would be smoother. It was actually the opposite and we both preferred the fresh version. A little bit of extra sugar syrup should improve the aged version. One of the main flavor components in lime and grapefruit juices is limonene. One possibility is that what we are experiencing the oxidation of limonene producing other volatile compounds that change the flavor profile. Another possibility is that the limonene may be more stable than other more delicate flavors in the juice, and that by aging the juice we now mostly taste limonene. I have not done too much research on the topic, but I tend to favor the second option because limonene has a very strong flavor that is associated with cleaning products (Pledge). There has not been any activity on this thread for the past 2 years or so, and I am curious to see if new information is available on this topic.

After reading somewhere that Don the Beachcomber's Navy Grog was Jeff Berry's favorite tiki drink, I had to refresh my memory. The ingredients in the Navy Grog (recipe from Beachbum Berry Remixed) are: lime juice, grapefruit juice, honey syrup, light rum (Puerto Rican rum specified, I used Flor de Cana), dark Jamaican rum (Appleton 12 year), Demerara rum (El Dorado 5 year) and soda water. I did not follow the instructions which had me shake all the ingredients (including the soda water). The drink was rather large so I only added a small amount of soda water at the end. First sip impression - quite bitter/overly grapefruit-y. Adjusted with a little bit of honey syrup. The grapefruit was still very pronounced. The drink got better over time and I was able to taste more flavors than just grapefruit. It is nice but I can't say that it's my favorite tiki drink; I don't feel it is distinctive enough (not enough spice - I believe there are other versions that incorporate allspice which would be a good addition - and it felt too dilute). I much prefer Jeff Berry's own twist on the Navy Grog, the Ancient Mariner.

No harshness intended. Just a gentle comment on the relevance of the name - 5oz compared to 1 1/2 oz. OK, got it - not as potent as the original. Still potent enough for me! And that gives others the perfect excuse to have another one...

Both Something like, but homemade. While I don't have my copy in front of me, I'm pretty sure that I lifted the idea from the pages of 'Beachbum Berry Remixed', where he is discussing Donn Beach's 'secret ingredients in coded bottles' system. Making the cinnamon infused simple is, well, simple, and it's not a big step to notice how often the grapefruit and cinnamon are called for in various recipes, generally in close enough ratio to suggest keeping them combined. I'm pretty sure Jeff directly refers to "Don's Mix". He also draws attention to the Angostura / Anise combo as recurring in a lot of Dark Rum based D-the-B drinks, and sure enough [to my jaded palate anyway] a few drops of the combo does add extra depth to the off-the cuff tiki variants I've tried it in. The grapefruit + cinnamon combo is indeed a classic combination used in many recipes from Don the Beachcomber (idem for anise + angostura); I was just curious about the fact that this mix could be kept for a while in the fridge. It has to be because of the cinnamon, because citrus juice tends to get bad rather quickly on its own.

My husband and I had a fantastic time during our first visit to Pegu Club last week. We went early (before 6 pm) and sat at the bar. We had a very nice chat with the bartender and one of the patrons. I had to get a Pegu Club, and my husband asked for a daiquiri variation with rhum agricole. They were both great. The Pegu Club is a drink that can be hard to balance but this was perfection. The daiquiri was made with La Favorite blanc. I loved the attention to detail which is seen for example in the generous garnishes - the Pegu Club had a scored lime wedge. The space was comfortable and welcoming, and we felt right at home. It's too bad that we live so far away and won't be able to go back for a while.

I tried the Beachbum last night, a cocktail created by John Deragon (johnder) as an homage to Jeff Berry. It is a classic tiki cocktail with a combination of two rums (Flor de Cana white and Mount Gay Eclipse amber, for which I substituted El Dorado 12 year), together with pineapple juice, lime juice, apricot liqueur and (homemade) orgeat. I liked the fact that the pineapple and apricot were in the background enhancing the rums, rather than taking over the drink. The orgeat rounded everything up. It is reminiscent of a Mai Tai, with the pineapple juice and apricot liquor replacing the curaçao.

...but perhaps has a harder time justifying it's claim to the name, rather lacking the bludgeoning payload of the previous version? DerekW, I think that you are being a little harsh. Jeff Berry's simplified version still makes a very nice Zombie that I would be happy to have any day. Nice setup that you have. Could you please elaborate a little further regarding the premixed grapefruit juice & cinnamon syrup... Are you referring to something like "Don's Mix" from B.G. Reynolds, or is that something that you made?

ScottyBoy, What an amazing experience, thanks for sharing it with us. But I need to ask, are you super human? ;-) I counted about 10 alcoholic beverages... How is that even possible (unless these are really tiny drinks)?

Last night I was in the mood for a tiki drink but did not have the energy to make another 1934 Zombie Punch so I tried the simplified version created by Beachbum Berry (Beachbum Berry's Zombie). It uses only 5 ingredients instead of 10 in the original recipe. It's is shaken with ice cubes instead of blended. It manages to retain the same flavor profile, though obviously not as complex. Despite its simplicity, it is a very respectable version of the Zombie.

After this discussion I had to make a 1934 Zombie Punch. I used Appleton 12 for the dark Jamaican rum and Lemon Hart 151 dememara. Lots of ingredients but well worth the effort. Impressive layers of flavors from the rums and the various spices (cinnamon, pastis, Angostura bitters and pastis).

A simple quesadilla with scallions, chilies and a little bit of cilantro can be really good served with homemade guacamole. I just use the "Mexican" cheese blend from Trader Joe's which is a mix of cheddar, Monterey Jack, asadero and queso blanco. I also like to add roasted bell peppers or portobello mushrooms.

Jane, Regarding the Zombie, there is some excellent information at the beginning of this thread (see here for example). I also recommend reading this article from the New York Times which summarizes the history of the drink and also provides Don the Beachcomber's "Zombie Punch" 1934 recipe (my favorite), together with a few other variations.

Yes, something like that could work. I would like to try it with the Coruba as well - just another excuse to buy more rum!

Someone I know is looking for a "pirate punch" recipe so yesterday I decided to test drive Stephen Remsberg's Planter's Punch recipe from Beachbum Berry Remixed. It's just dark rum (he specifies Coruba), lime juice, simple syrup and Angostura bitters. I did not have any Coruba but based on a tasting at Tiki Oasis last year I remembered that it was roughly in the same family as the Cruzan Black Strap that I bought fairly recently, so I just used that instead. The drink is build directly in the glass and swizzled. It was rich and quite smooth. The strong maple syrup flavor of the black strap takes a few sips to get used to, but once you do it's a really enjoyable drink.

I went to Craft and Commerce this weekend and asked for a daiquiri-type cocktail with rhum agricole after spotting La Favorite blanc on their shelf. They made an excellent Last Word variation that used to be on their cocktail menu when they opened a few years ago. They call it Enough Said. Lots of funky flavors in that drink, very nice as a last drink to finish a pleasant evening - even though I am still shocked that they close their doors at 1 am on a weekend. Then last night I decided to continue on the same track and prepared Michael McIlroy's Thumbs Up! It's a slightly tweaked version of the Last Word with a touch of aperol and less maraschino. It's very good; I found it more subtle than the original and the color is a nice salmon.

Next up was Captain Vadrna's Grog, also from Beachbum Berry Remixed. This drink was apparently created with Captain Morgan spiced rum. I am not a huge fan of that rum but happen to have a few bottles of it so I decided to try this drink. I did not expect too much from it between the Captain Morgan and the pretty straightforward list of ingredients (lime juice, white grapefruit juice, demerara syrup, Angostura bitters). I also snuck in a few drops of grapefruit bitters (also from my friend). This was really good despite its simplicity. It had a lot of flavor and spice. I will make it again for sure.

I made a couple of tiki drinks recently in preparation for an upcoming event. First the Bum Barrel from Beachbum Berry Remixed. It's Jeff Berry's twist on the rum barrel. It's from the later portion of the book which contains new/modernized creations. The recommended rums were dark Jamaican and gold Virgin Island rums. I substituted what I have available in large quantities: Whaler's rum (which lacks the depth of Appleton) and Flor de Cana gold. The other ingredients are lime juice, white grapefruit juice, orange juice, passion fruit syrup, honey mix, Angostura bitters and soda water. Quite good, but felt a little watered down with the soda water. Was improved by a few drops of passion fruit bitters (made by a friend) which added depth. This wasn't especially memorable (at least not with this rum combo) but would still make a very decent punch.

My husband was out last night so I made PDT's version of the Rosita - I seem to always go for the Campari when he is out (no wonder, he abhors Campari despite all my attempts at converting him). This version of Gary Regan's creation has the particularity of including a dash of Angostura bitters. The cocktail is really gorgeous in the glass; a beautiful color. It was bitter (as expected) and quite boozy (as expected). It was also intensely herbal with some weird notes that I did not especially enjoy. Maybe it was my selection of brands that was not optimal, I am not sure. It just did not really come together in a harmonious way for me.

After a Kentucky Maid a few days ago with bourbon as the base liquor (from the Drinks thread)... This Jalisco Maid created by Anthony Schmidt from Noble Experiment with tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, cucumber, mint, salt. These are excellent summer drinks.

Oh wow. Beautiful and could not be better timing. I have a bag of gorgeous dates that I just bought and was looking for something special to do with them. Thanks Kerry, I can't wait to try it!

Part 2 - La Super Rica There was a fairly long line when we got there for lunch - we waited about 20 minutes before placing our order. We watched them making the tortillas as we were waiting which was fun. We got the Rajas and the Super Rica Especial. The Rajas are chiles and onions with a lot of melted cheese. The Super Rica Especial has roasted pasilla peppers, cheese and pork. Not super photogenic but definitely delicious. We also got some horchata which was nicely spiced (mostly cinnamon), a little on the sweet side. Overall we liked this little taqueria a lot. It's completely unpretentious and everything was flavorful.

It looks like I forgot to post this excellent Onglet Gascon that I made a few weeks ago. It's a hanger steak served with a marrow bone. A rich sauce for a cut of beef that is flavorful and a little livery (it's a good thing). The sauce is obtained by deglazing the pan with white wine, reducing, adding stock and demi-glace, reducing further, adding the juices from the meat (which is resting at this point) together with plenty of butter and some Dijon mustard. The sauce sticks to your teeth and is pure umami. Note that I had run out of parsley so I used chives instead, but parsley would be my first choice.

This thread continues to be a great source of inspiration! Beautiful meals from everyone. A few recent meals. Roasted scallops with potatoes, leeks, bacon. The vegetables were roasted in the oven and developed a ton of flavor. The recipe is from Tom Colicchio's Think Like a Chef. Opah with fennel puree. The opah (moonfish) is a fish I've discovered in Hawaii. It seems a little dense on the picture, but it's actually quite delicate and very moist. For the puree (which is really a thick sauce) I used this simple recipe created by Richard Blais for Food and Wine magazine. The fennel and green garlic were from my CSA. A little snack to nibble on before dinner - cherry tomatoes and mini cucumbers from Suzie's Farms. Another night we had this amazing 3-inch Delmonico steak from my favorite butcher shop. It was grilled and devoured by three very hungry people. I served the steak with grilled baby eggplants from Schaner Farms with zahtar and feta. Then a few nights ago, as we were watching the opening ceremony for the Olympics, we had a salad of lettuce, cucumber and tomato with zahtar and mint, together with a canary melon (extremely sweet) and jambon de pays (a rustic cured ham from France). The main course was a local white fish with red core Chantenay carrots and bagna cauda, toasted breadcrumbs - recipe from Lucques. The carrots were really the standout in this dish as they were very sweet and flavorful.