FrogPrincesse

I added a few books to my library since March. Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits by Jason Wilson. This is my current read, which is very informative and a lot of fun, with cocktail recipes interspersed throughout the book. I love it so far and it is a good reference book. The Cooking of Italy by Waverley Root (Foods of the World / Time-Life Books) Pacific & Southeast Asian Cooking by Rafael Steinberg (Foods of the World / Time-Life Books). These two Time-Life books have beautiful vintage pictures and I can't wait to cook from them. Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myhrvold and Chris Young and Maxime Bilet. I guess this counts as 6 books... The Reach of a Chef: Professional Cooks in the Age of Celebrity by Michael Ruhlman. I've read the other volumes (making, soul) so I had to get that one too. An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude by Ann Vanderhoof. I have the Spice Necklace by the same author, and expect that this one will be a good read too. The stories remind me of a trip I made to St Lucia last year, and it's a cuisine that I am interested in exploring. So that's +11

The high proof is for pastry purposes - sold at places like Qzina. Got to figure out some other use for the violette too. Kerry, I could be off base but I don't believe that this is the same product, although it's made by the same company. Maraschino liqueur is a very versatile cocktail ingredient and a key element of many wonderful cocktails (El Floridita, Last Word, etc) so it may make sense to invest in a bottle to continue your cocktail adventures. I was a little skeptical when I bought my first bottle but I went through it quite fast and now I always make sure to have it available. The violette, on the other hand, is something I've only used in the Aviation so far.

I live in San Diego, CA. With my current system, I pick-up my weekly CSA bag on Thursdays which is my main source for produce. Then I do a weekly trip to Trader Joe's for pantry staples and dairy (and some additional produce) - I am usually in and out in less than 30 min because I know exactly what I need. I typically buy meat and fish about every other day at local shops on my way home (which adds about 20 min to my drive home). On occasions, I do a quick trip to Bristol Farms or Whole Foods if I need a bunch of specialized items and have limited time. Otherwise I try to look for these special ingredients on weekends when I have more time and can combine with other errands. I also go to the farmers' market about every other weekend.

An article in Food Safety News raises concerns about the safety of Chinese honey and explains how it is making its way into mislabeled US honey. Will you be throwing out your bottle of Suebee honey after reading this article?

I made jerk chicken last weekend for a Caribbean-themed meal. I followed Steven Raichlen's recipe from How to Grill pretty much as is, with a few minor tweaks. First, I could not find any scotch bonnets, so I used habaneros instead. We have a friend who is afraid of anything spicy, so I used only 1 instead of the 6 to 12 that the recipe called for. We could feel a light bite from the habanero but all agreed that we could increase the heat a little next time. The other modification was to use a couple of spatchcocked chickens instead of the pork shoulder the recipe called for. I ended up cutting them up in smaller pieces as they were taking a while to cook and we were all getting hungry. Here is the marinade. It was very rich in herbs and it was really great to have the combination of all the dried spices with the fresh herbs. I used highly fragrant allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon that I bought during a trip to St Lucia last year. Ingredients: 1 habanero (would increase to 2 or 3 next time) 2 bunches scallions 1 small onion 6 cloves garlic 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (I used a little more, about 3/4 cup) 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley (same as above) 2 tablespoons fresh ginger 1.5 tablespoons dried thyme (I used herbes de Provence) 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram (I skipped) 2 tablespoons ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 3 tablespoons lime juice 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons dark rum 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons coarse salt 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar I poked little holes all over the chicken before marinating it for a few hours. Then it was cooked on the grill. The night of the dinner with our friends I served it with rice and callaloo, but forgot to take a picture. We had some leftovers, so the next day I served it with a non-Carribbean side dish (sugar snap peas with soffrito, hot pepper and mint). The callaloo is in the little earthenware dish. It was made with fresh spinach and fresh coconut milk. The jerk chicken was extremely flavorful even though it had marinated only for a couple of hours. I will make this dish again for sure. Before our meal, we had El Floridita No. 1 cocktails (Gary Regan's version) with rhum agricole from Martinique, and then switched to Red Stripe beers and homemade LLB, a soda made with lemon, lime, and plenty of Angostura bitters.

Kouign Aman - There is currently rhubarb in the stores in San Diego! I got a bunch in my CSA last week and also spotted it at Ralphs in Hillcrest. I decided to make a pie using the recipe from Ruhlman's Ratio, The Bebop-A-Reebop rhubarb pie wih lattice crust. It was wonderful. I love all things tart and I was very happy with this dessert! One little thing can revive a guy And that is a piece of rhubarb pie Serve it up, nice and hot Maybe things aren't as bad as you thought From The Prairie Home Companion

Why not take your bitters with you? The bottles don't take much space. The only thing to keep in mind is that you will need to keep them in your checked luggage, unless you repackage them into smaller < 3 oz containers. Also make sure to double-bag in case of leaks.

There are so many interesting restaurants in LA. A few of my curent favorites are Pizzeria Mozza (the Nancy Silverton/Mario Batali place), Suzanne Goin's restaurant and wine bar A.O.C., and Le Pain Quotidien in West Hollywood for breakfast. You can look at this fairly recent thread for more suggestions about California restaurants.

That's what I would do as well. Using real butter sounds essential. Also try using homemade pasta, ricotta or cottage cheese to elevate the recipe, and add a few ultra thin slices of Parma ham on top.

Anna, Here is the version of the Paradise cocktail that I tried from Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan which, he explains, is loosely based on Craddock's 1930 recipe. I thought it was well balanced and not too sweet (which can happen easily with the apricot brandy). 1 1/2 oz gin 3/4 oz apricot brandy (I used Rothman & Winter) 1/2 oz fresh orange juice 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice The Craddock version, for reference purposes 1/2 gin 1/4 apricot brandy 1/4 orange juice 1 dash lemon juice

My favorite burgers for dinner tonight - the Grilled Pork Burgers from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin, aka triple pork burgers. The patty is ground pork, chorizo, and diced homemade maple-cured hickory-smoked bacon, seasoned with sauteed shallots and garlic, roasted cumin, herbes de Provence, parsley, and chile de arbol. On top, a slice of Manchego cheese and a little pile of baby arugula. The bun is an onion roll from Sadie Rose, a local bakery. My husband added some barbecue sauce on his (pictured); for mine I used aioli. I made these many times in the past but it's the first time I cook them on the grill and they were even more delicious this time. Dessert was local blackberries with a little vanilla sugar. They were a little tart - I guess they will get better later in the season.

Another simple weeknight dinner - Grilled prime rib-eye, zephyr and eight ball squash with almonds, homemade lemon confit and parmigiano reggiano (inspired by Kate upthread), a couple of grilled Padrón peppers sprinkled with fleur de sel from Ile de Ré in France, sourdough batard from Bread and Cie, and a glass of 2001 Bordeaux. Dessert was a scoop of David Lebovitz's delicious and ultra-rich chocolate ice cream from the Perfect Scoop.

Kate - I was looking for a simple recipe for the "zephyr squash" that I got last week in my CSA and am inspired by your dish (which looks fantastic, as usual). Is the shredded zucchini simply sauteed in olive oil with the almonds and lemon zest? I am thinking of using some lemon confit for this.

I can comment on it directly. It is very easy and tasty, and works great with frozen fish fillets. See here for a picture of my version on the dinner thread.

What's an authoritative recipe? I thought it had a lime coin as a garnish? The Robert Hess version sounds fine. A small wedge cut from the side of the lime (coin) can be used instead of just the zest - see Ed Hamilton's version in RecipeGullet. There is also this extensive thread about Ti Punch. The ice is actually optional but quite common.

That's funny, I can't find a recipe for Ti Punch in my copy of Joy of Mixology. And you are right, although the above cocktail does look tasty, it's not a typical Ti Punch (you'd have to use rhum agricole for a start!). What kind of falernum did you use?

Great produce shots. I think those warty green things are Indian bitter melon and the smoother ones also are a variety of bitter melon versus cucumber? You are right, Heidi, these are bitter melons.

That's the plan. I got a few that were already wrinkly so I will start with these first.

Kouign Aman and Kalypso both talked about the City Heights market so I decided to check it out this weekend. It's a fairly small market, only about a block long (2 rows), with a nice community-feel. It's geared towards the local low-income residents with affordable produce and vendors that accept food stamps. In addition to the produce (mostly Asian and Mexican), there were a few options for prepared foods and, more unusual (but a great idea) a bicycle-repair booth! Here are some pictures taken last Saturday. Different varieties of cucumbers Chili peppers I got a few of these beautiful baby eggplants Pea shoots Chinese okra I bought some galangal because I was intrigued by it. Now I need to find a good recipe. Fresh eggs and also balut eggs (I decided to pass...) Miniature tomatillos Yellow peaches - I bought a few. Also got some apricots from the same vendor. The elusive passion fruit. It's the first time I see passion fruit at the farmers' market, and I am not familiar with this variety (only the one with much darker skin). I bought a half basket. We will see how they turn out.

An excellent use for aged rhum agricole is an original Trader Vic's Mai Tai (recipe from Beachbum Berry Remixed). 1 oz lime juice 1/2 orange Curacao (I use Cointreau) 1/4 orgeat (I used homemade) 1/4 sugar syrup 1 oz dark Jamaican rum (I use Appleton 12 year) 1 oz Amber Martinique rum. I tried it with Saint James Hors d'Age (very nice, some deep caramel notes but a little flat in that drink), but I much prefer it with La Favorite Coeur de Rhum which has an amazing "funk" and keeps making the drink better as the ice melts. With the homemade orgeat the drink has the most amazing semi-opaque pearl appearance. I thought it was a little odd, being used to sunset-colored mai tais, until I saw a vintage picture that looked identical.

I love your spontaneous and cross-cultural cooking style. Sydney looks like it has a great deal to offer, food-wise. Wonderful blog. Thanks for sharing your week, Kate!

Dinner last night - grilled veal chops from Siesel's my favorite butcher shop (with a little lemon zest and juice, herbes de Provence, olive oil, s&p, finished with butter), red oak lettuce salad (from my CSA), and grilled baby eggplant from the farmers' market in the background, with a little crumbled homemade ricotta.

Dinner tonight was simple but comforting. Locally-made fresh basil angel hair pasta & mozzarella with my favorite tomato sauce, the basic tomato sauce recipe from Babbo, Parma ham, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

The Sidecar is a wonderful cocktail, but please, for the love of all that is holy, invest in a better brandy! I made a decision to bite my tongue and not comment on the cognac in my earlier post, so I would not sound like a complete snob. But Matt is right, since it's such a simple cocktail, the cognac quality does make a difference. I use Remy Martin VSOP after being disappointed with cheaper cognacs I experimented with.

ScottyBoy - Beautiful collection. Thanks for sharing! Meanwhile I found more info about the market in City Heights. It takes place on Saturday mornings (9 am - 1 pm). It looks like this may be a smaller market, but it's neat that they have a "consignment" booth, where people can bring their homegrown produce for sale.