thirtyoneknots

Just out of curiosity, where did you find this recipe?

I once heard of an April Fool's prank to make your family tiny breakfast using quail eggs and melba toast. Probably not the kind of ideas you were looking for though.

I'm hardly an authority, but the bourbon in that decanter is almost certainly significantly different than what Beam is bottling with a white label today. I'd guess 6-8 yrs, there was something of an aged whiskey glut starting around that time in the US.

I actually looked at that recipe and in my head said "That will never hold together." Yeah I feel kind of dumb for making it once, much less twice. But I have no shame, especially on eGullet.

I think the crux of the issue with the Old Pal is that dark spirits and dry vermouth is combination that doesn't work for most people without serious intervention from mitigating ingredients. In something this elemental, there's nowhere for that weirdness to hide.

G'Raj Mahal has been universally acclaimed by people in the biz there I trust implicitly. Also check into East Side Kings, a series of food trucks by the same people behind Uchi & Uchiko. Three places, each doing a menu that uses only one heat source each (I think they are fryer, flattop, and grill). Can't offer any intel on the other places, sorry.

Probably not the answer you're looking for, but when I make little "hams" with duck breast, if I don't use the skin I crisp it in a skillet on fairly low heat. Sort of a chef's treat and there aren't very many things lovelier than eggs fried in smoked duck fat.

So twice now I've attempted to make the venison terrine with cherries from this book, and both times led to heartbreaking failure when the emulsion broke or partly broke during cooking. Venison was free both times, but since it's been several years since I myself have gotten to take a deer, I must rely on the generosity of friends and family, and every scrap is precious. So after a recent success with a similar emulsified forcemeat terrine I thought back to the venison one from this book, and realized that there was no panade of any kind--just cream, egg whites, and reduced marinade. Every single successful pate or terrine I have ever made (about 6-8) has had a bread or flour panade. The only two complete failures I've ever experienced was this recipe, which lacks it. So what do y'all think? Coincidence? Anybody had success making the venison terrine as written? I know I won't be trying it again without some serious modification.

Nothing on the level of the Baron's artistry, but I decided a rabbit terrine would make a good Easter hors d'ouvre, which in the process of improvising became a "Looney Tunes" terrine with pork, rabbit, and duck. Did a forcemeat of rabbit legs, pork shoulder, pork fat, and duck livers. Rabbit loins became an inlay, and a garniture of cubed smoked duck breast, fatback, pistachios, and rinsed brined green peppercorns. Easily my most successful terrine to date, shown here as lunch with dijon, cornichons, and a cucumber salad with Greek yogurt.

I recently was making a duck terrine, and to make up for a slipped schedule I had accelerate parts of the stock process. No time to cool and de-fat the stock before reducing, so I strained it twice (several layers of cheesecloth the second time) and vigorously reduced it to about 1/4 original volume, let it cool slightly, then clarified by the egg white method, reduced the rest of the way and after a final straining through cheesecloth again I had a perfectly clear, 100% defatted duck glace ready to mix into a panade. Downside: some loss of product from egg white clarifying and all that cheesecloth. But it works.

First time hosting a holiday meal with extended family (my wife's family, that is). I grew up with ham at Easter in true Southern fashion, but I've always been attracted to lamb for the novelty, and the symbolism. Our menu, for 9-10: Pregame: rabbit terrine with assorted pickles and prosecco Late lunch of roast leg of lamb, with persillade (or maybe pistou persillade is more correct), cauliflower gratin, cucumber salad with yogurt and mint, French style potato salad (ie, with vinaigrette), MIL's deviled eggs, homemade focaccia with herbes de provence. Cotes du Rhone or similar to drink (about to go to the wine store). Carrot Cake provided by MIL from excellent local bakery for dessert, and coffee (natch). Really looking forward to this meal, both the making and the eating.

I remember reading somewhere (Peterson's Sauces, maybe?) that the original aioli had no egg at all, and was just olive oil emulsified with what I figured must be a shocking amount of garlic. If true, probably used the same phenomenon.

Additional aging may mitigate the perceived saltiness, as in confit and hams.

Unfortunately if you don't have transportation and are limited to downtown, superlative BBQ is not really in the cards. But the other options are legion, you definitely won't go hungry. For something fun and low-key, check out Frank on 4th street. Artisan hot dogs and one of the city's best coffee programs. Bar Congress for Cocktails. La Condesa for good Mexican (NOT Tex-Mex, like actual Mexican food). If you're stuck in downtown on a weekend though, there are going to be crowds everywhere in the evening so be prepared. If you're willing to take along walk or short cab ride, you're on South Congress and a lot of other fun options.

Craddock's Leap Year, while a perfectly charming drink, is one I think would probably get little notice if it were named for most anything else. But yeah, I never would have thought it particularly bitter.

You of all people should know that fulfilling consumer demand is just not what distributors are in to in this state.

I inadvertently moved to a semi-dry county in December (beer & wine only) so it's been a while since I saw the inside of a liquor store. Today, however, I went for a quick jaunt and discovered a bottle of the new Plantation Overproof, which I'd heard rumors of last year. I think a nightcap will be in order. Side note: Also saw the Pages Creme de Menthe (they call it something else, but that's what it appears to be), and the nearly $30 price tag piqued my interest. Anybody have firsthand experience with this?

Coarse salt is an effective way to clean the insides of wine decanters or other glass vessels to narrow to get a hand into.

Actually if you get out of walking distance of downtown you're pretty safe even then. Last year during SXSW I was working at Jeffrey's in Clarksville (west of DT) and we never really got crazy. A lot of the hipster joints in DT and south of the river will be insane but if you head north it shouldn't be too bad.

Wow this Kosar character seems to enjoy an unusually good rapport with himself. I was going to rhetorically ask whether it was really worth all the pixels he made huffing about somebody's opinion on a drink recipe, but then I noticed that there are 11 pages in the Old Fashioned topic alone (in which I share responsibility) never mind the rest of this august forum

Classic? Where's the Campari? The Campari is a given! It is hiding in the back between the bottles of gin and Carpano Antica. Ok I was momentarily worried that you had used orange bitters instead Carry on.

Classic? Where's the Campari?

Luxardo Bitter is a nice Campari sub in a rum Negroni.

Of course, but it's possible to make very good, if more subtle sorbet with just juice. I shoulda used a on my first reply.

Even the "off" brands are pretty much the same prices in my experience, though if you live near a Gander Mountain (big outdoors store) they used to put all their meat processing/preserving gear on sale early every year, like 20% off. When I lived near one, that's when I stocked up on food saver bag rolls (and sausage casings).