thirtyoneknots

1:1 is the way to go for a Martinez, unless you want to get real kooky and go 2:1 vermouth heavy. Spicy orange bitters like Regans or Angostura are a nice touch. Personally, as in basically all vermouth drinks, a lemon twist is essential.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is something that can be made completely from canned/dried ingredients and I've pretty much always got the stuff on hand--plus as the name suggests, it's fast and easy and can basically be put together in the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta. My wife, a perennial skeptic of both olives and anchovies in all their forms, loves it, and I pretty much tend to not invite people over who don't have the adventuresome spirit (or at least manners) to eat what's placed in front of them. It's rare that we're caught so flat-footed that we have to resort to stuff like that but it's nice to know there's always something hiding in that back pocket.

There was a different genever being produced and imported by Bols before (I want to say they stopped importing in the 2005ish time frame) that was bottled in green glass and while delicious was much less distinctive than the current product--cheaper, too. Worth grabbing if you ever see a bottle somewhere. Side note: the current Bols Genever is only kinda sorta made by the same company as the ubiquitous liqueur line, as I understand it. The genever is actually imported by the real Dutch company and the other crap is made by a US-based affiliate. Different distribution chains and everything.

you could put a touch (very small) of pickling salt in it, it has nitrate in it, and it will kill the botulisim bud The stuff labelled by Morton as "Canning & Pickling Salt" is just plain salt with no anti-caking agents and certainly no nitrates or nitrites listed on any I have ever bought. In fact it says "Plain salt, nothing added" on the label. The dessicants added to table and kosher salts to help them pour freely can cloud up a brine that is heat-processed during canning. The other neat thing about it is that it is a fine enough particulate to make dissolving fairly large amounts of it in even cold water pretty easy. But there are no nitrates, nitrites, or anything else that will in small amounts prevent botulism, at least not in what is available around here. Perhaps you were thinking of Tender Quick?

Ha! I first learned about it from the Kindred Cocktail's ingredient editor (Zach Pearson), who lives in Texas. I was introduced to Maurin Quina by Mike Ryan at Sable here in Chicago a few months back...he's had it in a couple drinks on their menu, mostly sours such as... Thanks for all the good info, guys.

Got any further notes on the Maurin Quina, Dan? I don't think we have that one in TX.

Ack, my intel was bad. C'est la bar.

If we're voting, my favorite is 50/50 El Dorado 12 and Smith & Cross (though I've never tried the ED 15).

I was assured last week that the Kronan, much like T-Pain, is on a boat. You will not be disappointed.

Dang I had thought all along it was 1/2 oz Campari.

The big difference between then and now, I think, is that the accessibility of said culinary culture is not now limited to the very wealthiest of citizens, as it would have been then. Local, seasonal, etc was the norm at the time because there was no other way to have it. Hmmn... I think we underestimate the size of the middle class during the 1920's and their purchasing power as it related to food. Sure nowadays we might have more widgets and access to higher quality industrial foods... but the average person back than seems to have been eating quite well by today's standards. It is just that in the transitional post-modern period culinary standards, cooking know how, quality of average ingredients in the country just descended so far that as we emerge from the absolute bottom it is hard imagine there was a time that was so much better. There's probably a better place on egullet for this discussion, but the size of the middle class was significantly smaller in the pre-WW2 era. The US was a far more rural nation at the time, and small farmers, then as now, always have a rough go of it. Prosperity can of course be measured in different ways but consider that it was New Deal programs during the 1930s that brought things as basic as electricity (surely a prerequisite for middle-class lifestyle) to rural areas. The middle class was bigger in the 1920s than it had ever been before, this is true. It was not even close to the size it is today, however. The point I think is easier to make, and is related to what you were saying, is that even those rural poor ate "better" --in the local, sustainable, organic sense-- then than most people do now...when they ate at all, that is.

The big difference between then and now, I think, is that the accessibility of said culinary culture is not now limited to the very wealthiest of citizens, as it would have been then. Local, seasonal, etc was the norm at the time because there was no other way to have it.

This may not be exactly what is sought, but there a lot of wonderful uses in Mediterranean cultures for things like anchovies and sardines that do well in cans (and the aforementioned salt cod). A little savory for the fish-phobic but huge flavor and sardines and anchovies have the additional benefit of being pretty much the most sustainable wild fish there are. Things like Spaghetti Puttanesca and Tapenade should be accessible to even novice cooks.

Ginger infuses potently and relatively quickly into booze, and the flavor is quite stable. I like putting about half a pound of it per 750 of utilitarian brandy for a week, chopped fine. Good way to add a gingery boost to punches, highballs, cocktails, whatever. Maybe because I started doing this before the widespread availability of Domaine de Canton is why I have never been all that enthusiastic about that stuff.

Slummin' it bigtime today on this lazy Saturday. No rain still in central TX but at least it got overcast today and the resulting 98F seemed downright festive. As a result I turned to the blender and made strawberry "Daiquiris" with Wray & Nephew Overproof, and Pina Coladas with Brugal Anejo and Batavia Arrack Floats. Shame me if you must, but don't judge til you've been in my shoes. We've owned this house now for nearly 14 months and have had only 3 days of measurable rainfall. I had to celebrate even a simple overcast somehow.

For pates and the like, I heartily recommend this book (indeed, the entire series is excellent). The look is a little dated, and the recipes can look rather uninspiring on the page, but it is an excellent resource once you've worked your way through Charcuterie's section on the topic. And the lessons you learn there will serve you well in bringing the 1970's era methods (paper-thin fatback, anyone?) up to date somewhat. And hard to beat the price!

So this is a little bit of shameless plug, and I'm annoyed that I didn't think to post this here sooner, but here goes: Today, July 3rd, for one night only, Houstonians will have the unique opportunity to sample some of the offerings of five of Austin's most talented cocktail bartenders (I'll be there too). We're taking over Anvil Bar & Refuge (1424 Westheimer) for the evening so that the staff can attend the nuptials of co-owner Kevin Floyd. We've got some pretty good stuff lined up, hope some eGullet folks can make it out! Open 4-2. Kind of late notice if you're learning about it here but if you've been to Anvil and loved it, been to Anvil and hated it, or been to Anvil and didn't understand it, or never been at all...come out and see what we're doing in Austin. -Andy

No I think you're on the right track. Nothing wrong with the other way I guess but I like simple, too.

Yeah the Cocchi Vermouth di Torino is a revelation.

Same net effect. Same reaction from me.

I have only ever bought one bottle of Pusser's about 6 years ago, and I still have it, with some of the original rum in it. I never finished it off or bought any more because I just didn't think it was as interesting as the marketing copy behind it would suggest--certainly not enough to justify a price tag that at the time placed it in the higher bracket of available rums. Since then I've taken a broader approach to my brand allegiances, and dropping proofs or age statements is usually enough to turn me off of something (Pusser's dropped their proof). I don't have a dog in the fight over PKNY but it certainly seems like it could have been handled better. Just my 2 dashes.

Ok, thanks that's what I suspected might happen. Mark's idea sounds spot-on.

Wow, somebody is still buying Pusser's?

So I've got nearly 2 1/2 lbs of pork liver sitting in my freezer and I think this type of thing would be a perfect application for it. What I'm wondering is if it is possible/prudent/recommended to make your forcemeat, cook it into crocks, seal with delicious fat, and then refreeze. Will the pate/mousse within suffer unduly from such a treatment?

How do pates figure in here? En croute, of course.