haresfur
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Posts posted by haresfur
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Kim:
I always thought the pictures on the plates were supposed to represent Native American petroglyphs, but I really haven't a clue.
I was thinking Minoan because of the bull but the falcon looks Egyptian so I'm guessing Egyptian or that someone just thought they looked nice (and they do).
The veggie chips look great, too!
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Havana Club
Oh yeah, I keep forgetting your cultural deprivations. And fairly easy to obtain in the rest of the world. Certainly worth sampling if you haven't before.
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In my experience, airports tend to cater to the high volume sales so it is hard to find unique items. Even Scotch tends to the recognised brands or at least the ones that attract attention through a really high price tag. So your best bet may be to look for something that's a common sip in some part of the world but not the US. You might look for overproof rum. For that matter, in Australia you can get Captain Morgan's dark rum (not spiced) that I haven't seen in the USA for some reason. Even duty free, it's expensive compared to US prices for similar quality.
I'd say just look for something you don't recognise and then buy it. You'll probably see it all over afterwards but that's part of the fun.
Oh, if you are into bitter, you might look for the real Unicum.
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I really like the GoldenVale Muesli especially the blueberry.
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I've just come back from the supermarket and I paid special attention to the types of cream on offer. It's really a bit of a mess, because you have different local manufacturers (including Dairy Farmers, Bulla and Pauls) using the same terms for different products.
Glad it isn't just me.
In my experience with Aussie supermarket creams, there is usually a little note/picture on the package stating "for whipping" or "not suitable for whipping". That's the dummies guide, but the replies in the thread cover the more extensive explanations.
So I guess I need to take my reading glasses along...
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Maybe it was just the Woolies near my work, or maybe just me when I was looking for buttermilk. I ended up getting something called something like "extra rich milk". Not an item worth my giving up regional life since I seldom use it.
Good tip on the Greek yoghurt.
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I made Eeyore last night again, since it was on my mind. I used up the last of the bianco (well, all but a 1/2 oz, so I finished off the bottle wino-style). I think it is a bit on the sweet side for me. Maybe next time a perfect Eeyore? (As if the cocktail ingredient list isn't long enough. Sheesh.)
I think that you can't get Cocchi Americano. I have really enjoyed the CR#2 with that. I didn't find the M&R Bianco interesting enough to want to have a bottle open all the time. Perhaps Cinzano or Dolin is more interesting? BTW, I wouldn't worry about oxidizing -- mine was fine evacuated and refrigerated for the better part of a year.
Have a good Sunday. I hare you are busy.
I tried it, too. Think I added all the ingredients (I have a habit of forgetting one or two and wondering what's wrong with a drink). It was ok but not Wow! to me. I'll revisit it, though and often change my mind on drinks.
Although bunnies come out for Easter here, some caution is needed because the Chinese Association wakes Sun Loong, the Imperial Dragon on Saturday for Sunday's parade. With all the other dragons, the lion dancers, and crowds, it isn't the safest place for small furry snacks. But haresfur is an ancient Chinese pottery glaze so I suppose I should make an appearance.
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I think the chimney would give better air flow and more concentrated heat than a bed of coals - that's why they are used as a starter. If I tried this, though, I can see knocking it over and ending up with a load of hot coals spilled down my trousers.
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I baked the layers (I used a sheet pan and cut each rectangle in half) the night before and kept them in the freezer following the smitten instructions. The next morning at around 7am I whipped 500ml of cream with a little vanilla (no sugar) and layered the cake with that. I kept in the freezer until just before I left at 8.15 then in the fridge at school. We have morning tea at 10am. It kept really well, BUT the only cream I now have access to is thickened cream, which has gelatine stabilisers in it, so that could be part of it.
Snadra's post from another thread reminded me that I wanted to ask about cream and other dairy products in Australia. I went looking for whipping cream and could only find various thickened cream products. My random pick didn't seem to whip very well. What should I be looking for? For that matter, I couldn't find butter milk. Is it available? Is there a functional equivalent of half and half? Any exPat or foreign cookbook user have a cheat-sheet to share?
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Eeyore's Requiem, my furry friend, Eeyore's Requiem.
I have only tried M&R bianco. I haven't tried it side-by-side with Cocchi Americano or Lillet. I would not think it would improve a CR#2.
Sounds like you have some research to do Dan.
I'd be interested in other opinions, but I don't think it does any harm. Then again my choice is based on availability, cost, and wanting to burn through the Bianco before it oxidises.Eeyore for me tonight, I think. I am feeling a bit sorry for myself...
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I recently cracked open a bottle of bianco vermouth for the first time and like it very much. Nice clean bitter taste. I think even more than red.
I generally only have one bottle of vermouth open at once, which means I can explore some interesting variations, like:
Corpse Reviver 2.1
3/4 oz gin (I used Gordon's and found a heavy hand was needed)
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Bianco vermouth (Cinzano)
3/4 oz lemon juice
rinse chilled glass with absinthe (Obsello) be sure to have some above the liquid line so the aroma hits you at the first sip.
shake, strain
Corpse Reviver 2.2
3/4 oz gin
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Bianco vermouth
3/4 oz lime juice
As above.
Both good enough to go into the regular rotation. Lime may be a hair nicer, but limes are very seasonal here.
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Keep it cold to keep the carbon dioxide in solution (kind of obvious). For next time buy a capper and crown caps at the home brew store and fill some small bottles with as little head space as you can.
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Limes are apparently in season and cheaper than lemons for a brief period -$1.98/kilo. So I made a Pegu Club with Plymoth gin. Can't say I was impressed with this one. I see more rum in my future.
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According to the font of knowledge, Wikipedia, Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and an orange, so I'm not surprised you don't get what you are after for limoncello.
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Since I live on what basically amounts to an island (you have to cross a bridge at some point no matter which way you come into or leave from town) surrounded by lakes full of walleye that attract a large tourist business every year, I guess I'll go with that for my answer. Especially since quality fresh fish that doesn't come from the local lakes is almost impossible to get most of the time.
So do you call it walleye? When I was growing up we called waleye pickerel even though it's not a true pickerel. It is my favourite freshwater fish although that is probably in part is nostalgia.
Us antipodeans have been discussing our favourites here...
I still haven't found any flathead fish & chips or at a restaurant. Which gets me to the point that my favourite fish is primarily what is fresh and well prepared. So that generally means cooked by someone else. Halibut is very high on my list after leaving a Seattle restaurant thinking, "Why do I even bother trying to cook fish myself?"
King and sockeye salmon if not caught too far upriver are very nice. I also have some good meal-memories of European plaice.
I try to think about sustainability but it is really hard to keep track and it always seems to be shades of grey. I really try to avoid sturgeon for this reason. It's kind of creepy to eat a fish older than I am.
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This one is really simple, a twist on the Canadian club and ginger ale. It's delicious and refreshing.
Ginger and Rye
2 oz rye, 3 oz ginger ale/beer (ratio from The Joy of Mixology)
A few ml of Fernet Branca could go nicely in this.
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2 oz reposado tequila
1 oz Campari
1 tsp raspberry cordial
juice of 1 Valencia orange (do you really want me to measure?)
3 dashes Regan's orange bitters
Build in Collins glass. Add ice, then top with soda water.
The Valencia oranges aren't particularly acidic so this might be a bit sweet for some. More refreshing than challenging. The raspberry sits in the background at first. I used duty free Jose Cuervo for prototyping and a better tequila would be worth trying.
I'll make again as long as oranges are in season.
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You might want to start with dishes that use meat in smaller amounts to accent the vegetables, like stir fries or stews. I think putting a wad of sausage in your stomach if you haven't eaten meat in a long time might be hard on the system. Chicken breast should be fairly easy to take.
Aside from that - head for the smoked salmon.
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If pink slime is a reasonable thing to eat, how come it isn't available in pure form? Has anyone managed to try it to see how it tastes? I come down on the side of it not being ground beef, rather an additive that should be labelled.
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I see a whole line of freeze-dried cocktails in your future. Just add vodka...
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I'll take an Olive Garden Salad and bread sticks over that any day.
Amen.
In my post that got eaten
, I made a reference to a diner that had been reviewed by that couple (whose names escape me) who review "Roadfood" in various spots in the US. This particular diner is on historic Route 66 a couple of towns over from me. The authors had raved about the chicken fried steak, so we decided to stop in for lunch when we were in the town and try it out.It was dreadful.
On the other hand I had a great chile relleno at the Club Cafe on Route 66 in Santa Rosa NM. When you find the great local meals they make the trip.
I agree as I mentioned above that independent isn't necessarily good. The point above about the difficulty getting good ingredients may be part of it. However, sometimes people without the right skills or temperament try to fill the culinary void.
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The Havana Club isn't available at my local store and requires an hour-each-way drive to replace so I'm a a bit stingy with it.
You could save yourself half a day by buying a case!
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When I first moved to eastern Washington State, the locals #1 wish was for an Olive Garden - complete with lobbying the parent company. I did find that amusing. Yes there was a local Italian Restaurant that I personally didn't think was that great. Unfortunately, I got pretty jaded about marginal representations of various types of food. Luckily it got better with time. In any case, the idea of reliable food that is different from home but not outside the comfort zone is attractive to a lot of people. And the choices for that are limited in a lot of towns.
As far as the review goes, what's the point of detailing the nuances of one dish? Probably better to let people know what to expect when they walk in the door. And what's the point of comparing the Olive Garden to 'real' Italian if that isn't an option? That being said, it could have been a bit more useful by talking about the noise level, table sizes, speed of service (ok if you survive the wait, you will be able to live on salad and breadsticks until the main dishes arrive), and how long the waits are.
Personally, I agree there are worse things than Olive Garden, and there is no reason to avoid writing about one of the biggest new restaurants in the area - at least for people who aren't willing to drive up to Winnipeg.
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If cocchi is available here, it is very hard to find and most likely extremely expensive. Still, I'll keep my eyes out.
Drinks! (2012, part 2)
in Spirits & Cocktails
Posted
... because no child should be left behind when it comes to Campari high balls.
I made a Boulevardier last night, without the genetically modified Cynar. I used Old Crow bourbon and Cinzano bianco vermouth, built on rocks. Started with 1.5 bourbon: 1 vermouth: 1 Campari but found it significantly improved with an extra splash of bourbon and vermouth, keeping in mind this is 40% bourbon. I also found that a wedge of lime significantly improved the gustatory proportions while maintaining the aromatic tonality.
. Nice morphing of taste as the ice melted without falling over into too watery. The best use for the lousy bourbon that I've found.