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haresfur

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Posts posted by haresfur

  1. The reason we want to use a gas with poor solubility into liquid at atmospheric pressure is because the technique works due to the rapid formation of bubbles (this is why we use N2O and not CO2 -- because N2O comes out of solution effectively immediately once the pressure is released and CO2 doesn't).

    I'd like to see the evidence that this is what's really happening and is the major effect, rather than a dual solvent extraction. Especially since the above article shows a difference with different infusion time but no difference with slow vs fast relief of pressure.

    What's the solubility of CO2 in alcohol?

  2. Aren't we talking about N2O, not nitrogen? I would guess it's ability to enhance extraction of flavour compounds has more to do with the pressure allowing diffusion in and out of the material and its resonance structure giving favourable polar/non-polar attributes to transfer the compounds to the alcohol/water phase.

  3. Yesterday, I went to our local breakfast place (Phenix Square Restaurant) to get a sack of bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches and a coffee to go. When I got there, I realized something astonishing: for the first time in my life, the server had put the lid on the coffee cup correctly, so that the lid opening was at six o'clock, directly across from the cup's seam at twelve o'clock.

    I asked her why she did it. "It's obvious! The place where the lid and cup seam meet is usually leaky, so you want it on the other side!" "Yes!!" I replied. "And this alignment allows you to feel where the lid opening is with your hand -- without looking!" "Of course!" she said, as if all right-minded people simply know this.

    Not the best picture, but note the text at the top of the lid:

    PA090026.JPG

  4. Too, if a palate 'displays athletic shape and energetic tannins', what does that mean? I've no issue understanding flavour/aroma-based tasting notes (i.e. grassy, blackberry or even 'chalky tannins') but I'm at a loss when trying to understand this sort of wine writing.

    I'd guess that means the wine is so overboard/dominated by tannins that you might get equal enjoyment if it had been filtered through dirty athletic socks.

  5. 2 oz Campari

    2 oz sweet vermouth

    (pineapple)

    Mr. Negroni is agunnah beeah sooooo maddah. ;) Campari sure loves Pineapple. Have you tried The Riviera? (I mess with it, swapping the ratios of Campari (more) and Maraschino (less), and skip the simple and egg white (just add lemon juice)). For some reason, the gin/Campari/Maraschino/Pineapple infusion works better than just mixing with pineapple juice. I love this drink.

    I'll have to try that.

    Today's version had a float of Inner Circle Green and a few dashes Fee's Orange bitters. Not bad.

  6. Docklands Costco 2 weeks before Christmas isn't to be recommended but I braved the crowds. Mostly bought North American supplies like maple syrup, pumpkin pie, salsa, craisins. I bought some Yarra Valley goat cheese for the partner. I'm not much for goat cheese but I think this is pretty nice and goes well with the pumpkin ravioli I picked up.

  7. * Abelour A'bunadh. haresfur and I did a side by side comaprison of my bottle (batch 28) and his (batch 33). The differences in colour, aroma and flavour profile were clear. It wasn't a huge different--it wasn't like comparing, I don't know, the Abelour to something from a different distillery or different region, but you wouldn't need an especially well-trained palate to tell that these were not from the same bottle. Obviously, if you like one you'll like the other. Of the two, I enjoyed the 33 more. haresfur, iirc, enjoyed the 28 more.

    My initial impression was the 28 was nicer but the 33 grew on me. Maybe a little more going on with the flavour.

    Thanks to Chris for a great evening. I'm a whisky novice compared to him. The Calvados was very nice, too. Maybe Chris remembers what it was.

    I clearly lean toward the Speysides. Don't quite get the attraction of Islays yet, although they went well with the ribs. Sort of like cultivating a taste for smoke-tainted wine. :rolleyes:

    ETA: Calvados

  8. When visiting Woodstock winery once, they let us taste some Rose slushie that they had made. It works a dream and is very refreshing.

    Did they add crushed ice to the rose or did they partially freeze it?

  9. I just made my first risotto (thanks for the help eG!) and I think it was as good or better than any I have had in restaurants. I found the traditional method gave me control over the result. I used a large skillet (ok maybe that's not traditional) and a flat edged wood spatula so it was easy to mix. Adding the broth as I went along meant that I knew how fast it was getting absorbed as I got to the critical end point where you want to have the right thickness when the rice is just cooked. I started tasting at 15 min and stopped when I liked what I had.

    I can see how parboiling the rice could work but advance preparation wasn't an issue for me. Maybe I could have saved some stirring up front but I can see how there might be temptation to beat the crap out of the rice at the end to get the creaminess. A pressure cooker might work fine, but it seems to me that there would be some work to get the timing and the water content just right for a given type of rice and recipe.

    Overall, I think the attraction to the traditional risotto is that it is easy. Heck you don't even have to measure the broth. I have trouble seeing a lot of saving in time and effort in the other methods for the home cook doing a single batch. What's 15 minutes in the grand scheme of things? Maybe a better cook could use that wisely to get another dish out but I would probably only be able to do a little cleaning or get the table set.

  10. Not a sazarac- 1.5 oz Old Crow bourbon, 0.5 oz limoncello, 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters. Rinse of absinthe in a glass; build over ice.

    A bit heavy on the absinthe but that helps cover the weird aftertaste I've found in the Old Crow when used in cocktails. Overall a successful way to use bottom shelf bourbon and I imagine similar to the inspiration for many cocktails.

  11. I confess to using amaretto in tiki-ish drinks as a lazy way of going. Generally shooting from the hip on everything else, though - a bit of rum(s), a bit of fruit juice, a bit of lime, adjust to taste. Only you can decide if it would be up to your standards and suit your philosophy. I don't think I can get Luxardo here.

  12. My first Ward 8. Rittenhouse rye, blood orange, and new home made grenadine. I think the lemon is too dominant. I'd dial it way back.

    It's always a bit of a dilema whether to use the precious hard to replace Rittenhouse on a new drink or to go with the easier to replace (but more expensive if you don't count the airfare) Wild Turkey rye. But blood orange season is short here and I wanted to give this one my best shot.

    Imperfect as always in politics but I'd vote for this one.

  13. cascade mountain gin is my new favorite. it has an elegant brashness. the tonality of their juniper is superbly extraordinary. and the price, $24 retail for a craft spirit. amazing.

    Interesting. I thought I read somewhere that Cascade gin was infused spirits and not redistilled afterwards. Anyone know if that is the case? I guess if it works, cool.

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