haresfur

Right on - it's a matter of perspective "it isn't a stain, it's a patina". I just rinse any tea pot with hot water. Cups are another matter since I usually use them for other things (small far east style tea cups are my favorites for whisky). You probably won't get mineral deposits in the tea pot unless you let the tea evaporate for days. The minerals form in the kettle because of the boiling driving off CO2 and evaporating water.

Tried the Gran Gala and I think it was an improvement. Might add a dash of Cointreau for the zip, though. I suppose I should try with Dubonnet, too.

Oooh! Looks great. One to try when I get back to the summer side of the world next week. Are you getting local peaches yet? Is there a recipe for the infused nectar or should I just wing it? Any particular favorites for the wine?

Nittany Lion probably tastes about the same I think goat is your best bet for relatively easily available and not easily identifiable taste. Mutton could work too. I once made Dahl sheep chili that was pretty good for bush food.

I suppose you could have sent the mains back because they arrived too soon. Or not order appetizers at all at that point. I'm sure they wouldn't like that any better. Or waited to order anything, "I'm sorry, I'm too famished to decide on my main course. Do you have any bread?" Usually when I order appetizers right away, it isn't because I want to linger, it's because I'm freeking hungry *now*!

The "Mexican" version is similar to a dish we call "quick huevos" but we take a flour tortilla, make a ring of grated cheese around the edge, crack an egg in the middle, sprinkle with hot sauce, and cook under the broiler. Yum. Pseudo Mexican eggs could probably be a whole other thread.

Ante from Robert Hess' Essential Bartender's Guide (As I'm at home, am I demonstrating that Bartenders are not essential? Not in the slightest). 1 3/4 oz calvados or apple brandy (I used Lairds 12 yr apple brandy @ ~84 proof) 3/4 oz Dubonnet (3/4 oz Cinzano red vermouth) 1/2 oz Cointreau 1 dash Angostrura bitters (several dashes Regan's orange bitters) Tasty, with quite an alcohol burn. I'd maybe try Gran Gala next time instead of the Cointreau. Thanks Robert!

Sometimes you've just got to pour some good brown spirit over an ice cube (or not) and call it a draw. Latest favorite in that role for me is Barbancourt 5*.

Another hazard that I don't think has been mentioned is that liquid nitrogen will condense oxygen from the air. Liquid oxygen is very reactive and can cause explosions when in contact with organic matter. Hey, if you want to play with the stuff, great. But invest in training - the chemical companies offer it all over, as do universities. I'm not saying it's any more dangerous than the stuff cooks deal with every day, just that different precautions are needed.

Anyone tried the new Pacifique absenthe from Woodenville distillary? I heard about it from Murray at Zig-zag and have been watching for it. It seems to be on the WA state store price list now but hasn't shown up in my area, yet. Since I'm an absenthe newbie and finding it hard to justify the price, I'd like to get some opinions before I spring for a bottle. On a related note, why do so few expensive spirits come in small bottles? Especially something like absenthe where many recipies only call for dashes.

What a great thread and great bunch of responses. Another for "cowboy toast". From my DB - I never heard of it until I met her. She's from Michigan. I just ate, and now I'm hungry again...

My best results were with Matcha Sour Cream Cookies. Take Betty Crocker's Old-fashioned sour cream drop cookie recipie (p. 182 in the first edition ) and add about 1/4 cup of matcha powder. Sprinkle the top with Cinnamon sugar before baking. I tried making matcha sugar but that didn't cut it.

1 oz Prichard's cranberry rum 1 oz pineapple infused Cruzan dark rum 1/2 oz cheap triple sec (trying to use it up) 1/2 oz amaretto a couple of shakes Regan's orange bitters juice of 1 lime Shake with ice, strain into tall glass containing an ice cube frozen around fresh mint leaves and topped with other ice. Serve with straw. Optionally garnish with a little umbrella and fruit. The pineapple and amaretto seem to play back and forth nicely, but next time I'd maybe save the cranberry rum for sipping. eta: forgot the bitters.

It gets better. If you look at the V&V Trading Company Ltd Collection page, where they have close-ups of the labels (because those Bigfoot-style blurry photos of the bottles are useless) we find out it's "Blended Canadian Vodka!" I really have to wonder if these are actually made in the countries that are claimed on the labels. Why go to those lengths for something this dubious? ← Blended with what, neutral grain spirits?

I've heard of this but never tried it so, unencumbered by facts, here are my thoughts. I believe pretty much any clay is going to be more or less edible - i.e. it won't kill you if you consume it in moderation. To get some terminology straight, there are clay size particles (finer than silt), clay minerals (bentonite, kaolinite, etc.), and clay bodies (the mixture of clay minerals, other clay-size particles, and sometimes coarser stuff that potters use to make into ceramics). So your potter friend can probably tell you that you might not have a lot of success getting a 50 lb bag of kaolin, adding water and trying to coat a chicken with the resulting goo. You need a decent clay body that will be workable wet and will hold together in the baking/firing. I think your best bet would be to use a low-fire terracotta clay body, maybe with some sand to add "tooth" and strength. Avoid one with added iron oxide for color (stains everything) and be sure to avoid anything with granular manganese (potentially toxic). If you are worried about the unknown materials in terracotta there are low fire white clay bodies that may at least seem purer. I don't think that is an issue however. I would think you wouldn't be able to let the clay dry completely before cooking because the food needs to be fresh. That could lead to cracking. Maybe try putting the food in a cold oven so the temperature ramps up less rapidly. Or make the cracks part of the serendipity of the process (a teacher once told me, "If it isn't glued, it isn't art). Any idea how you will know when the food is done? Good luck. Don't forget your safety glasses when you are carving!

I'm going to have to give this a whirl. I've been wanting to make something that was decidedly bitter put tasty and this looks like it would fit the bill and sounds like a great aperitif. Is this your own recipe? I've got Fever Tree Bitter Lemon and everything else you list. Now I know what tonight's first drink will be. ← I'm not sure I'd call it a recipe - I just tossed it together. Let us know what you think or what you would do differently. I've been playing with small amounts of Fernet Branca to add an interesting dimension without bowling you over after having a Toronto cocktail at Zig Zag.

But it was well balanced!

Any sort of hair-of-the-dog.

Is that like a white-pizza version of a bloody Caesar?

I thought "tea stain" was supposed to be good stuff. Or to be politically correct, "patina".

I keep ginger root in the freezer and you can shave it devilishly thin with a knife when it is frozen.

Had people over - not a drinking crowd but a couple of people appreciated the knickerbockers. I was in the mood for something bitter, bitter, bitter so I had: 2 oz Campari 1 tsp Fernet ice, stir, top with Italian Bitter lemon soda 3 shakes Fees Aromatic bitters Puckering and refreshing.

So then fine-grating could be a good alternative for those who don't want to make large quantities or can't pony up for a juicer. I can squeeze a significant amount of liquid out of grated ginger. Certainly labor intensive for one or a few drinks, though. ← To keep this thread hijacked... Ginger infused vodka can pack some heat if you keep it in the freezer. I made mine with candied ginger so it had a little sweetness, but not much. I would think you could use that plus simple to get the right balance.

Kir.

Ah, much better. I did cut back a little on the raspberry then upped the curacao to a couple of tsp after a taste because I used a pretty hefty lime.