trillium

I think you forgot to include that you put the Campari and sweet vermouth on ice and top with soda water? regards, trillium

Just wanted to bring this thread up again to say that New Seasons has bergamot sour oranges (you know, those things that scent Earl Grey tea). I've only seen them in Sicily and Calabria, I think it's cool they've managed to grow them in California. At the Sellwood location they aren't actually out because they don't have space yet, so if you don't see them, ask someone who works in produce. regards, trillium

What did he suggest you do with the bergamot syrup? regards, trillium

For anyone else wondering about these guys, I found some ideas for savory bergamot dishes here. regards, trillium

Yeah that whole Cointreau thing has already crossed my mind since I have access to Seville or sour oranges too. Very tempting. I am going to infuse some grain alcohol or vodka with some of these guys, but I'm trying to think of savory things to do with them too, since I'm the only one in the house with a sweet tooth. I tracked down a mention of them on the same page as mussels on the Babbo webpage and I'm also thinking about incorporating them into a savory citrus risotto. They have a really strong herbal taste, so I was thinking about duck too. Since I've been stuck at home with a nasty cold so far all I've done with them is suck on wedges, the sour is lovely on the throat and they're so aromatic I can smell them in my nose-impaired state. And Sam, cocktails were the reason I bought them in the first place...I've been infatuated lately with making Bitters and I thought the bergamot flavor would replace the lemon nicely and complement the Chartreuse and Pernod. Bitter Cocktail 1 ounce gin 1/2 ounce green chartreuse 1/2 ounce lemon juice 1 dash absinthe or Pernod regards, trillium

La Dolores I think I've mentioned this before, but I call it a Dolores since it's based on a Delilah, and the first time I made it we drank it alongside Marcona almonds fried in olive oil for nibbles. The second time was with deep fried zucchini flowers, which work well too. 1-3/4 oz gin 3/4 oz Seville/sour/bitter orange juice 3/4 oz Cointreau dash of Fee Bros. orange bitters Shake over cracked ice vigorously and pour into chilled cocktal glass. Garnish with a Seville orange twist. You could make it without the orange bitters if you can't find them. Keywords: Cocktail ( RG843 )

La Dolores I think I've mentioned this before, but I call it a Dolores since it's based on a Delilah, and the first time I made it we drank it alongside Marcona almonds fried in olive oil for nibbles. The second time was with deep fried zucchini flowers, which work well too. 1-3/4 oz gin 3/4 oz Seville/sour/bitter orange juice 3/4 oz Cointreau dash of Fee Bros. orange bitters Shake over cracked ice vigorously and pour into chilled cocktal glass. Garnish with a Seville orange twist. You could make it without the orange bitters if you can't find them. Keywords: Cocktail ( RG843 )

I'm not totally sure, but I think they're just bergamots. They look and smell like bergamots. regards, trillium

So they've managed to grow some bergamot oranges in California, and I've managed to get my hands on some. I'm very undecided about what I should do with them... thoughts of marmalade, infused liqueurs, or other sweets are flitting around but I'm wondering if there are any super traditional culinary uses for these wonderfully aromatic fruits in Calabrian cookery. Tea and perfume don't count. regards, trillium

Do let us know when and if you come and would like some company. Your last minute thing made me laugh...Nick is totally right about last minute here vs. NYC. Don't expect much to be open after 9:30 or 10 either. regards, trillium

I havne't eaten as extensively as you have in Mexico, but if you put aside taquerias (which totally rock) the restaurants I've tried have not been that great, where the food I've eaten in people's houses have been. I even searched out that place in Tijuana that was in Saveur's 100 best list when I was at a conference in San Diego. It sucked. regards, trillium

Hey, I'll be there (and pay for myself!) as long as I don't have to work or be at home giving the 18 year old diabetic cat her shot. I'm bummed I didn't get to go to that Chinese/Korean place with you guys, but weekday nights are tough for me, especially with deadlines. I actually tried to go to Cha Ba for lunch yesterday, but Sunday is the one day they're not open for lunch! I haven't had betel leaves in ages. We ended up at Om Seafood and I'm wondering if they've lost their chef because the place was deserted at 1 pm on a Sunday...not a good sign. Anyway, I never thought it was that great to begin with, and our visit didn't change my impression any. Some of the dishes can be really good and the rest can be really mediocre HK-style Cantonese food (which is about the worst style of "bad" Chinese you can eat, in my never humble opinion). On Thai in Pdx, Avoid Sweet Basil in Sellwood like the plague, we checked it out because it's within walking distance from our house. It's one of those jobs where they put dried chilli flakes in everything if you want it to be hot...I hate that. And they used hothouse Italian basil not SE Asian basil. If you're gonna call yourself "Sweet Basil" you better use the right basil, dammit. regards, trillium edit: because I can't differentiate between the weekday and weekend

Would these versions of torrone be torrone morbido, the softer sort, or the hard and crunchy kind? The thing about torrone in Italy is that the quality of the nuts is so much better than most of what I can find here (maybe pros have better sources). I'm still dreaming about the torrone morbido I bought in Erice and I'd love to try and replicate it. regards, trillium

It was my favorite part of the whole thread. Damn, I wish they did have a Mackerel Snackerel, I love mackerel. Execute my order indeed. regards, trillium

It's a derogatory term used to describe people that are Asian, grew up in a Western country and are illiterate in their parents' original tongue (the judgement of illiteracy ranges from a lack of speaking to an inability to write). Asians describing other Asians usually use it. Similar to ABC or CBC but in the context I've heard it in, a little meaner, the implication being that you've lost your Asian "soul" and are white inside. The ironic part is that there are several countries in East Asia (with a large diaspora of ethnic Chinese) who have several official languages, English being one of them. So someone ethnically Chinese can grow up in an Asian country but speak English as a first language...this means they get hassled by mainlanders in the US or Canada about not speaking well or writing, and hassled by other people in that country who constantly express surprise that their English is "so good" since they come from an Asian country. regards, trillium

Grits would be the same as polenta in this case... You can use the coarse ground corn flour in a lot of recipes that call for cornmeal. I've used it to make cornbread, a pot pie pastry that called for cornmeal, etc. Here's a bunch of recipes that Bob's Red Mill has online calling for coarse ground corn meal (they're right down the road from me!). regards, trillium

I have a different take, but then I probably go through my vermouths a lot faster. I always leave it in it's original bottle and nearly never refrigerate the sweet vermouths. I don't notice any difference in the time it takes me to go through a bottle. I do like to keep it out of direct light and not in the hottest part of the kitchen, but I think that goes without saying for any booze. To use up your vermouth, if you have both, I'd suggest red and whites with a twist of lemon or orange. regards, trillium

Just fyi, I think Judy Rogers mentions in her book that she has experimented with preserving many other citrus and found that limequats where the only ones worth doing that way. I recall her describing other attempts as running the gambit from so-so to really strange (I'm paraphrasing). regards, trillium

what vermouth would you use? Punt y Mes? That's what I'm using right now. I used Carpano's Antica formula before, which I liked better, but I can't find it any more. I tried it with Vya but it wasn't bitter enough for my tastes. regards, trillium

The juice of the Meyers are more delicate than the juice of the Seville oranges, but they don't taste or smell the same. I'd say the zest of either is equally stong. When I use both in a drink, I garnish with zest from just the Meyer or do two, one of Seville peel and one of Meyer. That way the lemon isn't overpowered by the orange. I like anything with citrus to be on the tart side too. The Seville oranges are very tart, I think that's why I like them so much. A Bronx made with Seville orange juice and a nice bittersweet vermouth is fantastic. A Bronx made with regular orange juice and plain old sweet vermouth doesn't do it for me. regards, trillium

Has anyone tried coconut oil in a pastry crust? Two different brands have turned up at my local grocery and I was eyeing them last night wondering how they'd do. regards, trillium

I just posted some cocktails I like drinking with Seville orange juice over here. On the savory side, I like using them for food from the Yucatan, a favorite is pork marinated in sour orange juice and achiote, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in the oven (my version of cochinita pibil). You need a squirt of juice for the xnepic or salpicsn that you eat with the cochinita. I think they're the original orange in orange duck (which makes more sense to me). The dried skins can be used in Chinese desserts or for making lap cheong if you're very ambitious. For other sweets, they make a nice curd, with a little more astringency than lemon curd, ditto for a tart. They pair well with chocolate, where you add the zest to the cake and make a glaze for the cake with juice, zest and sugar. The candied peels are really good in panforte or pannettone. They make a nice infused liqueur too. regards, trillium

I dunno if he came up with it, but the recipe is on his website. The thought of gin soaked toast...blech...that would put me off my breakfast. regards, trillium

All the time! They're what I use when they're in season. I think the sweeter meyer lemon juice complements the sourer seville orange juice perfectly. regards, trillium

Curry the herb as in curry leaves? Hmmm. I didn't know they could survive the winter. I would adore a good latino market here, or not even here, but in the 'burbs. We miss Supermercado Cardenas from our old hood in Chicago. For asian, I really, really wish 99 Ranch would open a branch here. I love that place. regards, trillium