vice

Surely an Agent Cooper would have to involve espresso and some fruit brandy standing in for a slice of Norma's pie. Or maybe something with Clear Creek's Douglas fir eau-de-vie. He loved the smell of those trees.

That approach is always an option. The Hungry Cat does have the best selection of spirits that I've seen. If you can stand a little frustration and maybe a bad drink before you get a good one, you might be able to whip their bartenders into shape. To elaborate on my above post, their really aren't any stand-alone cocktail establishments in the area. There are restaurants where you may or may not be able to procure a competently executed cocktail, and there are bars where you'd press your luck with anything beyond a Campari and soda. I'm sure I could come up with a few other places that stock decent hooch, but I offer no assurances that things will turn out well in the glass.

Despite their tony reputation, Santa Barbara and Montecito are pretty small towns. Considering that the hulking behemoth of LA has but a few places that take cocktails seriously, we would consider ourselves lucky to have even a halfway decent one, let alone a destination like TVH, PDT, and the like. Alas, we haven't. The only recommendation that you're likely to find is the Hungry Cat. They have a small menu featuring poorly-balanced very fruity, sweet drinks. The bartenders know what's on the menu and that's about it. A miss. That said, if you're thirsty, you can always stop by my place and I can whip something up. dave

Well, Brussels sprouts' season is just about winding down, so I thought I'd try something different before the long wait for next fall. Yep, crème brûlée certainly qualifies as different. Sam, how did you prepare your custard?

brilliant! i've never said this before, but i can't wait for my next flight.

1. Have a good time the night before (maybe too good a time ) 2. Fry some leftover rice in sesame or peanut oil til it gets crispy. 3. Scramble eggs. Feel free to add a heavy-handed dash of fish sauce. 4. Move rice to the side. Add eggs to pan with a bit more oil, combine rice back in as eggs cook. 5. Plate and address with the green-topped bottle. The hotter you make it, the longer you'll forget about the other pain you're in. 6. Take a nap.

that looks like a serious drink! don't know how i missed it. i would absolutely recommend his arrack apricot sour as another fantastic quaff.

just whipped up one of these. used r&w for the apricot, half an extra large white, no bitters. i'd have to agree that it's a fantastic drink. absolutely enchanting aroma from the arrack, nicely balanced flavors, lovely translucent off-white color too. tailor it to your own sweet/tart preference and you will give the standard sours a rest for quite a while.

Took delivery of a bottle of Genevieve tonight. I just had a taste neat as I'm not in the mood for a genever cocktail this evening. I was immediately struck by very prominent tequila-like notes in the nose and in the taste. Oddly enough, I recall getting the same exact thing from a tasting of one of Anchor's ryes (don't recall which one, sadly). Is anyone else with me? Not meant to be a gripe at all, in fact just the opposite. I can't wait to give it some more play tomorrow. An aside for those in the bay area, Beltramo's has Genevieve and Junipero in stock for $29, which in my price shopping memory seems to be a damned fine deal. Free shipping in CA for orders over $150, too.

I'd be very interested in if anyone can comment on purchasing direct from producers, either through the farmers' markets or otherwise. It seems that pastured beef and chicken is somewhat available, but I'll be damned if I can find a good source of naturally-raised pork anywhere in SB county. Shalhoob is a nice option and very pleasant to deal with even though they're definitely more of a wholesale operation. However the quality of the meats they offer isn't much different from what's available in the supermarkets, although their prices and selection are far better. So, for farm-direct animal products around Santa Barbara (hell, say anywhere within a 100 mi radius), who is offering what of the following (contact info much appreciated): - beef - pork - chicken, duck, geese - eggs - lamb or goat - milk: pasteurized or raw on the sly (PM if you're not comfortable putting that info out) Let's have em

i've got sort of a riff on calo verde going on the stove right now: chorizo browned in a bit of olive oil. add to that a couple sliced carrots and leeks. when they get slightly browned around the edges, in go a healthy glug of french vermouth (only wine in the house), a few spoonfuls of crushed san marzanos, and some of the cooking water from black eyed peas. when soup is almost ready, add cooked beans and chopped bitter greens. serve with bread grilled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic.

from Bob Kramer's site: seattle knife sharpening zen blades

I'm surprised that nobody has any input on this. I've been very happy with my two Lodge enameled dutch ovens for over a year. I have only limited experience with comparable Le Creuset models that I've used in other kitchens, so I don't feel comfortable making any detailed comparison. I just checked on Amazon, and a 3 qt Lodge runs around $40 while a 3.5 qt Le Creuset will set you back a whopping $175. That's a huge cost difference for potentially similar items. It would seem important then to identify actual differences between Le Creuset and other manufacturers, especially because so many people on this thread have intimated that they have had to stretch their budgets to acquire these items. Cost-benefit analyses come up often in this part of the eG forums and are inherently subjective. A Vitamix blender costs much more than department store models but is clearly designed and built to different specifications; likewise a knife made from high-end Japanese steel versus the conventional French/German offerings. Every consumer will have to decide whether the difference in performance justifies the additional cost. In these two examples, we have specific information about what makes a low-cost product different from its high-cost brethren. As far as I know, this is not the case with enameled cast-iron pots. So, what are the tangible differences, if any? Otherwise, the amount saved by going with Lodge over Le Creuset could be put to better uses if it buys one nothing but a name.

Seconded, she's delightful, but not even she can redeem this as a food show. If one's only desire was to kill an hour for the scenery, however...

bittman did a pernil a little over a year ago. it's been a crowd pleaser on more than one occasion. i've also found that the long cooking time obviates the need for a high temp finish to get a good crust.

My god man, maybe it's time to start mixing your cocktails in the kitchen, and over a tarp

You make it sound so easy. Fellow eGers, what Chris doesn't tell you is about the constantly shifting traffic patterns, the gauntlet of one-day open, next-day closed exit ramps, and utterly confounding signage on 195. That said, Sun and Moon is definitely worth the trip. I suppose the construction may have tapered off since my last visit, but if I were you, I would figure in some extra time and leave before you're really hungry. If you really want to be safe, bring some MREs and warm blankets - driving in East Providence is like climbing Everest in that the prepared have the best chance of making it out alive.

Thanks Chris. I did indeed catch the LF info above. Local 121 had just opened when I left and I never ended up making it there. Some friends had a meal there about that time and liked it but were less enthusiastic when the food is weighted by the cost. I also haven't been to Chez Pascal in a long, long time (since there was a Pascal, in fact), so that might warrant a trip as well. Definitely interested in Tini as I've always found something to enjoy at Al Forno, so I look forward to your report. Have been, have thoroughly enjoyed everything I've eaten, and have to relearn how to get there every time I go. I'm convinced East Providence is the other end of the Bermuda Triangle vortex.

Hi there, Native Rhode Islander here returning for a couple weeks around the holidays. I'm interested to here of any new places worth trying. Haven't been back to eat since last year at this time, but haven't eaten anywhere new since before I left in summer '07. I plan on hitting my standard haunts of: Not Just Snacks (mutton curry, as soon as I get off the plane, then probably later that night too) Ocean View (Narragansett) La Laiterie (soft spot for the charcuterie, ok, the burger too, and whatever else looks good) I'd be equally interested in new spots that might serve a decent drink (looking at you Chris), and any places that might have changed significantly in the past year or so (e.g., I understand Louie Fuller's is under new ownership). So what's going on back home?

I made the recipe above last night and it turned out mighty tasty. I didn't have any Cointreau on hand, so I used Luxardo Triplum. Overall the cocktail was well balanced and blended well. The idea of Cherry Brandy eje mentioned intrigues me. That may be tonights experiment. ← Well I'll have to second that Chris's Corktown is quite delicious. I find the Toronto intriguing in the way that you want to keep drinking it to figure out the last little bit that it needs to be perfect. Maybe this is it, or maybe it's far enough away to deserve an appellation from another metropolitan area. You decide. When I pick up some yellow chartreuse (probably not VEP, sadly), I plan on giving Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli's creation a try I generally don't need any encouragement to go to sleep, but then I'm not necessarily averse to it either.

Apologies for the digression, but sorry are the souls for whom beer is off their radar But I'll add that beer is my go-to liquid for fish fry batter.

Well, Repeal Day came and went last Friday. What were people tippling? I had a little gathering of 10 or so and served up the following: Hoffman House Golden Ermine Martinez Manhattan (2:1) Sazerac Scofflaw Needless to say, a good time was had by all. I was pleasantly surprised to end up pouring way more rye than gin. I guess I don't pay as close attention as I thought to what my friends order in bars, but I seem to recall most of them favoring clear spirits (perhaps the case only with simple mixed drinks).

First off, this may be a discussion for another thread. That said, I completely agree with you that single malts aren't common ingredients in cocktails, nor are they particularly easy to implement therein. My interpretation of Eric's comment (which very feasibly could be a mistaken one) was that single malts are often unsuitable for use in cocktails. If I am correct in my interpretation, then I must disagree. For example, I was playing around with Rob Roys tonight, adding a barspoon or so of Laphroaig to the majority of Famous Grouse, and it ended up being quite an interesting addition. Due to the sheer diversity of single malts, they defy generalizations about their utility as an ingredient in cocktails. Malts with a specific strong character (such as Laphroaig) may play well as modifiers, whereas more nuanced ones often work wonderfully as a base spirit.

Though the NY Times has written occasionally about the renewed interest in cocktails in the past, the fact that two cocktail-related stories appeared in the same dining section (the other being Jonathan Miles's story about cocktail geekery) suggests they've caught the whiff of blood that is a new trend to be exploited. And then to add icing to the cake, there's Eric Asimov's assertion that single malts don't have a place in cocktails: I've been waiting all day for someone to seize upon that nugget.

Okay, now this is pretty amazing. I bought this thing thinking there was a good chance it would wind up in the garbage. Instead, it turns out to be a surprisingly responsive and accurate device. The sampling rate is 2 x per second, and the included probe (which is a bead probe, not a needle probe -- I'm still waiting for the needle probe) is very fast. I've attached a 7-second video here where I stick the thing into a pot of boiling water. You can see the response time is almost instantaneous -- it goes from the ambient temperature near the pot (I was holding it above the pot so I could make a quick video) to an exact 212 degrees F in maybe 1 second. This is from a $19.95 thermocouple with the included probe. It takes any type-K probe. And it even comes with a totally usable, if a bit ugly, aquamarine zippered carrying case with a belt loop. ← Fat Guy, I'm in the market for a new probe thermometer. An update of your experience with this fellow would be very much appreciated. The price is right and there are still units available on eBay. I have a few specific questions: 1) Is the included probe oven-safe? 2) Do you (or anyone else, for that matter) have recommendations for a good K type needle probe to go along with this unit? 3) In the past, I've experienced short lifetimes for my oven probes. Whether that is a fault of mine or of poor design is presently a mystery. Are there particular actions that shorten the life expectancy of an oven probe? Many thanks, Dave A brief post script: Tonight I spotted a good number of Polder probe thermometers (didn't catch the specific model) at my local Linens and Things marked down 20% from $25 due to the liquidation. I've been there and done that, but given the price I'm tempted to do it again.