KD1191

Emphasis added.Is the primary goal of shaking mixing or aeration, or are they coequal? Secondly, if aeration is a good, why would you ever stir? (Stirring, as previously described, combines with the least aeration possible.) Or, is aeration only a good in cases where juices/cream/eggs are involved? In which case, is it possible that there would be a better way to make a drink that involved aerating those components that benefit from such treatment before incorporating those that do not in a less violent way?

Every time I've heard someone complain about how long dinner takes at Alinea, it's because they went with someone whose company they didn't particularly enjoy (or who couldn't keep up their side of a conversation).

Thank you for this...we had almost the same meal the Sunday before last and my memory is not as good as it used to be. Your pictures are a great help. It was calamansi, and I agree that it was exquisite. As an oyster, I've had better...but as a composition, it was wonderful. Agreed on all counts. I was actually put off by the menu description, but this was one of my favorite dishes of the evening. The rhubarb really brought this dish back to earth. Without it, it would have tilted toward too sweet. The candied black garlic was another in a very long line of JGK revelations for me. It just worked...I may have still been basking in the afterglow of the stunning caviar/cauliflower supplement at that point, however. I will wax poetic on the Hotel K breakfast to anyone that will listen...it is, in my mind, simply the best anywhere (perhaps equaled by phở in Hanoi...perhaps). The breads, pastries and jams are world class, but the cheese and charcuterie are honestly the best I've ever had. I turned down a second plate of Pata Negra because I wanted to be able to finish everything else we had...

That doesn't entirely surprise me. While I didn't see anything but the 18% Picon Biere product throughout France (and, these bottles do say 'Amer Picon' in small font toward the bottom of the label), I did come across a 21% product labeled Picon Amer in Brussels. At that point in the trip there was no more room in the suitcase. Now I'm wondering if I should have forgone one of the bottles of Biere... Yes, not spicy at all. That's the main difference between it and the various Picon substitutes I've tried.

I've got my hands on two liters of the 18% Picon Biere product. Reading through the thread I realize that it isn't just lower proof but has a different flavor profile than the original. That said, would combining the 18% product with rectified spirit to bump it up to the original 39% be worthwhile? Or, is the currently marketed product dissimilar enough from the original that it shouldn't even be used as a starting point towards a recreation? I also have a Seville orange peel tincture (at 50%) that's been sitting while I was away and should be ready to use. CioCiaro, Ramazzotti or Angostura Orange can be donated if they'd help things as well...

I'm surprised by the negativity that this bite inspires. I found it excellent and would gladly eat the Peychaud pudding by the spoonful (truth be told, on one occasion I did). It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but to say that since a few folks don't care for the punch of anise and rye whiskey that the dish requires 'correction' is bold. While, at Alinea, it seems the goal of every dish is to evolve and (where possible) improve, they definitely think this one is fine. In fact, I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to say that the kumquat sazerac was the launching pad for what will become Aviary.

Chartreuse Cuvée Des Meilleurs Ouvriers De France Sommeliers and one large ice cube. It survived in the checked baggage, and we made it through the Icelandic volcano cloud...seems like enough reason to crack the bottle. It's like a refined Yellow VEP, but flavors are brighter due to what I would imagine is significantly less aging. Released in November 2008, this is a special bottling of Yellow Chartreuse that was a collaboration between the monks and several master sommeliers. After tasting it at the distillery in Voiron, I couldn't leave without some.

I was at L'Arnsbourg and Hotel K last Sunday (May 9th), and it continues to be an exceptional dining experience. In fact, these days Hotel K is one of my favorite place on earth...if you can, stay. The Menu Découverte (€145) was as follows: Collection Amuses (including: Smoked Eel Madeleine, Deconstructed Margarita, Dissolving Peanut, a trio of vegetarian amuses-one of which tasted exactly like steak tartare and an oyster with Asian citrus flavors). Variety of Spring Vegetables Marinated Langoustine, Fresh Herbs, Sprouts Salad White Asparagus, Hollandaise and Pomelo Red Mullet, Rhubarb and Olives, Verbena Oil North Sea Lobster, Young Celery, Lemongrass Foam Milk Lamb, Rice Cream, Candied Black Garlic, Carrot and Kumquat Cheese and Fennel with Orange Cappuccino Collection Desserts I supplemented a caviar course that included with blinis, cauliflower foam and yogurt pearls (€45) and a selection of exceptional cheeses from Maître Bernard Antony (€27).

So, in the Mosel valley town of Cochem, I found two products made from these peaches...a liqueur at 20% and a spirit at 38%. It's hard to tell in this photo, but the liqueur is a purplish red, while the spirit is of course clear. It's been over a week since I sampled them, so I won't try to give any notes in this post. I'll update once I get a chance to crack the bottles. I do recall the proprietress eagerly mixing the two products into a shooter for us, which was quite tasty, but not ideal for getting a hang of the flavors of the individual products.

I wonder how much of the process is the result of a "change the things I can" mentality. Is/was the import situation such a hurdle to overcome that recipe creation is significantly hindered? Is the cultural attitude toward classic vs. new cocktails such that effort expended on innovative recipes would be better spent on innovative shaking/stirring methodology for preparing the classics?

From what I can find, it seems like it would be too low in proof (~40) to work in something like FHP. Following suggestions elsewhere in this forum, I've used bonded applejack to good effect in place of peach brandy...obviously not the same flavor-wise, but a similar concept/execution.

I didn't see another thread where this question would rightfully fit, so I thought I'd start one. Has anyone tried the Roter Weinbergpfirsich Likor (Red Vineyard Peach Liqueur) made from the peaches of Germany's Mosel valley? I'd never heard of it, but I'm going to be visiting the region this weekend and was thinking that if it it would be useful as a cocktail ingredient I might bring a bottle or two home.

Thanks to all for the recommendations, they are greatly appreciated. We leave on Wednesday and are finishing up our plans. glauer, I'm quite fond of the chicken with truffles in a pig's bladder...we had it at Paul Bocuse several years ago. It's hard to justify driving further on from our destinations after being in the car several hours each day to get to our various stops, but that may present a special case. I don't know if we'll get down to Vieux Ferrette, but we will have the chance to sample Maitre Antony's cheeses at L'Arnsbourg. I somehow missed them last time, a mistake I will not make twice.

A variation on the Search for Deliciousness: 2 oz Ramazzotti Amaro 1 1/2 oz Punt e Mes 3/4 oz Lemon Juice 2 Dashes Regan's Orange Bitters 15 Drops Bittercube Orange Bitters Shake, strain over ice. Orange peel. The original calls for Cynar, and the proportions are different. I imagine this works with a lot of different amaros. Maybe switch up the bitters a bit, depending...orange might be redundant with CioCiaro or Montenegro, for example.

They look like they could have come from SpecialtyBottle.com.

It was also a cost-cutting decision for me. I saw the amount of $80/bottle absinthe I was frequently pouring down the sink while rinsing glasses to make Sazeracs and realized I needed a better way to control the amount that was going into the glass, so I just mimicked what I saw done at the fancier cocktailing establishments.

I see Allspice Dram and Pernod. The % on the label for the Allspice Dram matches that of St. Elizabeth, so I'm assuming there's at least some re-bottling of commercial products going on in that picture. I do the same thing, though not to this level. Mostly just droppers of various absinthes or other liqueurs that I might not reach for very often except at a drop/dash level.

Dealing with limited space while we hunt for the right piece of furniture to go on the other side of the hall from the current bar area. I keep any back-up bottles and in-progress tinctures/bitters in a separate cabinet on the other side of the kitchen. As packed as the cabinet is, I can get at every bottle without having to remove anything else first...looking forward to having more space, though. When installing the shelves, the spacing was determined by the height of the Luxardo Maraschino bottle. ETA: The drawer contains barspoons, jiggers, measuring cups, strainers and a manual juicer, as well as a channel knife, zester, wine key & microplane. Vermouths and anything that needs to be kept chilled are in the wine fridge...mixing glasses, some old fashioned glasses and more coupes in the freezer.

I find the angled cup good enough for my home enthusiast needs. The marked jigger I've received rave reviews about from professionals. I don't like the look/feel of the measuring cup, but as Sam point's out above, one of my major considerations is avoiding spillage. I would switch to the marked jigger in an instant if I wasn't paying for the booze.

Not sure which Oxo you're referring to, but mine has 1/4, 1/2, 1, 1 1/2 and 2 oz markings. I've seen others that also have 1/3 and 3/4 oz marks...

Enjoyed at Shadyside Fizz from Rogue Cocktails contributor Mike Ryan at his new bar Sable last night. Equal parts Herradura Blanco and Angostura, some lime juice and simple, shaken with egg white and topped with some ginger ale and a bit more Angostura (but of course). It was nicely tart with a bitter finish and pleasant smokiness. One of my favorite things about using a large quantity of Angostura in a drink is the gorgeous chestnut color that often results. This drink was no exception.

Who, exactly, is Tony pretending to be? He's certainly not pretending to be the active chef of a restaurant. He went out of his way to dissuade people of the notion that he is any sort of chef last night. Someone asked him if he'd been contacted about doing Top Chef Masters, and he said no and that he wouldn't last 2 seconds against actual talented chefs. He dropped plenty of names (Batali, Colicchio, Ripert) but said there was no way any of these friends would hire him to work in their kitchens. The show was fine, but he could have used a bit more new material. He told the Blue Mosque, Sandra Lee & Rachel Ray fruit basket stories, as well as the one about indoctrinating his daughter to hate Ronald McDonald, for the umpteenth time. Preached on how to be a good traveler, and how even vegetarians should accept meat from well-meaning foreigners when in their land...all things I've heard from him before. His discussion of what the whole idea of "keeping it real" could possibly mean was an interesting sort of meta-digression. It's clear he's not happy about the product placement in the show, but understands that it's a necessary result of when people stop watching commercials. Though, he didn't really connect the idea that the speaking engagement itself might be seen as "selling out". Personally, I think there's the possibility he could succeed in an HBO environment...for one, he's far more foul mouthed than even I would have believed, and it's natural he'd be more comfortable when uncensored, plus the lack of a need for sponsors could have interesting results. All in all, I was happy to attend on the promoter's dime, but wouldn't pay to see him again unless it was in some more interesting venue/vehicle. Q&A was even more poorly handled this time than in Waukegan (just stand & shout)...but some of the questions were actually interesting. (Asked if he could only make one more show where would he go, he said he would return to El Bulli before it closes.) That said, having the last question be a guy proposing to his girlfriend was awfully gratuitous.

Wanted to bump this thread as it seems The Publican was getting discussed in another place or two. I've long been fond of the food here, but this evening I had perhaps my best meal yet. Kumamoto and Kushi oysters were perfect. The presence of oysters this good, presented this well, in a city this far from the ocean is really just short of a miracle. I'd happily make a meal of 2 dozen of the chef's selection of oysters if there wasn't so much else that looked intriguing on the menu. Hamachi crudo, pork rinds and frites for starters were all excellent, with a special shout-out to the inclusion of calamansi on the hamachi plate. Among entrees the country ribs, always a crowd pleaser, and flank steak were the stars. Mussels were very good. Suckling pig wasn't quite on the same level. Beets with ricotta, pistachio and balsamic & white asparagus draped in thinly shaved ham were clean and well balanced sides. A waffle with honey butter and amazing tangerine marmalade for dessert capped a near perfect meal. Several wonderfully pork-friendly beers, including a saison whose name escapes me on draught and the Oro De Calabaza from Jolly Pumpkin.

While I agree that Chicago-style pizza is not worth the effort, the city of Chicago is turning out some spectacular pizzas at places such as Spacca Napoli and Coalfire. We also have, according to Alan Rich, the best pizza in the country at Great Lake. There is a ton of wonderful ethnic food in Chicago. For Dim Sum, there's Phoenix and Korean Barbecue at San Soo Gab San. Pho at Tank Noodle or any of Tony Hu's places for regional Chinese Lao Sze Chuan (reopening soon after a fire), Lao Beijing or Lao Shanghai. Mexican from cheap home-style classics at Nuevo Leon or Carnitas Don Pedro to refined haute cuisine at Topolo and plenty in between (mentioned above). Moto embraces the moniker "postmodern" instead of Molecular, but the food there is more science driven even than Alinea. You'll find some of these techniques at Graham Elliot, as well. Schwa writes its own rules and is always worth an effort to try and book.

Nearing the end of my lavender & seville orange peel infused honey syrup...decided a Pisco Old Fashioned was in order. 2 oz Pisco (Estirpe Peruana Quebranta Mosto Verde) 1/2 oz Honey Syrup 12 drops Bittercube Bolivar Bitters* Stir, strain. Garnished with 3 more drops of Bolivar. The pisco has some real funk from the must, almost a maraschino-like mid-palate and finish. A nice blending of various citrus elements, but the floral notes are mostly lost. *Aromatic bitters with notes of cinnamon, dried fruits, & citrus. (Supposedly based on an old Angostura recipe.)