JAZ

When I go out with my family or friends, we all tend to discuss what we're getting, so if I'm trying to decide between two options, I mention it. Often someone else will say, I'll get A if you get B. If no one else is interested in either of my choices, I usually ask the servers what they'd recommend. In making up my mind what to order, I generally go with things I can't or don't make at home or things I've heard others rave about.

I sometimes wonder whether the cocktail glass as we know it was evolved for cocktails and used famously for martinis or the other way around. I have some old "martini" glasses that belonged to my grandfather and look more like small old-fashioned champagne saucers than they do conical cocktail glasses. I also have an antique dark amethyst cocktail mixer with matching cocktail glasses, and the glasses look more like handeless punch cups than they do cocktail glasses. I have a vintage art deco cocktail set with glasses that look almost like stubby cordial glasses and a set from my grandmother with glasses that are the same shape as Riedel's single malt scotch glasses -- that is, they have no stem and they're sort of tulip shaped with a flare at the top. The set of my mother's that she's promised me, however, does have glasses with today's typical shape. I believe they're from the 60's. So my guess is that the glass shape we see today became popular in the 50's.

Since you're specifically planning to use a french press, I'd suggest a burr grinder. As noted above, it's difficult if not impossible to produce an even grind with a blade grinder -- the bottom stuff is powder by the time all the beans are ground. And powdery grounds will produce crappy french press coffee. As for cleaning, grind up some raw rice once a month or so and you'll be fine.

Welcome to eGullet! Here's a Middle Eastern style lamb curry from the eGullet Recipe Archive. It freezes very well and is a little out of the ordinary. And since you're new, you may not know about the recipe archive. It's a great resource. Click here for Recipe Archive.

I'm not ordinarily a vodka fan, but I also really like Hangar One, especially the Mandarin Blossom (with a splash of Lillet, it's sublime).

Great class. It's nice to have all that information in so concise a format. One question: you suggest two parts oil to one part vinegar for vinaigrette. That's probably close to the proportions I use (depending, of course, on the type of vinegar), but don't classic French vinaigrettes call for more like 4 parts oil to one part vinegar? Is it only a matter of taste preference, or does the proportion affect the emulsification, or the stability?

Beans: Truly, we are twin daughters of different mothers So are you two talking about straight gin or vodka, or do you mean you premix the gin (or vodka) and vermouth and then store the mixture in the freezer?

Actually, it's been ages since I've even tasted Johnnie Walker Red. I used to find it a little harsh, which is why I stopped drinking it. It may be different now, though. I know when I recently had some Johnnie Walker Black for the first time in some years, it seemed to me that the taste had changed (more smoke and peat than it used to have, it seemed). So maybe the Red has changed too. Whisky likes and dislikes are pretty personal, so take this as only my opinion. I'm not a fan at all of Canadian whiskies -- too sweet for my taste. I've never cared for Jack Daniels, despite its popularity. I've always liked Scotch the best of the whiskies, and I've tasted a lot more brands of Scotch than of bourbon, American or Canadian. I'd say that Cutty Sark and J&B are my least favorite of the mid-range popular brands, with Dewar's being my usual mid-range call Scotch in bars. I've recently become a fan of rye, especially in Manhattans, but there aren't many affordable rye whiskies out there. Old Overholt and Jim Beam Rye are the two I see the most. Of them, Old Overholt is the better choice.

I don't know what part of the country you're from, but if you can find a liquor store that carries a selection of mini (aka airline) bottles of whiskies, that's a very good way to sample a range of styles and brands without investing a fortune. (And don't discount your local bar as a source for trying different whiskies, too.) If you can't do that, I'd start out with some scotches, since that's what you already liked. In your price range, you might be able to find some all malt scotches, but probably not any single malts. You can, however, get some good blended scotches in your range -- Dewar's, Johnnie Walker Black, or Teacher's come to mind. As for general information, there's already some very good detailed info posted here. For yet another overview (mine), you might be interested in this cocktail class.

Russ, It seems to me that your book, along with Shirley Corriher's Cookwise, really sparked an interest in "food science" among cooks. The popularity of Wolke's Food 101 column and, in a lighter vein, Alton Brown's show and books seems to indicate that it's growing. Have you noticed an increase in interest about the "hows and whys" of cooking among your readers, or are they primarily interested in recipes and reviews? And, as an aside, can we ever expect to see a sequel to French Fry?

Also, the trapped air bubbles will make the drink feel different in the mouth -- more "frothy" -- but this effect will dissipate as the air escapes.

I was suggesting the carrot salad as a replacement for the soup, since Birder didn't mention soup in the original post. And as for the curry, I assumed you meant more than just a hint and that the soup would therefore be more Indian than Mediterranean/Middle Eastern. Maybe "aggressive" was the wrong word; I meant that the two flavor profiles might clash.

I think the carrot soup idea is a good one, but I'd stay away from curry and go with something a little less aggressively flavored. If you want a green salad, I'd stick with a lemon juice/olive oil dressing rather than balsamic. If you're interested in a salad that's a little different, I have a recipe for a Turkish carrot salad with a dressing of yogurt, cumin and mint that's really great. Or a cucumber salad with mint or dill might be good too. As for appetizers, if you have a good middle eastern deli around, how about dolmas, some olives, and pita crisps (just cut pita bread into wedges, drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake until crisp)? Hummus might be too heavy if your main course is rich.

I'm glad you liked them. I use the "mojito" syrup for sorbet too, and have also used it in a frozen blended drink with tequila and lime. And I'm always happy when someone discovers Boodles -- it doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

Why?

Chiming in a little late here. . . Why do we assume that everyone should want to cook or like to cook? Do we expect everyone to like sewing, or gardening, or automobile repair? Do we expect everyone to be able to play the piano or the flute? It's certainly true that eveyone has to eat, but it's never been the case (at least not in the industrialized world) that one has to cook in order to eat. There have been plenty of alternatives that people have turned to since the industrial revolution. The fact is that for many women, cooking was simply another chore to complete, and anything that saved time and effort in the kitchen was embraced wholeheartedly. And it's for us easy to say that they must not have been concerned much with taste, if they so readily embraced convenience food, but it might very well be that the prepared foods really were better than what they cooked themselves. Because not everyone who cooks is good at it. Right? Look at all the threads about parents (mothers, mostly) who were terrible cooks, or the bad dinners at other people's houses. I once had dinner at a friend's house (I was visiting for a couple of days) who prepared Hamburger Helper, a green salad with bottled dressing and blueberry muffins from a mix. It wasn't very good, but I'm sure it was better than anything she could have made "from scratch." I think it's interesting to take a look at that other traditional domestic task, sewing, and compare it with cooking. I'm old enough that when I was in junior high school, girls still had to take "home ec," which consisted of cooking and sewing. But even then, for us girls, sewing clothes was definitely optional in a way that cooking was not. It just seems to me that since then, cooking has "caught up" with sewing as an option, not a necessity. Do any of us bemoan the lack of sewing at home? Then why are we so upset at the lack of cooking?

Smelt flakes? Ewww.

Amen to that.

I'm not sure about the cholesterol element, so this may not be of much help. But the best advice I've read actually came from Dean Edell (yeah, I know) in his book Eat, Drink and Be Merry. And it's simple. Eat whatever you want, just cut your portions (total calories, in other words) down. Cut the portions of high calorie foods down considerably. So you can have your Asiago, just not a lot of it. Eat a couple of extra servings of vegetables a day. (Chop up some broccoli or asparagus into your pasta with Asiago, and you're set.) Drink a glass of wine or beer a day. What I've been working on is just thinking about -- I mean, really pondering -- what I want to eat. If I have a craving for a grilled cheese sandwich, for example, I don't just make it. I think about it. I know the calories involved, I know the nutritional value. Often, I'll decide to pass. Sometimes, though, I decide it's worth it. And then I make the best damned grilled cheese sandwich I possibly can, and savor every single bite, slowly.

I like Burgermeister's burgers, and they have good fries too. Don't bother with the coleslaw, though -- pretty boring. I, too, haven't been to Bullshead in quite a while, but they were good a few years ago at least. Not great fries. Tower Burger, in the strip center on Portola just down from Tower Market, has zero atmosphere, but very good and relatively inexpensive burgers (a couple of dollars cheaper than either Bullshead or Burgermeister). Nieman Ranch beef, good selection of toppings, pretty good fries. I had a great burger at the 21st Amendment, with the added attraction of the server trying to talk a customer out of ordering her burger well done. I'd heard great things about Big Mouth on 24th at about Valencia, so I gave them a try a few months ago. Good condiments, great cheese, but they won't cook burgers less than medium. Too bad, because at medium rare, it would have been great. At medium, it was only okay. I've had a couple of mediocre burgers at Barney's, so I can't see what the raves are about.

I have to tell the bartender not to strain my drink with her hand? That's not something that any halfway competent bartender should know without being told? Silly me -- I didn't realize that it was my responsibility to ascertain what equipment a given bar has and then tailor my order; I didn't realize it was my responsibility to ask the bartender to keep her hands out of my drink. Next time I'll know. And I'm hardly smoldering with disdain here. I thought it was funny, in a sick sort of way, and figured it might be amusing to share related stories. I didn't realize that the profession of bartending was sacrosanct. Now I know.

First of all, don't get me wrong. I like bars -- I like bartenders. Most of them, that is. But sometimes, I have bad bar experiences that I just have to relate. I was at a place I used to frequent in my old neighborhood -- really nice people but not the most talented bartenders, in general. I generally just order scotch on the rocks, but the owner, who knows I'm a martini drinker, was there. He was on his way out and told the bartender to make me a martini on him. She shook it (not my preference, but not a big deal) and then, unable to find a strainer, she strained it into my glass with her hand. And I'd just seen her playing pool, and I don't really recall her washing her hands. Ewww. Which made me think back to other bad bartender experiences. I've had bartenders stir cocktails vigorously with their hands over the glass, so that I know my drink has been splashed up onto their hands. I'm not fond of that. Neither am I crazy about bartenders who reach into bottles of olives or onions with their hands for my garnishes. Yes, I'm sure their hands were clean, but still. I've had a bartender, upon pouring short for my martini, simply top up my glass with gin, straight from the bottle. And this is, of course, aside from the bartenders who simply don't know what my drink orders are. ("A gimlet? That's with an onion, right?") I once ordered a perfect Manhattan, and the bartender actually answered, "My drinks are always perfect." I said, "Well, I'm sure they are, but I mean a Manhattan with half dry and half sweet vermouth." His reply? "Well, why didn't you say so?" And so, I've vented my spleen, as they say. Let me just say that it's not my intention to malign the profession of bartending, so please don't think that's what I'm doing. But come on, I'm sure there are more stories out there.

That could very well be the case. Now that I think of it, my high temperature roasting experiments coincided with the installation of my Hearthkit.

Just when I've been converted by Barbara Kafka's high heat roasting, all this comes along. Seriously, I've done chickens this way twice now (about 500 degrees, start to finish, breast up, tented for some of the time) and have never had such good results from any other method. Using a tip from CI (loathe as I am to admit it) I placed the chicken on sliced potatoes and onions, which absorbed the rendered fat and kept the smoking to a minimum and were pretty tasty as well. But, I brined the chicken first, and I have a Hearthkit in my oven, so maybe those elements made a difference. I cooked by temperature rather than time, so I don't know how long it took, but I removed the chicken when the thigh reached 160. It was about 168 by the time I served it.

And next time I happen to have a haunch of roe deer on hand, I know what to do with it.