JAZ

Although I found all the seminars I attended enjoyable, I think I learned the most from the gin and vermouth sessions. It's not that I didn't know anything about gin before, but it was educational to taste different styles one after the other (we tasted Bols, a Genever style gin; Junipero, a very juniper-heavy London dry style; Plymouth; and Aviation, a new gin from Oregon that was created as a "sipping" gin). Simon Ford of Plymouth (the sponsor) talked about the history of gin and the different styles, while Francesco Lafranconi mixed drinks and talked about cocktail ingredients and technique. The highlight for me, though, was the "homemade" lime cordial that Francesco made for a Gimlet -- caramelized sugar syrup, lime juice, dried Kaffir limes and leaves, lime salt and gin (which was supposed to have been flamed, but that didn't work out). Maybe because Gimlets were one of the first real cocktails I ever drank, they've always had a special place for me. I know that Rose's Lime Juice is disliked by lots of cocktailians, who swear by fresh lime juice and simple syrup, but to me, it's just not a Gimlet without lime cordial. I've wondered about trying to make a better substitute for Rose's but had no idea how to go about it. This was exactly what I was looking for, and I plan to try my hand at it soon. More about the vermouth session later. Now it's time for a drink.

Unfortunately, I didn't make the ice seminar. A problem I had with Tales this year was that in several cases, I really wanted to attend two (or more) seminars scheduled at the same time. For that time period, I decided to forgo ice and instead chose the Cocktail Family Tree, led by Dave Wondrich, who was joined by John Myers, Jim Meehan and Ryan Magarian. The idea behind the seminar was to explore the history of drink families other than cocktails (in the original meaning of the term). For me, it was interesting to see the relationship, historically, between the various drink families -- shrubs and punches, the sour and the "fix" (a short punch). I didn't realize, for instance, that the Collins actually started out as a gin punch, with the addition of soda and ice. Another revelation of sorts was Ryan's observation that most of the "new" drinks that are being created today actually fall into only a few families -- the Daisy, the Crusta, the Julep/Smash, the Sour, the Mule, and the Sangaree (wine-based cocktails). While I'm not sure he's right, it's certainly instructive to look at cocktails in family terms. It was a great way for me to start the conference, because it gave me a structure in which to place a lot of the information I gathered throughout the other seminars.

It seems to me that a better approach would be to work on frying techniques that reduce the amount of oil that's absorbed in the first place. Then you wouldn't have to worry about trying to get it out.

My "pantry" is just an extra deep floor to ceiling cabinet at the end of one of the counters, in which I've installed pull-out drawers so I can reach what's in back. I don't have a family to cook for, and I don't buy at Costco, but I do manage to fill it. Four or five vinegars and several oils; soy sauce and other Asian condiments; flour and several kinds of sugar; three turntables of spices; pasta, lentils, bulgar and a couple of kinds of rice; a few canned goods like tuna and tomatoes. I do shop pretty much every day, for perishables, but if I didn't have room for the pantry ingredients, it would be a lot more time consuming. And it's nice to know that if I don't have time or the inclination to shop, I can almost always come up with something edible from what's in the pantry.

I make spicy glazed walnuts (recipe here) that work great and are really easy. You could just omit the cayenne if you don't want them spicy.

Well, again, I'll use the pork tenderloin example. Never mind that the supermarkets here package them TWO to a cryo-vac package.........even one packaged by itself, and a small one, is too much for one person to eat in one sitting, if you want sides (starch, veg, etc.) I guess if I were smart, I'd cut it in half before I cooked it. Same with the flank/round/tri-tip steak issue. But usually, its late, its after work, I'm tired, I want FOOD, and the brain just doesn't go there. The brain says "smallest I can find...cook it all". Hence, leftovers. And sometimes, damnit, I WANT roast chicken (not a roast game hen), or roast beef. THEN the dogs are very happy, VERY happy indeed. ← I'm probably not the one to be giving advice, because I actually plan for leftover protein. Except for fish, I almost always cook more than I use in one meal. But I don't think of it as leftover, I think of it as not having to start from scratch every night. And when it's late after work and I'm tired, knowing that I'm already halfway to a meal is wonderful. So, for example, one night I'll roast a small chicken, and have roast chicken that night. A couple of nights later, I have chicken enchiladas, or tacos, or chicken and dumplings (half of which I freeze). I'll make some kind of chicken salad for a lunch or two. Or I'll cook a thick, bone-in pork chop, but I'll slice it off the bone, eat part that night, and use the rest in a curry or a stirfry. I slice leftover flank steak over a Thai-style salad, or make a steak sandwich or fajitas. That still might not appeal to you, but if you haven't considered it, you may want to give it a try.

Breadcrumbs.

If you like tequila, don't miss Tres Agaves.

I have no space for a garbage can in the kitchen except for under the sink, and no room for a lid. Guilty. I also live in an apartment complex with no recycling bins. I have no car, and the nearest recycling center is 5 miles away. I'd love to be able to recycle, but it's just not possible. So, guilty again.

We grew tomatoes in the Aerogarden at work, and had lots of fruit. The plants do have to be hand-pollinated (which it says in the directions), but that's just a matter of gently shaking the plants once a day or so when they get flowers.

It seems to me that there are really two issues here: whether someone with a seafood allergy can work in a kitchen effectively, and whether such a person can develop seafood dishes (part of the job of an executive chef or chef de cuisine). I don't doubt that the first is possible; if you have a skin reaction, you can wear gloves, and as has been mentioned, you don't need to taste the food that you prepare. You wouldn't be able to taste any seafood stock or sauces made with it, but it doesn't seem that would be essential. As for the second issue, I think that would be more difficult. I'm sure that, as Fat Guy notes, experienced chefs don't need to taste their dishes to know how they're going to turn out. But to get to that point, it seems to me that cooks do have to taste and experiment, and that's not going to be possible if you're acutely allergic.

As was I, before shopping at some well-equipped beverage sources. Now, I'm just confused. One particular store I can think of carries quite a wide selection (premixed), all with different shades of color, viscosities, and caloric content. To wit: * Collins Mix * Vodka Collins Mix * Sweet and Sour Mix * Sour Mix * Whiskey Sour Mix ← Collins mix is carbonated -- more like lemon-lime soda than like sour mix. Sweet and Sour mix is probably the same as Sour mix: that is, citric acid and corn syrup with artificial or natural lemon flavor. It's going to be more concentrated than the Collins mix, as well as not being carbonated. As for the Vodka Collins mix, unless it contains alcohol and is ready to drink, I doubt it's any different from the Collins mix. Same with the Whiskey Sour mix and sour mix -- same thing, different name.

I like the box of minis, too, except for the 3 Musketeers, which are okay but nothing special. But the Snickers is great, and so is the Twix version -- I might even prefer that to the Snickers. The Milky Way is good too (it would be much better if they had a dark chocolate version, though). I find that the smaller version is sized much better for my taste; the first couple of bites are good, but a full-sized bar gets boring by the end.

In certain -- albeit rare -- circumstances, pre-made sandwiches are the best option. Airports, for instance, if you don't have time to make your own food or to wait for a custom-made sandwich. Some places do it better than others; leaving the condiments off and giving you little packets of mayonnaise and decent mustard is great, if you can find a place that does it.

In Mark Bittman's recent NYT article on burgers, he recommends using a food processor to grind meat. It's not the first time I've heard or read this suggestion. It's attractive to me because I'd like to be able to grind my own beef once in a while. I don't want to buy a grinder if I don't have to. So I've tried it, but with dismal results. What am I missing? I did what the instructions said -- cut the meat into 1- or 2-inch pieces and process a little at a time. I ended up with chunks of meat virtually the same size as when I started, plus a little bit of meat goo. Was it that my blade wasn't sharp enough? It's old, and I have the kind that can't be resharpened; does that mean I need to buy a new one? Or is this really not possible? I know a couple of friends who've also tried it, also with no luck. What's the story? Has anyone done this successfully?

You could use the puff pastry as a crust and top it with the pancetta and bacon, with some caramelized onion and something acidic to cut through the richness -- tomatoes, maybe. If you braise the artichoke hearts in some of the chicken stock, you could then chill them and serve tossed in a vinaigrette as an appetizer. I wonder if you can borrow a friend or neighbor's freezer space temporarily for the stocks and glace de viande -- it would be such a shame to lose that, but as you've noted, it's not something that's easy to use up this time of year.

I've been making what I call the Orchard Paradise -- Applejack, Apry, a splash of Maraschino, lemon juice and a dash of peach bitters. It's reminiscent of one of the sweeter hard ciders (it was also described as fruit salad in a glass, but in a very good way).

I make a salad that's kind of a cross between tabbouleh and Greek salad -- bulgar wheat, tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, onion, feta cheese, mint and parsley. Dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Another favorite is rice, corn, black beans, red and green pepper and green onions, with a cilantro-jalapeno dressing. I've also made this one with quinoa and it was good that way as well.

Today's New York Times includes a feature article on bitters: A Bit of History, Reborn in a Glass. Along with other cocktail luminaries and Society members drcocktail and DrinkBoy, eGullet Society host John Deragon (johnder) is featured prominently with several quotes regarding his attempts to recreate the defunct Abbott's Bitters. Check out his contributions to the All About Bitters Topic here in the eG Forums. John is a host of the New York, New Jersey, Food on Radio & TV, Food Periodicals, and Food in the Dramatic & Visual Arts forums.

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I'm also looking for a new table. My constraint is space -- I have a tiny dining nook which is already taken up with a small table and my bar. That means that a dining table has to go in the living room, which isn't that big. I was hoping to find a drop-leaf table that I can keep against a wall until I need to pull it out. The problem is that I can't seem to find any drop-leaf tables that are big enough. I'm looking for something that will seat 6-8 people -- am I looking for the impossible?

Docking?

What made you decide on Chicago for your location, Toby? I've read here and elsewhere that Chicago doesn't have much of a serious cocktail culture. Is that incorrect, or do you plan to be the first serious cocktail place in the city?

Unlike most German knives, the Shuns actually come from the factory with a sharper angle than that. Aim for 17- 18 degrees.

I like mashed sweet potatoes with a little pureed chipotles in adobo; toasted cumin seeds with sauteed cabbage; and broccoli with oyster sauce or hoisin.