JAZ

Okay, I made my batch (I left the lime zest in the syrup for three days, because I wanted a stronger lime flavor), and I agree: it's fabulous. And yet, there's something about Rose's and gimlets that's so ingrained in my taste memory that I think I prefer Rose's in a gimlet, even though, objectivly speaking, it's not as good. That being said, I much prefer the homemade version in tequila gimlets, and it really adds a nice touch to daiquiris, giving them much more depth than plain syrup.

The guy at one of my favorite local sprits shops talked me into trying a grappa flavored with camomile (sweetened slightly as well), which is surprisingly good -- especially since I don't really like camomile tea. I'm not sure if the camomile is infused or incorporated into the distillation process.

Cafe For All Seasons on West Portal used to have a very nice weekend brunch, but I haven't been in a couple of years, and I'm not sure if they do weekday breakfasts.

Dr. Cocktail's new book isn't quite available yet, but you can get a sneak preview of it here: Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails Sounds like it's a reference book every cocktail aficionado will need.

I just saw an ad for a side-by-side with a flat-screen television in the fridge door, so (as the copy reads) you can "cook along with your favorite chefs." Too strange.

It's the August-September issue. Mine just came yesterday.

Steven Shaw, aka Fat Guy, reviewed Ms. Sheraton's and Mr. Maccioni's books in the latest issue of Saveur magazine.

Thanks for the link, Trillium. I found this interesting: I think that probably accounts for the way (As Sam originally noted) one feels sort of groggy the day after drinking, even if one really isn't "hungover."

It's my homepage. Isn't it everybody's? Actually, I go straight to the forum page, then backtrack to check the Daily Gullet. For the oven, you might consider a model that has convection baking as an option. Our store kitchen used to have two Dacor ovens, one of which had that option, and it was great -- I loved the convection, but if I was used to baking something without convection, I could just use the regular setting and not have to mess around with recalculating cooking times.

How about a rice and corn based salad? I'm thinking you could add diced red pepper and green onion, with a lime based salad dressing. You could blend the flavors to match your salsa, and the acid in the dressing would balance the sweetness of the pork and salsa.

A couple of years ago for Thanksgiving, I tried a recipe from Bon Appetit (I think) that ended up something like that casserole. I don't have the recipe, but as I recall, you saute shallots (or onions) and mushrooms, then add green beans with some chicken broth and simmer until the beans are tender and the broth is mostly absorbed/evaporated. Pour in some cream and simmer until it thckens. Top with toasted buttered bread crumbs (we had some extra toasted blanched slivered almonds, so I added those too). It was very flavorful, and it satisfied those people who wanted the green-bean-and-mushroom-soup casserole.

Dewar's was, for a long time, my choice for scotch on the rocks, which I used to drink only in bars. I always liked it better than JW Red or J&B and still do, but I've never mixed it with anything but Drambuie. Teacher's is a good solid choice for cocktails, but might be hard to find. I've currently got a bottle of Ballentine's in the bar because BevMo was out of Teacher's but haven't tried it in a Rob Roy. I'll give it a try and report back. I've taught the bartenders at a local bar here how to make Blood and Sands (Scotch, sweet vermouth, orange juice and Cherry Heering), and they use Cutty in the well, so that's what they've been using. It works very well in that drink, so I imagine it'd do in a Rob Roy too. I don't know the price of Cutty, though.

There were a couple of other strange comments in the article, leading me to wonder if Mr. Boyd had actually tried all the gins or was just reporting what others had told him (he's primarily a wine writer, incidentally). Lumping in Daresbury's Q (Quintessential) with Beefeater and Tanqueray as "fuller" was an oddity, too -- unless he's going by proof -- Q is 90 proof. But as for flavor, I'd put Q in with Tanq 10 or Bombay Sapphire; in fact, the blurb on Q at BevMo read something along the lines of "forget your father's gin that tasted of bitter juniper. . . this is the new generation. . ." Not that it's bad, but it doesn't fit the same profile as Beefeater and Tanqueray. And to suggest that Tanquerey 10's being available would appease the lovers of Malacca was totally bizarre -- granted, it's been a while since I've tasted Malacca, but I don't remember it being anything like Tanq 10. Still, god knows, it's nice to see a gin article, whatever its shortcomings. By the way, does anyone have any opinions on Damrak? From other things I've read, it seems likely to be closer in flavor to Malacca than anything else on the market. But I haven't found it in mini-bottles, and hesitate to buy a 750-ml without a recommendation.

It may be odd, but I have never found this to be true. I think it's because when I switch cocktails, I tend to concentrate on the flavors more and sip them more slowly. If I were to drink, say, a Martini, a Manhattan and a Sidecar, I wouldn't feel any worse than if I drank three Martinis. I might, indeed, feel better, because for me, that third Martini always goes down way too quick. (And just for the record, I'm talking normal sized drinks with about 2 ounces of base spirits, not those huge things you get in some bars these days.)

I haven't bought a bottle of salad dressing in years, but that's not because I have anything against them, exactly. I just don't make the sort of tossed green salad they're designed for very often. When I do, I have probably a dozen vinegars and oils with which to make one. My sister has some that are pretty good, although some are a little sweet. Girard's makes pretty decent vinaigrette, for example.

We ate the usual saltines with peanut butter or cheese and crumbled them into cream of tomato soup, but we also ate them in one of my family's specialties -- buttered and sprinkled with "parmesan" cheese from the green can, then run under the broiler until they were crispy. Because my entire family seems to suffer from a mental ailment that makes us forget anything placed under the broiler, they were often beyond crispy and well on the way to burned (my mother aways called those "nicely browned"). The most memorable instance of the snack + forgetful tendency occurred when my sister and I were in high school. She made up a batch, stuck them in the oven, and forgot about them until we smelled the unmistakeable stench of carbonized cheese. She pulled out the pan and we were treated to the sight of a dozen saltines all on fire with a slow flame, like small flat briquettes. We lived in the Seattle area at the time, so of course it was raining, and I'll never forget her reaction to the sight of the flaming crackers: she opened the sliding glass door off the kitchen, stood at the threshold and flung them out onto the patio, where they sizzled and eventually dissolved. We didn't speak of it, and I think that was the last time we made them.

I've been using them for years. Although I like the ones canned in sauce, I don't use them up fast enough and part of the can almost always spoils, so I use the dried ones mostly. Since I often just toss them in a braised or simmered dish, they work out great. Also, I make a spice mixture with dried chipotles, dried orange peel, dried garlic and cumin.

Original? No, but there are many people out there who don't realize that, for example, fresh basil tastes different from dried. As several posts have mentioned, it bears mentioning when the audience is new to cooking. As for the other side of the coin --the canned ingredients, the dried spices and mixes -- they can have their place too. I think part of the joy of being an experienced, unbiased cook is that one learns when to go with fresh and when the "convenience" ingredients are acceptable, even (dare I say?) preferable.

I realize that 130 choices may seem like an unmanageable number, but here's a comparison that helps to put it in perspective. There's a sandwich chain in San Francisco, not upscale at all, that does a booming lunch business. They make everything to order, and all told, I'd say there are at least 60 or 70 "choices" the customer has. But what it comes down to is 10 or so choices of bread (more if you count bagels); 6 or 8 choices of vegetables (some free, some with a surcharge); 5 or 6 choices of cheese; 4 or 5 condiments; and probably 20 choices of meats/other fillings. Plus a list of hot sandwiches. And you know? I really wish there were more cheese selections, and I can think of several fairly mainstream vegetable selections they don't have (roasted peppers, for example, or sauteed onions). My point is, when you break the choices down into component lists (breads, condiments,, etc.), it's not overwhelming in the least to have that many. Granted, 130 is almost double that, but my sandwich shop doesn't do made-to-order salads, so I can see the larger number being entirely manageable.

That's wierd. Once a long long time ago, I drank a lot of tequila with a friend, and we suddenly went into mission mode and climbed the up back fire escape of a frat house where some guy she liked lived. SEE! This is for all those sceptics. Of course, scientific method cares little, if at all, about anecdotal "evidence."

I haven't thought about this in months, but about a year ago, I tried Diet Cricket soda, a green tea and cola hybrid, and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Here's a link to a thread on the brand and my thoughts on the diet version. Really, I'm so used to drinking Diet Coke that the bitterness doesn't bother me -- in fact, I sort of like it. It's the same with diet tonic -- the extra bitterness is not a problem. As for other sodas, I find that diet root beers in general tend to be more like regular than any other category.

I like most varieties, but some of them I only like certain ways. I'm not a huge fan of nuts in baked goods (with certain exceptions) -- I really don't like them in brownies, for example. But two of my favorite cookies are pistachio crumbles and praline crisps, both of which are mostly nuts. I like macadamia nuts, but the combination of macadamias and chocolate leaves me cold. They're great made into brittle, though. On the other hand, I love toasted hazelnuts or almonds with chocolate. For the walnut haters, try this: pour a pound of walnuts (halves and pieces) into a big bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for a few minutes. Drain. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp oil and 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne (I mix the sugar and cayenne together so it's evenly distributed). The heat and residual moisture will turn the sugar into syrup. Bake at 350, stirring a couple of times, for about a half hour. You want them to be deep golden brown but be careful that the sugar doesn't burn. As they're cooling, salt them to taste (you'll need more than you might think, because of the sugar). The blanching process removes much of the bitterness, and there is something in the sweet, hot, salty combination that makes them irresistable, even to walnut haters. For cashews, if you want something different: Roast them until they're deep golden brown and salt them (if you buy them already roasted, give them five minutes in the oven to deppen the color and warm them). Then mix them with sliced shallots, scallions, serranos or Thai bird chiles. Right before serving, squeeze a half a lime over the mixture and give it a quick stir. You want the cashews to be barely warm for this -- too hot and they won't be crunchy, but the warmth brings out the flavors of the chiles and shallots.

My current favorite rum cocktail is basically a daiquiri made with Velvet Falernum instead of simple syrup: 2 oz. white rum 1/2 oz. Velvet Falernum 1/2 oz. lime juice dash or two of peach bitters Shake, strain and serve up.

Yank Sing and Harbor Village are widely thought to be the best dim sum places downtown. My experience is not terribly extensive, but I think both are very good. Harbor Village probably has a slightly more unusual (and probably more authentic) selection, or at least it did several years ago, which is the last time I ate there. I've never had a bad lunch at Yank Sing. Even their take-out food is good.

Cool. Will you be starting a beer column?