JAZ

Well, I've done pickled beets with red wine in the "brine" -- can't imagine that vermouth would be that different. Anyway, we'll find out.

I'm not sure this survey tells us much at all. Some societies (like the US) have a split personality when it comes to alcohol consumption -- lots of complete abstainers and lots of "abusers"; while others (like France) have a more moderate consumption practiced by more people (in other words, not as many abstemious citizens, but not as many abusers either). It'd also be more interesting to know in what form the various countries tend to imbibe their alcohol -- beer, wine or distilled spirits. By the way, I'm sure that I, personally, up the average in the US.

Again, it's simply a difference in perspective. You are paid to not be judgmental about what your customers drink, just as a waiter is paid to not be judgmental about what his customers eat. But, that doesn't mean that one may not have an opinion about eating a well-done dry-aged porterhouse or drinking a big glass of Jaegermeister on the rocks (both of which I would characterize as misuses of good products). Indeed, I would suggest that we wouldn't have much to talk about on eGullet if we were constrained from remarking on trends having to do with what people choose to eat and drink. Strictly speaking, those in the service industry can be as judgmental as they want; they get paid not to show it. I get paid to listen to (sometimes) really stupid questions and comments about cookware and not let my opinion show. It doesn't mean I don't have an opinion. Beans gets paid to serve anything her patrons want and keep a straight face. That, I completely understand. What she seems to be saying, though, is that she doesn't ever have a negative opinion about her patrons' requests, and that seems to require superhuman control.

Where, oddly, the dill is often absent. Really -- check out most brands of "dill pickles" and you won't find any dill.

Can't help you with the souvlaki, but here's the tzadziki recipe I use (it's actually based on a Turkish version I had in a cooking class years ago; I also have a fabulous carrot salad recipe from the same class if you're interested). Drain 2 cups whole milk yogurt by spooning it into a cheescloth lined sieve. Wrap the cheesecloth over the top and weight it down with a small bowl filled with water. Refrigerate for a few hours. Peel, seed and grate one medium cucumber. Drain and pat dry. Mix the yogurt and cucumber with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic, 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tsp. each chopped fresh dill and mint.

But how did this one nasty Teutonic digestif get selected over and above every other spirit as the American college boozer's liquor of choice? Was there some incredible campus marketing campaign once upon a time? Is it some cultural reference I missed? (A Baffled Brit) There was a huge marketing campaign for Jaegermeister about 15 years ago -- scantily clad "Jaeger" girls would visit bars, pour chilled shots, give away merchandise and in some cases stock the bar with a special Jaegermeister pouring machine. It was very successful, you have to give them credit for that -- the simple fact of chilling it down made it vastly more palatable to the average bar patron. Me? I'd just as soon drink Vick's 44. (And I like digestifs.)

Well, if you want to give it a try, I'd start with 2 ounces of Gordon's and just over 1/4 ounce of M&R. One key is to get it as cold as you can -- stick your glass in the freezer for 10 minutes or so, use lots of ice in the shaker, and if you're using the big home freezer type cubes, you probably want to shake it (but not so hard it froths. If you have commercial ice (smaller chunks, in other words) you can probably get it cold enough by stirring. When I drink Gordon's in martinis (not my first choice, but very acceptable nonetheless) I add more vermouth (about half an ounce) but you may want to start with the lesser amount. Sorry I can't help you with the proportions for the vodka -- I've never had a vodka martini. If you like olives, by all means use them to garnish. A dribble of olive brine does, indeed, make a martini into a "dirty martini." I'd suggest trying the martini without it first, then -- if you think it will add a welcome note -- pour a tiny amount in.

Thanks. I was thinking of using vermouth in the pickling brine -- do you think if I substituted it for the water it would work?

Back to the topic of vermouth. . . Which vermouth(s) do you pour in your martinis? My preference for dry vermouth is Noilly Prat. I got a bottle of Martini and Rossi because it was on sale, and I'm not crazy about it. I find it less delicate, somehow. In fact, I poured a martini using Cascade Mountain gin and M&R in my usual 4 to 1 proportion and found the M&R to be completely overwhelming. Ended up at about 8 to 1 to make it work with the Cascade. I'm also a big fan of Lillet as a stand-in for dry vermouth, and find Vya to have a similar flavor profile.

I'm going to try my hand at pickling pearl onions. I have an idea to start with (a combination of a couple of recipes) but am wondering if anyone has a tried and true recipe. I'm not planning to sterilize and seal these -- just refrigerate them -- but I can adapt traditional recipes.

My problem with that method is that the bread dries out by the time it toasts, because I can't get it close enough to the broiling element (I don't want crostini, I want toast). Plus you have to turn it over, plus you have to remember that it's in the oven. Not a reliable option for me.

I like vermouth in my martinis. When I order martinis at bars and restaurants, I specify how much vermouth I want (it varies depending on the gin -- somewhere between 6 to 1 and 4 to 1), because it's almost always a lot more than the bartender would add without direction. But I'm sure I'm atypical in that regard. If I ordered a martini and received a cocktail glass with straight chilled gin, I would send it back. You can always spot a bartender from the it-can't-be-dry-enough school of martini making, because he or she will pour vermouth in the cocktail glass (being used to pouring vermouth in and then dumping it) and then, unsure how to proceed, will add the chilled gin to it, which upsets me greatly since it raises the temperature of the martini unnecessarily.

The toaster came yesterday, and it's great. So great that I had toast for dinner. And a salad, but mostly toast.

This sounds like a promising avenue of experimentation to me. I read somewhere (man, if I had a dollar for every time I used that phrase!) that one of the most common errors in "smelling tests" is to mistake chocolate for vanilla and vice versa. Perhaps some potatoes have an unusually high level of vanillin in the skin?

I'm just curious, Sam -- what do you use for gin cocktails other than martinis? I generally have two bottles in the bar -- Gordon's for cocktails with lots of other ingredients for distraction, like the (now) famous 20th Century or Corpse Reviver, the Jasmine, or a Bronx on those very rare occasions when I drink one. I've even come around to Gimlets made with Gordon's, although for years I made them with Tanquerey. But then I have a bottle of something better (Boodles is my standard; Cascade Mountain my new favorite) for martinis. Do you have a two-tier gin system too? Do you think it's a waste to use premium gin in other cocktails?

Ah, but at a wedding reception with an open (free) bar, why not go nuts? Doesn't matter. It's still wrong.

A friend was bartending at a wedding reception and had three guests ask for Johnnie Walker Gold and coke. We call that "alcohol abuse." For some questionable combinations, check out this old thread: Crazy Drinks

You might want to try for a geographical spread, in which case you could add Auchentoshan (a lowland), Springbank (from Campletown), and Bowmore or Laphroaig 15 year old. As for food, I'd suggest smoked salmon, as mentioned above. In fact, any lightly smoked food is a good match (stay away from anything too spicy, though). Mushrooms can be a good match. And you absolutely can't beat caramel and Scotch.

Sounds tasty. There are a lot of interesting drinks that could be made on a similar formula. Another similar drink I finally got around to trying is one Dr. Cocktail mentioned at one point -- the Corpse Reviver (II). It's equal parts gin, Lillet, triple sec and lemon juice, with a mere trickle of Pernod added. Maybe because I really like licorice, I love this drink. The Pernod gives the drink just a hint of licorice, similar to the way the creme de cacao gives just a hint of chocolate. Definitely worth trying if you like the 20th Century.

Something else that occurred to me would be to fix two very different cuts of meat from the same animal, like porterhouse steak (tender, cooked quickly) and braised short ribs or pot roast; or lamb chops and braised lamb shanks. You could explore both the cuts of meat and the cooking methods that way.

Actually, I don't have a toaster oven. I had one for a while. It was handy for heating up small amounts of food, melting cheese on an open face sandwich and that sort of thing, but mine never made very good toast. Besides, I never did like having it out on the counter. So when it died, I didn't replace it -- I got a plain toaster. And incidentally, I found the Russell Hobbes on Amazon for $39.99, with free shipping, so I went ahead and ordered it. I like the fact that they specify that the toast is crisp on the outside but stays moist inside, because that's how I like my toast. No other toaster manufacturer I've know of mentions that. So even though it was twice what I orginally planned to spend, I think it will be worth it.

I too make a vinegar-based salad with them, but add minced fresh dill and mint, plus a sprinkle of hot chile flakes. I also love tsatiki (sp?) -- I could eat it by the bowlful.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a moderately priced, low tech toaster? My little $9 unit just died and I need to replace it. [it actually still heats up, it just never turns off unless it's unplugged.] Yes, I work at Sur La Table, but we only sell expensive models. I don't want to spend more than $20 -- is that possible? How are the basic Black and Deckers? I don't care at all about the look of the toaster -- undoubtedly because of some bizarre genetic trait, I can't stand to have a toaster out on the counter when it's not in use, so pretty or not, it will live in the cupboard. It would be nice to have wide slots, but that's about all I require. [Well, except that the heating element turn off when the toast pops up -- that would be a good thing.]

I had a fabulous variation on the Pimm's Cup at the Starlight Room in the Sir Francis Drake hotel. It was called a Pimm's Rose (I think) and was made with Hendricks gin, Pimms, something else and a splash of cranberry juice. Served tall over ice, with a cucmber garnish -- of course. (Unfortunately, I also had several other fabulous drinks there, and my memory is tainted, so I can't remember all the details.) I have to say, I was uneasy about the cranberry, but it worked.

Yes, I realized later that the mayonnaise sauce was key with the match. I tried marinated artichokes with a martini, and the results were good, but not as great as my original try. The "martini aioli" is a good "bridge," as DrinkBoy puts it. And so is a tiny splash of Cynar in the martini, if you happen to have it on hand. Actually, I've gotten rather fond of the Cynar Martini, with or without artichokes to accompany it. I find the Cynar works best with a minimum of vermouth, and even works in place of vermouth, if you add a bit more.