KatieLoeb

Or one could purchase a small suitcase at one of the airport shops, fill it with the new purchases (bring a roll of bubble wrap and tape) and check it then to the final destination. It's likelier to arrive than stuff that's getting transferred. Who needs clothes? You'll have booze!

This saddens me deeply. I type this with tears streaming down my face. Daniel was always so kind and generous with his knowledge. I had contacted him on several occasions with questions for articles I was working on at the time. He always answered promptly, graciously and with his signature wit and encyclopedic knowledge on whatever the subject at hand might have been. He was kind enough to contribute a recipe or two as well. I am so sorry never to have met him personally, as I felt I knew him through our correspondence. The world is a sadder place without him. Of this I am certain. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. I know he'll be missed. He already is in my world. Godspeed and rest in Peace, Daniel. Know that you left this world a better place through your presence in it. Something we should all aspire to do with the same style and grace that he did.

So I peeled and seeded two of these and added tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and a tiny bit of agave nectar along with three ice cubes and buzzed it up in my Magic Bullet. It made for a very creamy/custardy textured Margarita. It's tasty, but the texture is definitely a little weird. Not what you'd expect, even for a "frozen" drink. Flavor is what I'd imagine a banana/canteloupe margarita would taste like. I suspect there's an enormous amount of pectin in these. There's something about the gelatinous texture that is so different from other fruits I've had before. I definitely like paw paws, but I think I need to work on using them in cocktails due to their chemical make up and texture. I might stick with using them in more conventional ways in the future...

The little 4 oz. Tupperware containers make a not perfectly spherical, but perfect for a rocks glass ice mold. They're easily found, sometimes even at the thrift store, and work like a charm for spirits "on the rock". When I give "spirited" gifts I usually buy a high quality bottle of the recipients favorite spirit, and a set of two or more appropriate glasses to drink it from. I always look for vintage glasses at the thrift store if possible. So much nicer than brand spanking new and there's something about glasses that have a story, even if you don't know what the story is. Aged rum or cognac with a nice set of snifters, or good whiskey with proper whiskey glasses. If the person is into cocktails, then I find a vintage shaker on eBay and one or more good basic cocktail books. A subscription to Imbibe magazine is usually a welcome gift for the drinker.

Yes. American Paw Paw native to Eastern parts of North America. Not a papaya. I'll take a picture and post it later. Soursop Sour looks yummy! Might have one at the end of my night. I have a bit too much work to do for the next couple of hours to have one now. But it's a nice light at the end of the tunnel... I was thinking it might make for a tasty Margarita too. Might be easier to use the frozen pulp I have and make it like a blended drink...

*bump* Wow. Has it really been seven whole years since a single soul on eGullet has come across a paw paw? I have about 5 of them in a bag as well as a small ziplock baggie of paw paw "innards" from my good friends at Green Meadow Farm. They eat them out of hand I think, but I want to find a recipe to use them in. Anyone have some ideas?

Good to know. Seems only the 20 yr. and the Grande Reserve 5 yr. are available in PA, and only by special order, but I would likely have my favorite store in a neighboring state order for me, as the prices are far better and I suspect they'd have a better selection. The 5 yr. is listed at $23/bottle here in PA, so I suspect it would be under or around $20 in New Jersey.

Glad you enjoyed it. It's definitely not meant to take the place of a dry martini. That is and will always be it's own thing and a classic. The Dolin Blanc is delicious on it's own on the rocks with an orange twist or in the Blanc & Blue as a sort of lighter and slightly sweeter variation on a classic dry martini. I'm planning on experimenting with it a bit more and possibly substituting it for sweet vermouth in a few applications to see what happens. I suspect that will work sometimes but not always, depending on what else is in the glass. Will report back when I have something worthy of note...

Like Chris, I've never had a problem with the Don Q rums. The Cristal is the well we're currently using at the restaurant and haven't had any problems with anyone disliking it or sending drinks back because it tasted like vodka. Sounds like an isolated incident to me. The Gran Anejo is delicious and a value for the price if you're looking for a higher end aged rum and don't mind paying for it. My very favorite aged rum of late has been the Plantation 20 Year Anniversary bottling. Delicious and around $36/bottle. Great on the rocks or neat in a snifter. I haven't tried any of the other Plantation rums but since they're made by Cognac Ferrand I have high expectations that they'll be of equal quality to the 20 yr.

We have a drink on our menu called the Blanc & Blue. The Dolin Blanc is DELICIOUS with gin: 2.25 oz. Bluecoat gin .75 oz. Dolin Blanc Garnish: 3" strip grapefruit rind, expressed over drink and dropped in. This works with Plymouth too but then we garnish with some skewered blueberries along with the grapefruit twist so the name still works. This is the perfect summer martini. Light and refreshing without being as heavy and boozy feeling as a regular gin martini. It's quite popular.

I was bummed the Taco guys were not out yesterday too. I was really looking forward to some tacos al Pastor, and theirs are like the Holy Grail of al Pastor, at least that I've had. But it was lovely meeting you and the Mrs. and shopping together anyway. The pictures came out great! One small correction: Beechwood Orchards is where I buy my plums and occasionally peaches. Northstar Orchard is my go to for the heirloom Asian pears, and really great apples as well as Asian pear cider that I use for margaritas. Don't think you caught any pictures of their stand. Perhaps we'll do the taco lunch another Sunday, blogging or not...

Nate: By all means feel free to spread the gospel of the tasty Negroni. Thank you for the professional courtesy. Much appreciated. For me, the difference in these recreations/reinterpretations of classic recipes is in the details. Use the high end vermouths, better bitters and real organic, high quality garnishes. Seems a bit of a no brainer, but all those little things add up to a cocktail that is greater than the sum of its usually very few parts. You have to pay attention to the details when there are that few ingredients making up the whole. Each small substitution with a better quality ingredient lifts things up to a new plane. Still simple and straightforward as most classic recipes are wont to be, but BETTER.

Thanks for the info on the peaches. I might have to consider getting some less than perfect peaches from them for making peach syrup to get me through the winter. That's a bargain for all that fruit! Hope your hand is better tomorrow. I keep a bottle of aloe vera gel with anesthetic in it (the kind for sunburn) in my refrigerator door. It's always at the ready if I burn myself in the kitchen and feels awesome going on cold if I do accidentally get a sunburn.

So your peach compote has: 1) no added sugar? 2) or even a pinch of tartaric acid or a bit of lemon juice to retard spoilage? Interesting. You said you'd be freezing a lot of this. Does it defrost well or does the texture suffer? Might it be better to do it canning style? Or puree it into a syrup texture and then can or bottle it in sterilized jars/bottles? Curious how this keeps. I never have enough room in my freezer to keep this sort of stuff in any quantities. My refrigerator is so crammed with bottles of homemade cocktail paraphernalia that I'd have to find a way to make it shelf stable or get a DBR - Dedicated Beverage Refrigerator - for stuff like this. I can't believe they sold you that entire CRATE of peaches for $10!! That's just crazy. I had one of the white peaches I bought from the same vendor as a snack earlier. They're unbelievably perfectly ripe and delicious right now. I'll definitely be enjoying them for breakfast the rest of the week...

Did you rub Philbert's nose and make a wish while you dropped money in his mouth?? Legend has it your wish will come true if you do that. I never leave RTM without paying homage to Philbert and helping support The Food Trust. One must curry favor with the pig regarding their wishes...

True. John's is hard to get to when they're open, and DiNic's is overcrowded when it IS open. Neither has truly decent seating, but at least at the market there's hope of finding a seat in the central dining area if you've managed to wait out the line. Tony Luke's is by far both the easiest in terms of hours (open real late too!) and has a reasonable amount of seats right there. Best of both worlds.

Tonight's episode of Sugar High will feature several of my very favorite Philadelphia dessert spots. I've caught a bit of this program before and have enjoyed it. I think Duff Goldman's experience as a specialty baker gives him a unique perspective on the talents of other bakers and sweets makers. Has anyone else enjoyed this new program yet? How do you feel about it?

OK - that's fair. I like mine with either spinach or broccoli rabe as the green portion of the Italiano, with a slight edge going to the rabe only because I think the bitterness cuts the fattiness of the meat and cheese nicely. So I gather you're a fan of John's vs. any of the other possibilities? I love John's but the hours are so inconvenient. I usually hit Tony Luke's or DiNic's for my roast pork fix. edited to add: And the rolls are a work of art! Wish I was more of a baker, but things that rise make me skeered...

Will you be making homemade Roast Pork Italiano sandwiches?? Garlicky sauteed broccoli rabe and sharp provolone are the only missing elements. I think everyone needs to see what a better sandwich it is than a cheesesteak. I remain on my crusade to elevate that sandwich to the same or higher status than the cheesesteak.

If the store your student is shopping carries the Smith & Cross it is likely they will have the Cocchi Americano as well or at least could order it, as they are both part of the same importer's portfolio, Haus Alpenz. If you can get it, you should try their Cocchi Barolo Chinato (scroll down HERE for a description) as it pairs wonderfully well with chocolate. Sounds right up your alley...

I completely respect Nolnacs ability to make lists and plan. I will occasionally commit a list to paper if I have a long list of things I know aren't already in the pantry for a new recipe I'm trying or whatever, but most of the time the "list" is short enough that I can remember the four or so things I went for. The supermarket I shop most frequently isn't more than a half mile or so from my house and there are other options including a Whole Foods that are literally on my way home from work if I need something without going out of my way in the least.

More great pics of some of my favorite places. Philly rocks the eating department. I love those guys at Downtown Cheese. They're so helpful and generous with tastes of stuff you're not sure about. Blog on, buddy. Looking forward to the pics from Head House...

That would be a proper Vesper, for those that are keeping track...

OMG. I have a friend that finds the need to send email "memos" about his latest health crises in excruciating gory hold-no-bars detail to a long list of addressees. And who wants to talk about nothing else but the most inappropriate details of whatever his latest health crisis is over the dinner table when we have the rare opportunity to enjoy an opportunity to break bread. It's so far into the Too Much Information zone I don't even know where to begin. I can only imagine what the folks at the next table are thinking.

YAY!!! Hometown blogging! You've already been to several of my favorite places. We've likely passed each other at the Head House Farmers Market. It's about 2 blocks from my house. Are we neighbors too? I'll be there tomorrow, probably around noon or so. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to meet up. I think lunch from the Taquitos de Puebla stand at the market would be an awesome addition to your blog! Really looking forward to the rest of the week. It's Restaurant Week next week so you could eat out with abandon and find some great bargains too. Show off our fair city and all the wonderful eats. Maybe then everyone will finally commit to having the 2012 Heartland gathering here...