KatieLoeb

It was probably both. Too much acid + greasy fried food sounds like a recipe for disaster if one has a sensitive system or active case of GERD, as I do. Should I make it over to MidAtlantic I'll likely order a salad, dressing on the side...

Two chef friends of mine ate at Midatlantic and found the service to be very good, but the heavy emphasis on PA Dutch cuisine to make for a very vinegar heavy menu. Vinegary potato salad, vinegar based sauces, and Pickles, Pickles and more Pickles makes for way too much reliance on "SOUR" as a flavor element with not much to balance it. Not to mention the awful effect it had on their wine they were attempting to enjoy with their dinner. I'll be happy to check it out after they've had some time to work out the menu and perhaps find some other flavor profiles to include on the menu that aren't at odds with the wine list. Right now it just sounds like acid reflux waiting to happen...

This is kind of my point. If you show up with your own scoring system and score sheet format for everyone else, you look like you are taking the task to the Nth degree of seriousness, something which seems to have been sorely lacking in your absence. There's obviously a reason they asked you to participate. I doubt it was simply to fill out a judge's chair. Show them you're the cocktailian expert they signed up for. This should be almost effortless... Kick some ass, my brother.

Chris: Think of this as an opportunity to inject some seriousness and actual knowledge into the judging. Make yourself a point scale/score sheet for Flavor, Balance, Use of Innovative Techniques or Ingredients, and Presentation. Maybe there could be negative points for "Blantant Rip-offs/Derivations" and "Use of Ordinary/Poor Ingrendients", altough I suppose that might be covered by giving less points in the other categories. Show up with your score sheet and make the other judges feel like the rank amateurs they likely are. Be your charming self, but be serious. It ought to earn you some respect and make it a bit easier to stomach...

How about "Innovative Cocktails"?? Or "Innovative, Classic Inspired"?? I've been known to describe my drinks as "Left turns off the Classics".

I've been using the Cortas Orange Blossom Water from Lebanon for some time with great success.

Nope. As I mentioned, they've been closed for what seems like close to two weeks at this point. Granted, they were only open Thurs-Sun. at this point, probably the first sign that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are sitting at the bar, but I haven't seen anyone in there since shortly after the breakin was reported. I suspect that there's a lot more going on than a $2800 judgement putting a stake through Coquette's heart. Having worked through a bankruptcy at Rouge, I know that if one gets the protections that come with formally filing for bankruptcy, there are court ordered laid out schedules of payments being made to the creditors, etc. I'm not sure how the prior bankruptcy of SSOH might effect Cary's ability to do so at Coquette, but it is a separate entity, so I imagine that he has/had that option before going down in flames over $2800... Better watch those $9/hr. line cooks. Once they're lawyered up they're apparently pretty dangerous. What an inelegant and undignified end for what was a very cute little restaurant. I used to stop by there with some frequency on my way home from Chick's as it was right on my way and the perfect place for a late plate of oysters and glass of white wine. Haven't done that in a while since the late night hours seem to have been the first cut back. Also, all the folks I know that used to work there are no more. Sad.

There was still a stack of the Gundlach Pinot Noir at 12th & Chestnut tonight when I picked up my three bottles that were being held. I picked up 2 bottles of the merlot over the weekend at Soicety Hill store but haven't had the chance to try it yet. Will report back when I crack the first one open.

Slightly OT to vermouth but still on the topic of Mother's Ruin, I'm going to try skin this cat a different way. I have oceans of spiced simple syrup in the walk in at work. I'm going to reheat it and quick steep some tea in that, strain and then use it in the punch recipe in place of the club soda simple syrup. Then I can just add the vermouth as is as see how that works out...I'll report back.

I think you're talking about Penne. As far as I know it's still open. And their pasta is pretty amazing. La Castagne is good and should be added to that list. Certainly you can't leave Tre Scalini off any list either. Not sure about La Locanda. La Famiglia is fantastic and probably has one of the best wine cellars in the city, as well as an excellent selection of digestivo like amaro and grappa for your post-prandial pleasure.

I'll inquire about the Ceylon teas when I stop at House of Tea on my day off. I might also try the quick brew tea we use for iced tea at the restaurant that doesn't seem terribly tannic with some cinnamon sticks and perhaps just a couple of star anise. First I have to convince them to let me replace our Oyster House Punch (my own twist on Philadelphia Fish House Punch) with Mother's Ruin for the season. It just tastes much more autumnal. I'll be presenting it to management on Wednesday so I'll see how it goes. And of course if you figure out the answer to this quandry, please let us all know...

It's clearly worth playing around with this, but I suppose I was addressing the bigger issue. Vermouth has a lower alcohol level than say gin or vodka. There seems to be that imperceptible moment in the space-time continuum where tea infusions go from delicious to saliva stripping tannin bombs. There has to be some method of calculating/accounting for/working around that beyond the obvious "more tea, less time" equation.

Well you know, this batch of punch to bring along to the party was sort of a last minute idea for me, so I bought the supermarket cinnamon teabags rather than the loose tea called for on Saturday night when I had the brainstorm to do this. I have a very fine tea shop, House of Tea all of around the corner from my house. Next time I try this I'll use a loose cinnamon spiced tea as Phil recommends. But the tannin problem is one that I've had before with all sorts of tea infusions, not just in vermouth. I think a shorter time frame is called for. I think alcohol just strips the tannin out of the tea into solution really quickly, and that's something to think about when doing the tea infusions. I think that slightly raising the temperature of the alcohol base in a hot water bath (as per Audrey's advice on this topic) might make it go quicker and more efficiently as well...

When we last left our heroine... OK. So I made a Harvard cocktail according to the directions on cocktaildb.com using the following: 1.5 oz. Bourbon (Eagle Rare 10 yr. old) .75 oz. cinnamon tea infused vermouth .5 oz. fresh lemon juice .25 oz. grenadine (I have a really nice batch of homemade which is why I chose this cocktail...) dash of Angostura bitters (I added 1 drop of Fee Bros. Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters too, just because that's how I like things) Shake, strain, top with lemon twist. Drink was quite tannic and a bit tart. Put in about another half oz. bourbon and it was much improved. Of course, now re-reading the Harvard recipe I realize it was supposed to be BRANDY!!! D'oh! Oh well. I have the attention span of a gnat. This is widely known. By the time I'd gone down two flights of stairs to the kitchen, I remembered the proportions just fine, but not the main ingredient. Anyhow, my second pass at this I substituted 1.5 oz. of Rittenhouse bonded for the (mistaken) bourbon and the drink was delicious. I'm concerned about the vermouth turning tannic and bitter. It had only been out for about 6 hours or so in a closed container (truth be told I was running late to the party with the batch of Mother's Ruin punch this afternoon and bolted out the door) and my kitchen is pretty chilly, so it shouldn't have "cooked". I transferred it to a smaller bottle, added another small splash of Carpano and put it in the refrigerator in the hopes that I'm not sensing it "going south". We'll see if a bit of rest in the bottle and refrigeration does it some good. According to Phil's directions the infused vermouth keeps well refrigerated for about a month. Perhaps in a couple of days I'll try make a Harvard correctly with some brandy and also try my applejack variant with some of the Laird's 7.5 year old. I suspect that latter variation could be a positively epic autumnal cocktail.

Chris: I made 16 oz of infused vermouth - 14 oz. of Martini & Rossi and 2 oz. of Carpano just because I could. I'd bought a box of Bigelow Cinnamon Stick tea from the supermarket and infused 4 bags for about 2 hours in the 16 oz. of vermouth. The end result is delicious. I'm sure the aromatics of the wee bit of Carpano only helped, but I'm also certain it would be fine with just the Martini & Rossi, as Phil's directions call for. I'll report back shortly on what I made...

I go past Coquette virtually every day either on my way to and from work or running errands in the neighborhood. It's been closed every day for at least the last week or more, including at 7:30pm Saturday night, presumably prime time. Is it done? Is there any word on the local blogs? What's up with that? Last I'd heard, a couple of weeks ago someone had broken in, cooked themselves dinner, and stolen some wine and beer. They didn't even do their own dishes. Pretty bad manners...

I made a 16 oz. batch today of cinnamon tea infused vermouth (from Phil Ward's Mother's Ruin Punch recipe). I have about 4 oz. left and am going to experiment with it in something or other later on this evening. Will report back...

Andrew: Thanks for the invite! That really was loads of fun. I'm still deciding which soup to have for dinner, since I have so many choices... The Mother's Ruin Punch recipe is courtesy of Phil Ward (aka phlip here on eG). And damn that was easy and so delicious! I think I shall make just a glassful for myself to enjoy before bed. This was such a very good idea. I'm thinking other swaps might be in order like preserves, homemade condiments, cookies, healthy desserts, etc. Could definitely start a trend. So when's the next one? And what are we bringing? ps - I see you've located the USB cord...

Dennis: I thought I was already doing that. Right here, in fact. I'm flattered by your vote of confidence, though. I think my good friend Marnie Old has some of that covered in each edition of Uncorked on Philly.com. My problem is that my shopping is inconsistently done via the PLCB. I've occasionally been known to wine shop on trips to Astor Wine when in Manhattan, or in a :*cough*: neighboring state. However, I always do try to report back with anything with an exceptionally good QPR that I've found at the State Store. Perhaps when I get my own website up and running (boozemuse.net - I already own the domain) I'll be able to dedicate more time to blogging and maintaining updates to the site... On a separate and frustrating note, there was no more Gun-Bun Pinot Noir left at the Society Hill store this evening when I stopped by to pick up three bottles to stash for future reference. There was some of the Gun-Bun Merlot at a shockingly frugal $14.99, though, and I suspect I'll pick up a bottle or two of that when I go fetch my Pinot Noir I'm having held for me at 12th Street. Winery notes state 17 months in all French Oak. That's a bargain bottle if that's the case. Most wine that's aged in French oak (used or new) starts at a pricepoint at least twice that if not more.

Picked up a bottle of the 2005 Gundlach Bundschu Estate Bottled (Rhinefarm Vineyard) Pinot Noir to enjoy sipping during the Phillies game with a friend. Oh my! This was one of the most delightful bottles of wine I've enjoyed in quite a while! Luscious was the first word that came to mind. All big phat cherry/black cherry on the nose and tons of fruitiness backed with just a hint of spice on the palate. Big mouthfeel for a pinot noir, too. A bargain at $17.99. Winery tasting notes mention 11 months of aging in all French oak. This is burgundian style wine done the Sonoma way - all that big 'ol California fruit in your face but elegant and silky like a lovely and true to form Burgundy. There's a bit of it around the city and it's code 15601 - listed on the website as GUNDLACH BUNDSCHU PINOT NOIR 05 "Specialty". Most definitely worth the cost of admission. I've always been a huge fan of the Gun-Bun wines and this one doesn't disappoint. This joins the annals of my faves along with the Gun-Bun Gewurztraminer, my absolutely favorite domestic gewurz of all time. These folks know what they're doing. I'll be snatching up a few more bottles of this to set aside for a bit. Drinking great now, and ought to be fine for a few more years too. Run everyone! Before I beat you to the last of it...

New Fall menu started today. I stopped by there last night and got a little preview of a couple of the drinks from my buddy Colin. Can't remember exactly what was in each, but the Spicy Friar was really delicious and Alex's drink with gin, lemon, absinthe and just 2 other ingredients was also quite tasty. I love that there's such unabashed creatitivy going on behind the bar there. Makes me feel like I have to keep up...

The flavours here sound intriguing, but when I think of an asian pear, I think of more of a textural element, and less of a flavour. In Korea, julienned nashi pear is used as a crispy garnish for cold noodle soup "mul naengmyeon". Have you thought of using the pear more texturally? Like in a cubed salsa-like garnish, maybe mixed with grated ginger, to drop on the top before serving? What a delightful idea for a soup! I love the thought of using five spice. I find that roasting the butternut squash makes a huge difference, especially when it comes to using it in a soup. The freshness of the Asian pear would contrast nicely, especially if a couple slices are floated on top in addition to using it in the soup itself. Sour cream souds like a good idea too. Yum! Does anyone have another cauliflower soup recipe? I only used half of the monster I bought for the Curried Cauliflower soup. If not, maybe I'll just make another batch. I was hoping to have enough for work this week, but I guess we got greedy last night. It was tasty, and no need to feel guilty about another helping of this soup! Edited because I forgot to say: I think this recipe would also be great over rice. The Asian Pear idea was merely a substitution for apple in the original recipe. I figured it would add the same sweetness to the soup but in a different way. Turns out it was a bit too sweet for my palate, but I think the sour cream will tame that next time. The Chinese Five Spice was a substitution for what I deemed a predictable and one note grating of fresh nutmeg. I thought the Five Spice might bring a little more to the party and it's one of my favorite spice blends so it wasn't that far off base of a choice. That turned out to be quite delicious with the squash and Asian Pear, for the same reasons that Pumpkin Pie spice is good with pumpkin/squash and an earthy spice mix is yummy with a sweet autumnal fruit.

Been playing with Root for several months now. I like it, although a little of it goes a long way in a cocktail. It's not schnapps or liqueur - it's full on 80 proof Root Beer Whiskey. We're serving it at the restaurant as a digestif. More info is available on the video HERE. Back in July, I won the Root Cocktail Competition that was sponsored by Art in the Age and hosted at Silk City, here in Philly. The bonded applejack was one of the only things I found that stood up to the Root in a cocktail. The folks at AitA were also gracious enough to invite me to guest bartend at the Root Cocktails Pairing Dinner at ALFA where we enjoyed Root cocktails expertly paired by Chef Sean Ford. It was a really fun event and I had a great time. My Garden Gnome trophy now lives in a lovely landscaped garden in my friend's back yard in North Cape May, NJ. He's guarding the fish in the koi pond.

Tonight I made a test batch of Butternut Squash and Asian Pear soup that I'm thinking of bringing to a Soup Swap party next weekend. I seasoned a sauteed onion with a bit of Chinese Five Spice, then added a carton of chicken broth + one carton of water, 1/2 cup of apple juice and a large peeled, seeded and diced butternut squash. Brought to a boil, lowered heat to medium and simmered for 15 minutes. Add one peeled, cored and diced Asian pear. Simmer for ten more minutes then cooled for an hour. Pureed in batches in the blender with a couple of ounces of fat free half and half. It came out pretty tasty but a little bland, so I jazzed it up after the fact with some chipotle powder and salted with some Alderwood smoked sea salt. It's also a little sweet for me, so next time when I double the batch I'll use lowfat sour cream instead of the half and half and add the other seasonings before blending.

The antique hollow stemmed crystal cocktail glasses are always hand washed. Other than that it depends how I feel. Right now everything is hand washed 'cuz the dishwasher is broken.