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the Homeskillet An old favorite that has become a classic amongst my friends 2 oz Rye (or bourbon if you're looking for something sweeter) 1/2 oz red vermouth (anything but Martini and Rossi... echhhhh) 1/4 oz Luxardo maraschino 2 dashes Angostrura Shake over ice until really chilly. Serve up Keywords: Cocktail ( RG846 )

the Homeskillet An old favorite that has become a classic amongst my friends 2 oz Rye (or bourbon if you're looking for something sweeter) 1/2 oz red vermouth (anything but Martini and Rossi... echhhhh) 1/4 oz Luxardo maraschino 2 dashes Angostrura Shake over ice until really chilly. Serve up Keywords: Cocktail ( RG846 )

Recent experimentation has yielded another cocktail unrecorded in the literature so far as I can find: 1.5 oz Bourbon (I used Evan Williams) .5 oz sweet Marsala 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters This is a lovely variation on a Manhattan. The marsala and Peychaud make for a very interesting herbalness quite different from what you'd get from plain old sweet vermouth. Well worth a try for Manhattan lovers.

Lead... and we'll each follow in our own time. Maybe with questions.

How would you feel about leading a bunch of extract brewers through their first all-grain brew? That was the next project on the agenda...

Kidneys are one of those things that are like sheep flesh. Veal kidneys are good. Lamb kidneys are good. Beef kidneys, on the other hand, suck. (as does mutton) See the Rosa Mexicana thread for a clear description of how terribly they suck... suffice it to say that they suck significantly. I've had good veal kidneys that are extremely similar to calves' liver, and terrible beef kidneys that smell like a urinal. Pork kidneys I've left alone.

I dunno about the blanket judgment of bland. I was quite mushroom-centric when there and the mushrooms were really quite tasty. Nothing was fiery-kimchee-sets-the-tastebuds-ablaze flavorful there, but I rather enjoyed it. Some of the pancakes and porriges did semm a bit flavor lacking from the tastes of others' I sampled... but some of it was really good. Some root or other I'd never heard of (I think todok, but am uncertain) was a particular standout good dish.

Ms. Burros: A very interesting discussion we have going here. Thanks for your time and thoughts. I'm interested in your comment about the European reliance on the precautionary principle. When looked at from one perspective, the European refusal to accept such technologies as genetic modification or irradiation or any other laboratory process does appear to be the precautionary principle in action. However, from another perspective, the failure to be as picky, if not moreso, than the USDA when considering dairy and meat matters belies that contention, don't you think? A very few people are known to become ill from raw dairy, and tradition prevents regulation. However bring in something new and unheard of, regardless of scientific pronouncements of harmlessness, and the continent is up in arms. All of which seems to tie in well with the Slow food movement... keep your science off my food... tradition is the best teacher, and such. Was wondering about your thoughts on the matter,

A vegan friend of mine speaks with fond rememberance of the accomodations that Gray Kunz made for him at Lespinasse. Now that Cafe Gray is an option, I'd bet the kitchen would be similarly flexible. Another chef well remembered by this same friend is Alan Harding... don't know what has befallen him other than Schnaaack in Blkyn. Hangawi is fancy, all veggie, and very very tasty. Or... call the high-end spot of your preference a few days in advance and ask if they could accommodate a veggie... maybe talk through dishes or preparations that would be particularly pleasing to the particular veggie in question.

Bottled yesterday. Well... put 6 L into my aforementioned Tap-A-Draft thingy and force carbonated it, and put the rest into 24 500ml swingtop bottles and 2 crown capped give-away bottles. So far, three 8g CO2 charges have been blasted into the beer in the Tap-A-Draft, and it has picked up a nice light carbonation. Very tasty indeed. I'm getting no chalkiness like Theakston notes... Am quite pleased. Can't wait to try the bottle conditioned variation. Have to wait two weeks for that.

Just checked out the free CIA course, but it looks more like cheese appreciation than a technical cheesemaking course. Actually it looks like an infomercial presented by the California Cheese Board, come to think of it. Cheese, It's What's With Dinner.

I've wanted to learn cheesemaking for a long time too! Will check out the free CIA course. May have to make the trek out to one of the local dairies that sell raw milk for this project too.

Mayhaw- Down there in Louisiana has any of the French cheesemaking culture made its way in to the local gastronomy? Any notable local cheesemakers or products that survived the journey down there from Acadia? Any particular market demand for stuff other than industrial Wisconsin plastic cheese such that interesting cheesey stuffs appear in supermarkets and other places one wouldn't expect them?

Hell.. Even I've homebrewed with nibs a few years ago... one of my tweaks to my abbey dubbel recipe. Nibs and sweet orange oil turned out pretty well... at least better than the present batch that used raisins and an ancho chile. Definitely not worth $15 a bottle... few beers are.

I've observed some downright stupor-inducing brownies that clearly has vegetable matter included therein. And damn, were the stupors I observed profound, at least judging by those I observed experiencing them. Time appeared to have neary stopped as far as those observed were concerned. I've also observed that some folk don't get the munchies... claim that everything tastes like cardboard and eating just isn't worth it. Not that I'd know any of this first hand.

The familial Thanksgiving oyster preparation is really simple, and really good at emphasizing the oysteriness of good oysters... Scallop 'em. Casserole dish with a shallow layer of crumbled crackers (saltines if you're feeling plain, ritz if you're feeling fancy) with a few pats of butter, covered by a layer of evenly spaced oysters, salted and peppered and otherwise spiced as you see fit (spritzed with Pernod mist, or otherwise) [... repeat until casserole full] moistened with the oyster juice, though only slightly... too much moisture and it gets gluey... and topped with butter pats, then baked until crispy and golden brown. Have fun!

In your context, absent tone, I'm not seeing insults. Were the tone a gum-cracking, finger snapping, tut-tutting, mmmmmm hmmmmmming, or otherwise insulting tone, then yeah, but "have a nice day" could be insulting in one of those tones too. So, given the words reported, with no attached tone of insolence, I see no insult.

I know that Hopewell is just outside of Princeton... as is Princeton Junction... I'm guessing that geographical nomenclature phenomena like that are localized, so Hopewell Junction should be someplace close to Hopewell. There's a Hopewell NJ, and a Hopewell Junction NY - I can't find any reference to a Hopewell Junction NJ (not that this has anything to do with project making 16 year old girls blush) OK. No Wawas for him, then. too bad. Anybody in NY know of any delis that have automated order taking devices?

Yikes! It is actually a really good system that allows the deli people behind the counter to concentrate on making the sandwiches rather than having to take orders, write them up and then make sandwiches. It also has the benefit for the orderer of displaying all possible sandwich ingredients as buttons, thereby facilitating new and interesting combo creations. You've got the POS terminal in front of you, and can do your own additions/deletions.

I know that Hopewell is just outside of Princeton... as is Princeton Junction... I'm guessing that geographical nomenclature phenomena like that are localized, so Hopewell Junction should be someplace close to Hopewell.

Since you are so dead set against any form of interpersonal interaction in the process of ordering lunch, you might want to find places that allow you to order directly from a machine, which serves as intermediary between you and the back of house. Having mentioned geography like Hopewell Junction, I'm guessing you're in NJ not far from Princeton. If so, seek out a Wawa. They've very recently installed touch screen ordering devices at all their deli counters. That way you can order a good and tasty hoagie or other deli sandwich, and never have to trade words with a potentially insolent human being.

Onetik Bleu de Brebis too.

Agreed that before you get all worked up, you should analyze their processes and attempt to tailor your order in such a way that it causes them the lest hassle. Did you consider that asking "without cheese" may have been a stalling tactic while trying to determine if there are buttons on the register for "bare burger" and to add toppings rather than subtract them? You may have been locking horns with their process engineers who figured that everybody wants a burger with everything EXCEPT x y or z, rather than a bare burger with x, y and z. If the buttons are set up to subtract rather than add, your method would, of course, flummox the order taker.

May have to take you up on that offer at some future Pizza Club adventure. How's gentian as a post pizza digestif?

a very reasonable thought indeed.