Smokeydoke

I thought it was a play on the ingredients, a bittersweet romance, touched by roses. I'm a hopeless romantic.

Violet Hour's Juliet & Romeo http://imbibemagazine.com/violet-hour-juliet-romeo/ 2 oz. London Dry gin ¾ oz. fresh lime juice ¾ oz. simple syrup (1:1) 4 drops rose water 3 drops Angostura bitters 3 slices cucumber 1 mint sprig This cocktail is what piqued my interest in cocktails, it sounded so romantic; Angostura bitters, rose water, gin.... what could be more lovely and tragic? Yet when I mixed it all together, it was more reminiscent of a cucumber martini, not a bad thing, not a bad thing at all. I can't detect the rose water (that could be a good thing) or even the bitters, they seemed to have sacrificed themselves to create a beautiful grassy note that works so well with the gin. I love it, definitely a repeater.

I love it! I may make the Raw Brussels Sprouts tonight, I've got all the ingredients.

^^ very pretty. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with a mai tai. Nothing.

I've never had Applejack but the recipe I posted above used applejack (I used apple brandy). I wasn't crazy about it, I think Sidecars work better with regular (cheap) brandy. The combination of orange liquer and apple brandy is weird to me. How about a simple Old Fashioned with Applejack instead of bourbon? APPLEJACK OLD FASHIONED Stir 1/2 tsp. sugar, 2 dashes of bitters and a splash of club soda in an old fashion glass until the sugar is dissolved. Add ice cubes and 1 1/2 oz. Laird's AppleJack. Stir and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

Love the label.

I absolutely agree! I'm not one for approval at all but it seems egullet tries hard to separate themselves from other food forums and I respect that. Besides, I'm not going to admit in public that I mixed a bottle of Osocalis with Triple Sec, that would make some readers cry. Maybe someone can start another "newbie" guide to mix drinks? Then we can post our daiquiris and mai tais with reckless abandon. Hey, we all have to start somewhere!

[Host's note: this topic is part of a continuing discussion. The conversation continues from here.] Well, not 2017 anymore, time to make a new thread? Tonight I tried Marcus Samuelsson's Big Apple Sidecar but subbed the Applejack with Osocalis (which I got on sale) and Morey Orange Liquer (recommended by staff) instead of Cointreau. Original recipe is as follows: 2 ounces applejack brandy 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice 1/4 ounce Cointreau, or Grand Marnier 1/4 ounce agave nectar, maple syrup or honey. I've never had Applejack, I've only had Calvados, and the Osocalis is much like Calvados. It has an overwhelming apple scent, not a bad thing. When mixed with the Morey, which is not as sweet as Triple Sec, it created a very complex flavor, not entirely pleasant. I'm a simple girl, I like simple flavors. But dang, did it go down smooth. :-) I'm new to cocktails (new to making, I've sure drank enough) and I'm still learning. I won't repeat this, it seems a waste of Osocalis. And I know DeKruper is looked down upon here, but I've used DeKruper Triple Sec for years, and its simple, sweet taste would be more in line with apple brandy, just my opinion, I know that's a jailable offense in some places. And no, I did NOT mix my Osocalis with Triple Sec, but honestly, it may have tasted better. Next time (if there is a next time), I'll leave the Morey out completely and double the agave nectar. That way the different liquors won't have to compete with each other.

Any drinks lately? Although, I can't say you're a novice anymore, I can't believe how large your repertoire has become in three years. It's kinda exciting.

The thread is closed. Any chance you'll start another one? I'd love to join in. I'm dabbling in cocktails myself.

I love Alexa, I have two Dots and an Echo. I mostly use the Echo in the kitchen. It's great for timers. It's also great for cooking information, like the internal temperature of ribeye, the recommended temp for brownies, etc... She's also great for store locations, hours and directions. And of course, she's great for music. I think it's a success, I got them at a bargain, so I feel I've gotten value for my purchase. Failures? The AI is not that good, Siri is better. She doesn't answer complex questions, actually she can't answer 75% of the questions I ask, they have to be very basic. I can't stand how one Alexa will pick up commands given to another Alexa in another room, but won't shut off when commanded. But for $25, I can't complain.

I love Martin Yan!

Well, I'll have to go and buy some! I can do a side-by-side taste test and see just how awful "cherry flavored brandy" is.

Last night's Coquilles Saint-Jacques with Champagne tonight, we tried it with bay scallops (Mr. S request) and sea scallops (as the recipe called for) and I will agree with Mr. S, I did enjoy the bay scallops more. They were both delicious, served with a side of wilted spinach.

Would this be acceptable? http://www.bevmo.com/clear-creek-brandy-kirschwasser--375-ml-.html The Dekuyper was recommended to me by the salesperson, I'm still learning. in his defense, I did say "cherry brandy".

It's sweet and it has a flavor reminiscent of cough medicine. I did buy a cheap brand, DeKrups, so it's my fault. I think one can sip it like port.

Reposted from New Year's thread, here's some French 75, Town and Country's version, which is as follows: 0.25 oz. simple syrup 0.25 oz. lemon juice 1.25 oz cognac brut champagne, I used approx. 4 oz. lemon twist for garnish Delicious. I love the combination of cognac and champagne.

Thanks for your honesty! I was just looking at your drink and was going to make it tonight since I have all the ingredients, but your opinion has turned me off. I have an unopened bottle of Kirschwasser and I have no idea what to do with it? I bought it for Black Forest Cake, but that was before Mr. Smokey told me he *hates* black forest cake. I have a feeling it's horrible for drinking, so I'm trying to hide it in some cocktails. Maybe with some champagne?

We ended up with Chinese food, non-photo worthy, but I will make Coquilles Saint-Jacques with Champagne tonight. I did make a French 75 for last night's libations and it was delicious! I don't like champagne or cognac, but I wanted to try something new and I'm glad I did, because this combination is tasty. It's a Town and Country's recipe http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/g2920/cognac-cocktails/?slide=6

I don't know if my menu is egullet-worthy. It's been hectic lately and I haven't been doing any hard-core cooking. But here's the menu for now, just the two of us, in Las Vegas. NYE: appetizers and champagne. This worked well last year. What happens is we're busy during the day, but at night, we'll cook an appetizer, nosh, watch TV, then cook another appetizer, sip some champagne, nosh, rinse, repeat. It's a lot of fun. Appetizers: Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Parmesan Deviled Eggs, I might get fancy and throw some salmon roe on top, mix smoked salmon in another batch, etc... Shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad with Lemon and Anchovies New Year's Day: last year we made pizzas all day long, that was fun, so I'm doing it again this year. Wolfgang Puck's Clam White Sauce Pizza Pepperoni and Mushroom and instead of a third pizza, I think I'll try King Arthur's Cinnamon Star Bread, but fill it with homemade pesto instead. Someone on here gave me the idea but I forgot who. Thank you! https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/cinnamon-star-bread-recipe Black Forest Chocolate Cake from Classic German Baking Cookbook. And I'm going all out on cocktails this year, a champagne cocktail for NYE and a triplet of vodka cocktails for New Year's. I haven't decided on the cocktails yet.

This thread is dangerous.

It's actually tasty, in a low-brow, non-haute, middle-America, kind-of-way. I made mine with canned tomatoes, black beans, chili seasoning, corn and pumpkin.Then I heavily topped with cheddar cheese. I just had to try it. It was very.... edible.

I had luck with PW's simple recipes, like her creamed spinach and 7-can soup (you literally open 7 cans and make a soup). But her mushroom tart bags were a fail and reading what she did to beautiful beef tenderloin makes me want to cry. She's not a chef, she's a cook, not even a good one at that, but she makes no secret of it. I guess she's aimed for the allrecipes crowd, which is annoyingly popular with mainstream America. She's definitely found her niche at, you guessed it, Walmart. Her logo, products and cookbooks are everywhere. I'm guessing because people buy that crap. I never watched her show but I would imagine it would be a complete waste of time. I don't think it takes an hour to learn how to make creamed spinach.

I'm having an Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad as an appetizer. I'm trying to find some balance to a traditionally heavy meal. https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/apple-cranberry-walnut-salad/

Roll Cakes. Roll cakes are my nemesis. They always crack.