slkinsey

I would think that the efficacy of a float would be a bit minimized due to the fact that a Swizzle is consumed from the bottom of the glass up through a straw.

I both agree and disagree with this statement. I agree that these are fantastic products. I own both the glass smooth and ceramic steels from HandAmerican. I disagree that price is no factor, however. Fortunately, this consideration seals the deal in HandAmerican's favor. $35 for a smooth steel by HandAmerican? A smooth steel by F. Dick will cost close to a hundred bucks! Everyone should have the glass smooth and ceramic steels from HandAmerican.

Based on the foregoing, it sounds like an additional rule "should include bitters" might be included.

I've used a food mill, yes. It's okay, if not as good as a ricer. You do have to be very careful about doing small amounts at a time so it doesn't end up gluey from being overworked in the mill. As for the blade, I assume you are actually talking about the disk. The medium disk is just fine.

Wasn't the QPS actually invented in Trinidad?

London parks: Alexandra Park Green Park Hampstead Heath Hyde Park Kew Garden Primrose Hill Park Regents's Park Richmond Park St. James's Park Syon Park As far as I know, the Queens Park Swizzle is not named after anything in London. Rather, it is named after the Queen's Park Hotel (which is likely named after the Queen's Park Savannah) in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Are you thinking to switching to a London-inspired name because of the gin? NYC has got some pretty famous parks too, and some association with gin. How about calling it a "Central Park Swizzle?" Perhaps if you subbed applejack it would be a "Palisades Park Swizzle?"

Ah, the very first "fancy restaurant" I ever visited. At least back in the late 70s it was über-old school. Roast beef carved tableside, etc. Interesting that even at the Ducasse level there seems to be a feeling that it's impossible to cook a whole bird of this size all in one go and achieve perfect breasts and thighs/legs.

Yes. I think the whole idea that Psaltis should have been "bigger and more important" before writing his book is a mistaken premise. After all, who was Tony Bourdain before he wrote Kitchen Confidential? A guy who had worked around at a bunch of not-very-noteworthy places while battling drug addiction and who then finally worked his way to some chef gigs at some not-very-noteworthy places. I mean, Les Halles is nice and all, but it's not exactly one of the top places in the city, never mind the world. It's unlikely we would be talking about him as much as we have on the merits of only his work in the kitchen (and indeed we have had precious little discussion about this aspect of his career) whereas we most certainly have discussed Psaltis's restaurants, and he is preparing to open another that we will likely be talking about. The argument can be made that Psaltis has, even at this young age, accumulated a more distinguished resume as a professional cook and chef, and is "more important" now than Bourdain was when Kitchen Confidential published. None of which is to take anything away from AB, whose resume suits me as just fine. My point, I guess, is that if you're okay thinking that AB had enough credits to write Kitchen Confidential (and don't forget that his book was not without controversy, even if he didn't name as many sacred cows), then you should be okay with thinking that DP has enough credentials to write Seasoning of a Chef. Ultimately I think Kitchen Confidential is better writing (or perhaps a combination of better writing or better editing), but that's neither here nor there on this particular point of debate.

Awesome. To get the party started, here is one in a dolsot I'll be interested to hear about the uber-traditional components as well as the more common ones. I've had this dish many times in NYC Korean restaurants, and will admit to being surprised to read in these forums that an "authentic bibimbap" is supposed to have certain ingredients, since I've had it in so many different variations.

I'm glad someone said it. I've been thinking of making a comment, but this is all that comes to mind right now.

He asked "which of the better known or well thought of pizzarias use a wood-fired brick oven, & which use a coal-fired brick oven. . . (note: NOT interested in those with gas-fired ovens)." That rules out DiFara, as it is a gas oven place. DiFara obviously belongs on any list of NYC's best pizzerie, but not on a list of coal and wood fired pizzerie.

Yes, this is a very odd and, to my mind, somewhat sad aspect of Dom's personality -- one that hints at a certain kind of narcissism under the exterior of the humble artisan. Not only has he to my knowledge made no real attempts to pass on his expertise, experience and craft to his children, whom he uses as gofers in his Brooklyn shop, but he seems to have actively resisted. You'd think that Domenico DeMarco's kids would be so experienced and steeped in their father's techniques by now that there would be little difference between a pizza from his hands and from his daughter's. But, as far as I know, he is the only one who has made a pizza at DiFara since the doors opened.

For example, I think a quick cooked tomato sauce or Alfredo sauce can be done very well in something like an 11 inch curved sauteuse evasée or sauté pan. For a longer cooked tomato sauce I'd probably reach for something that would be good for making a stew or braise, like an enameled cast iron casserole. Exactly. And if you have these pieces it drastically reduces your need for a large expensive straight gauge saucepan. I'm not sure that I agree with Alton that the heat needs to go all the way up the sides, but it certainly doesn't hurt. I also disagree with his recommendation of All-Clad. Personally, I'd go with Staub or some other enameled cast iron. If you read through the class again, all the differences between a saucepan and a casserole are explained, along with recommendations for different design types. I don't think there is any hard and fast rule as to the difference between a "pot" and a "pan" -- except that I would say as a generalization that "pans" have one long handle and "pots" have two short handles. In the home kitchen, a saucepan also tends to be smaller in volume than a casserole, as we typically use casseroles to do braises, stews and large volumes of things like Ragù Bolognese, whereas we're not typically making 6 quarts of Bordelaise sauce in a gigantic saucepan at home. This is an enameled cast iron casserole in an oval shape, which makes it good for cooking certain things that wouldn't fit very well in a circular pot. You could certainly use it to cook tomato sauce, braises, stews, etc. -- anything you would cook in a circular one. Two things here: 1. I don't agree that the slight grayness of certain Falk pieces in any way inhibits the ability to judge color. This is especially true since the pieces that have this interior color are pieces that should not be used for browning things anyway (more on this below). 2. The only Falk pieces of which I am aware with a matte finish are the regular straight sided sauteuses evasée (for making reductions and sauces). All the other pieces I have used have a brushed interior finish that is quite bright. Yes, it is similar in terms of brightness.

They both use regular stainless steel deck ovens. Sal & Carmine's is very good for what it is, a neighborhood slice joint, but not a destination pizzeria. DeMarco's is an attempt on the part of Domenico DeMarco's children to duplicate DiFara pizza in Mahnattan. I understand that they are not getting much in the way of support or advice from their father, who the last I had heard had not even visited his children's pizzeria, and it shows. (Here is a thread on DeMarco's.)

These are all interesting questions. I don't really have any answers, but am hopeful that others among us will be able to offer some pearls of wisdom on this subject. The only thing I can think of is that I'm not sure that the mere action of swizzling a drink with crushed ice makes that drink a "Swizzle" -- just the same way that every "up" drink in a "V" glass isn't a "Martini." So, for example, I'm not sure taking gin and dry vermouth swizzled with crushed ice and calling it a "Martini Swizzle" would be entirely consistent with tradition. On the other hand, gin, white vermouth, fresh lime juice, simple syrup (or falernum) and Angostura bitters does strike me as more or less consistent with tradition. But I hope others who can speak from a position of greater knowledge will contribute their thoughts on this.

Hey, I didn't say it was my Swizzle recipe. Just a Swizzle recipe. Yes, this is an excellent Swizzle, and partly what inspired me to start this thread. Two ounces of rum, I see. What size highball glass (how many ounces) would you say you're using for this drink? I think you can certainly call it the Prince Parker Swizzle. It seems pretty different to me: Prince Parker Swizzle Queens Park Swizzle (scaled) 1.0 oz : light rum 2.0 oz : demerara rum 1.0 oz : aged rum (Cuban style) 0.5 oz : 2:1 demerara syrup 0.33 oz : 2:1 demerara syrup 0.75 oz : fresh lime juice 0.50 oz : fresh lime juice 7 mint leaves 7 mint leaves 3 drops Angostura bitters 3 dashes Angostura bitters 1 dash Peychaud's bitters Muddle mint leaves in highball, Build in highball with crushed drawing mint up side of glass. ice and swizzle. Garnish with Add crushed ice. Swizzle. Top mint sprig. with bitters and garnish with mint. What sets the PPS apart for me is the fact that the QPS is originally made with a big, dark heavy demerara rum which will taste entirely different from your combination of light and aged rums. That, combined with the unique treatment of the mint and the different bitters makes it different enough to have a different name. Certainly it's a much bigger difference than there is between a Martini and a Gibson. Swizzles are, of course, not limited to just rum. I'd be interested to hear some Swizzle recipes using other base liquors. How about a Gin Swizzle or an Applejack Swizzle? Are there any characteristics that we think belong in an old-school Swizzle besides crushed ice and the actual swizzling of the drink? In my observations, it seems like classic Swizzles almost always contain some citrus juice (most commonly lime) and bitters.

As far as I know, the Giorgione oven is just a small prefab wood-only oven. In any event, it's nothing like the massive technical masterpiece at Fornino. Fornino's oven can go up to something like 1000F (although they don't heat it that hot, and it may even be illegal to do so). Giorgione's seems to stay around 600. I've been to Giorgione a few times. Thought it was okay, but not worth the trouble of going all the way over there. If I'm going to that kind of trouble, taking the L one stop into Brooklyn and going to Fornino is what I'll do.

There are many of both. Off the top of my head, and in order of my preference: Wood-fired Franny's Una Pizza Napoletana Fornino (special gas/wood hybrid oven) ápizz Celeste Waldy's Wood Fired Pizza & Penne Coal-fired Patsy's in East Harlem Grimaldi's Totonno's Arturo's Lombardi's Angelo's All locations of the Patsy's chain (not related to the East Harlem pizzeria, and not as good either) Others worthy of note Gonzo (grilled) Otto (griddled)

They have a wine license In the context of a discussion on this restaurant, it would be a pizza made in the "classic Italian tradition" -- which is to say thin crust, sparsely topped, baked at high temperature in a wood fired masonry oven, individual pizzas rather than "share" pizzas, and most likely featuring certain topping combinations that have become Italian pizzeria requisite standards. In my experience, the pizze at Celeste were very close to the Neapolitan style when they first opened, but have been modified somewhat due to the pressures of Upper West Side tastes. I'd say that the pizza there is good, but I wouldn't make a trip there just for the pizza and I'd have a hard time sticcking to pizza and not ordering some of their other dishes which I know to be first rate. For some reason I can't quite understand, a lot of the opening press on Celeste focused on the pizza and made it seem as though it were fundamentally a "pizza place with some other food." This was a mistake because in reality it's quite the opposite. Celeste could easily drop the pizza making and would still be a very good little trattoria. I'd actually love to see them make more creative use of their wood fired oven, maybe roasting some dishes in there. A Pizza Margherita consists of tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil. In the most classic preparations the tomato will consist of uncooked San Marzano tomatoes (they cook in the heat of the oven) and the mozzarella will be mozzarella di bufala (or at least fresh mozzarella). However, in the US it is not uncommon to see cooked tomato sauce and low moisture mozzarella on a "Margherita" pizza. A Pizza Napoletana consists of tomato, anchovies, capers and mozzarella (although occasionally without cheese) -- sometimes with oregano. Have a look at THE BEST: NYC Pizza Favorites and the NYC Pizza Survey for thoughts on DiFara and other pizzeria. IMO it is hands-down the best place in the City for a certain style of pizza (Italian-American stainless steel deck oven "pizza parlor" pizza). For those people for whom the toppings are the focal point of the pizza, DiFara almost always comes out as the best. Those of us whose focus is primarily on the crust find that DiFara lags behind many other pizzerie (primarily those using wood or coal ovens) in this aspect. Bottom line, though, is that it's a damn good pizza. Perhaps we should continue any discusion about DiFara in the DiFara Pizza thread.

Here is the bit from NY Metro. And here is a brief quote:

It may be a mistake to think it's a "waste to order off the menu," unless you've tried everything on the menu. The menu was compiled by Audrey Saunders and features many of her creations. Audrey is one of the foremost creators of cocktails working today, and it would be a shame to miss out on any of her drinks. Don't miss out on the Tantris Sidecar, the Punt e Mes Fizz, the Gin Gin Mule, the Old Cuban and the Earl Gray MarTEAni. . . and don't be afraid to ask about any other Saunders specials (the "Dreamy Dorini Smoking Martini" is a favorite of mine). This is to say that a big part of what makes Pegu Club special is what Audrey and partners have done in bringing together one of the top bar staffs in the country, laying down the vibe and giving the talented staff unprecedented space in which to work and materials with which to work. But a big part of it is also just Audrey.

It still depends on what you already have in your kitchen, what volumes you are cooking and what size pan you are talking about. In the size saucepan that is likely to be useful for blanching vegetables, it's still not clear to me that there is a great deal to be gained by purchasing a straight gauge pan. For something you are likely to make in small amounts -- like melting chocolate -- it can certainly make sense to buy a straight gauge pan in the 1 - 2 quart size, although of course you can always just use a metal bowl above a saucepan of simmering water. For the other things you describe, it strikes me that either a) extra control isn't particularly required; or b) a saucepan isn't the pan I would choose anyway. I've picked up a few of the pieces to see how they feel. Ultimately, I'm not convinced that it's all that different from their previous lines and isn't just a marketing strategy. Reports are that the larger diameter pieces are still just as prone to warping from high heat cooking as they always have been, which is an inherent problem with aluminum cookware at this thickness. It's also not clear to me that they are substantially easier to keep clean, which is a major issue with anodized aluminum. That said, someone with a different cooking style than mine (in particular someone who uses smaller diameter pans and doesn't like to preheat over high flame) might like them very much.

I do think it is taking local pride a little overboard to suggest that San Francisco is the best cocktail city in the nation. That said, they do have a number of excellent bars and some highly skilled bartenders there, if not in the same density that we have in NYC, and have their own piece of the cocktail renaissance. I may be mistaken on this point, but if memory serves, think SF was probably ahead of NYC in terms of cocktail bars using only fresh juices. I wonder if any eGulleters familiar with the SF scene could comment on whether there is any identifiable "SF style" at the best San Francisco watering holes. In NYC, I guess I would broadly assert that the leading places have a decidedly old school outlook, and that even new drinks which are invented have a basic foundation and design consistent with traditions from the cocktail's glory days (not too many of them are working with flavored vodkas mixed with fruit juices and Alizée, etc.). On the other hand, SF is quite close to some of the best makers of flavored vodkas (Hanger One, etc.), and I wonder if this has influenced the style there. Many of the drinks mentioned in the article seemed to be flavored vodka drinks.

Fee's mint bitters is one of those products that sounds like a great idea to most everyone who hears about it. But in practice, reception has been quite mixed. Some people enjoy it and others hate it. Overall, my impression is that most people fall into the latter camp. Regardless, I'm not sure I like the idea of adding mint bitters to something that is already mint flavored. Similarly, I probably wouldn't add orange bitters to a cocktail that already had a strong orange note, Angostura to something with cinnamon, etc. I guess I feel that there's not much point to adding more of the same flavor because it's not adding any complexity. This is why I find a lot of modern "new school" cocktails uninteresting (e.g., orange vodka with orange liqueur, orange juice, an orange twist and, of course, a splash of cranberry juice). So, for a Mojito, I'd much rather see a dash of some other bitters that complements rum. Angostura comes to mind, as does Fee's excellent aromatic bitters.

A certain amount of showmanship has been part of the bartending craft ever since there has been a bartending craft. Think of Jerry Thomas pouring a flaming arc of whiskey, boiling water and sugar between two tumblers as he made his famous Blue Blazer (click here for a picture of JT making one). Snapping the shaker back after pouring the last drop into the glass, flaming a twist, twirling the Sazerac glass to coat it with absinthe, flipping a closed Boston shaker in your hand to put the mixing glass on top before shaking, breaking the seal with a special slap, lifting the mixing glass high to watch the last few drops fall back into the metal cup, twirling the muddler in your fingers to shake off the rinsing water, pouring from the crack between the metal cup and the mixing glass instead of using the Hawthorne strainer, etc. -- these are all the sort of things that have been part of a skilled bartender's repertoire. I think we all agree that there is a big difference between these things and the kind of juggling one sees from Vegas-style bartenders. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with simply measuring the liquors, shaking the drink and straining it into the glass. And there are plenty of highly skilled bartenders who prefer this method. Ultimately the proof is in the product. If the drink is made with a certain amount of joie de vivre and, dare I say, flair -- that's okay by me so long as the drink is good. All too often for the juggling bartender the product is secondary to the show. Needless to say, this is not the case with respect to the bartenders at Pegu. In terms of "authenticity" and "old school vibe" it strikes me as entirely appropriate that some of the bartenders at Pegu have more flair in their technique than others. I do have to say, having been to Pegu Club many times at this point -- sometimes straight to closing -- that I've never seen any flair go over the top there. Maybe once or twice I've seen a metal cup dropped (never one with anything in it). That happens sometimes no matter where you go. I've also been there when the ice in a shaker exploded and the shaker slipped open and rained a little liquid on a customer at the bar. These things happen when you sit at a bar and someone is shaking a drink three feet away from you. I should point out, I suppose, that whoever was doing the shaking when the shaker slipped open was not someone who incorporated any flair -- might even have been Audrey, so it can happen to anyone. Flair is an interesting topic of discussion in and of itself. If we would like to continue discussion of flair in general, please let's start a thread in the Fine Spirits and Cocktails Forum. I've been wanting to sound out thoughts on flair ever since I saw a competition on television for "World's Best Bartender" -- which as far as I could tell was a juggling contest.