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Everything posted by slkinsey
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Still sticking to my idea that the commonly understood culture of a decade typically starts about 2-3 years in and extends another 2-3 years into the following decade (which would put us now just past halfway into the aughts), I think an interesting case could be made for the Last Word Plus Variants and Derivatives being the cocktail of the decade. Like the Aviation, it came to prominence and cocktailian ubiquity very rapidly and argely via the internet. It features two popular and resurgent cocktail ingredients (maraschino and Chartreuse). And it has been featured in a number of popular variations via the "theory of unified substitutions."
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Interesting info, Dave. That seems to mitigate in favor of Grand Marnier as a curaçao of choice for early recipes (again, with the understanding that we are already making a number of comprimises having to do with the nature of the other ingredients, the evolved modern palate, etc.). My going-in assumption is that the slightly less old-fashioned column-distilled version would typically have been called for by name as Cointreau (or at least as triple sec). Does this seem reasonable? When do we start seeing Cointreau or triple sec specified in recipes instead of curaçao or its various spelling variants?
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Actually, farro is the general-purpose Italian word that can cover three different grains in the wheat family. There is farro piccolo, farro medio, and farro grande (also known as farro monococco, farro dicocco, and farro spelta). When someone says simply farro, they are referring to farro medio (aka emmer wheat), which is not the same thing as spelt. Spelt is typically called spelta. This is a constant source of confusion for non-Italian culinary types, as farro and spelt do not have similar cooking properties. Try making zuppa di farro or a "risotto" di farro with spelt grains instead of farro grains, and you will see what I mean.
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I'm not sure I believe that there is a great deal to be gained from trying to base one's general-purpose curaçao choice on an idea of what a commonly-used curaçao might have been like in the middle of the 19th century. . . even if one is attempting to faithfully execute 19th century cocktails. A brief swing through the online JT reveals that few of these drinks called for more than "1 - 2 dashes" of the stuff, which would amount to perhaps a half-teaspoon. Since I'm not sure if the choice between Grand Marnier and Bols would be enough to make much of a difference, I don't suppose there is any reason not to go with the superior product -- and I don't think it's particularly debatable that Grand Marnier is the superior product of its class. Of course, if one is trying to reproduce Brandy Cocktail dating to circa 1870, and has been able to source 100 proof pre-phylloxera Cognac and Boker's bitters (or reasonably accurate facsimiles thereof), then some search for an acceptably "period reproduction" curaçao might be in order. Likewise, if one is able to source the various aged rums used by Trader Vic, or reasonable facsimiles, then there might be some point in attempting to get some of the DeKuyper curaçao he was using (provided that today's DeKuyper curaçao is anything like the product Trader Vic was using). But if one is using modern-day 80 proof Courvoisier VS in that Brandy Cocktail, and perhaps balancing it for a dryer modern palate, or various non-original rums in that Mai Tai, then the case for eschewing Grand Marnier in favor of Bols or whatever on some kind of historical authenticity basis becomes considerably less strong -- especially when one considers that Grand Marnier is, on the whole, a significanrly superior product. Now... if we could get real Bols curaçao here in the states, I might feel differently.
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That was my thinking. Cointreau sets the standard for triple sec. Period. And I think Grand Marnier is the best curacao. If I'm only going to have one curacao, I'd rather have Grand Marnier than Marie Brizard. That said, I do think there is some logic behind having two curacao liqueurs: Grand Marnier and Marie Brizard.
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Certainly the pinnacle of pizza making is the adornment of a superior crust with judicious applications of crushed tomatoes and fresh mozzarella such that there are some areas of bare crust, some areas with only tomato, some areas with only mozzarella and a few areas with all three. Post-oven lilly-gilding with a few torn basil leaves is optional but appreciated.
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Same thing for the capers. They're a condiment rather than a topping.
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Cointreau is better.
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If you have Cointreau and Grand Marnier, you're set.
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For professional work, actual jiggers make the most sense. I agree with John's recommendation of the half/three quarter and one/two ounce combination. One thing you can do is measure a careful quarter ounce into the half-ounce jigger and scratch a line at the quarter-ounce mark. It's also handy to use an adjustable spoon measure for amounts less than a half ounce. Jiggers are easiest to use in a professional setting because you can just fill them up and dump them in. That said, I don't find them all that convenient or easy to use in a home setting with bottles that are not fitted with pour tops. For the home, the OXO measuring cups are often a better choice. One measuring device can be used for all your needs, you don't need to fill it to the absolute top (meaning that splashing and waste are less of a concern), it works fine without a pour top, it's easier to use for most people than a jigger, etc. I have both metal jiggers and OXO cups, and tend to use whichever one my hand falls on first. People who work professionally are likely to favor jiggers, because that's what they know. My experience is that most home mixologists without professional experience prefer the OXO cups.
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I think it says in Leviticus or somewhere similar that pineapple on a pizza is an abomination before the Lord, and while it is not punishable by stoning, perhaps a serious shunning is in order.
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No, no, no... I need less than a kilo of Activa. But it is only sold in one kilo lots. Luckily a friendly eGullet reader gave me a few samples.
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Google suggests: http://www.drunkard.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=54013
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I prefer fabada (Spain's iconic "beans with meats" dish) to cassoulet.
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See here for details.
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Well, exactly. But, from a bacteriological or food safety standpoint, they don't seem to have showed much other than the fact that their relatively bacteria-free egg nog stayed relatively bacteria free over a fairly long time period. Assuming that their handling technique was good and their utensils and containers were clean (all to be expected in their line of work), it's not too much of a surprise.
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It's better to keep the citrus separate and incorporate that into the recipe at the last minute.
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I, for one, like going for a cocktail at 6:00 on a weeknight. One of the things that has honestly kept me from going to M&H a lot more often is that they don't open until 9 PM, and it's just very rare that I'm in Chinatown looking for a cocktail at 9 o'clock on a Wednesday night.
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They also, it should be noted, did not find that there was any particular salmonella-killing power to their alcoholic eggnog after it had been inoculated with salmonella. This suggests that, if your eggs are in good shape, you probably have nothing to worry about. But if one of your eggs has salmonella, it's not a given that the booze will kill it.
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This is something I need by tomorrow, so there's no ordering it from out of town. And I need rather less than a kilogram.
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I have a trimmed out chuck-eye steak that I'd like to bond together into a solid roast in a few days. Does anyone know where I could get a little transglutaminase in NYC? Or perhaps some eGer in NYC would be willing to give me a touch of it?
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Oh... you also asked about maintenance. You need to replace the gasket on the grouphead every year or two. Maybe descale every so often if you have hard water (we have very soft water in NYC -- I have descaled twice in approximately ten years). And you'll want to clean out the grouphead and the filter-screen with something like Urnex Cafiza from time to time.
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Some Egg Nog related science: http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10186
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I've had my Rancilio Silvia for around 10 years now. It's good as new. Better, really, considering that I recently took it entirely apart in order to install a PID kit that controls both the brewing and steaming temperatures. It's not clear to me that there is much of a difference between the older machines and the newew machines that is not cosmetic (e.g., the drip tray is a little different). When I opened mine up, the guts looked virtually identical (with a few insignificant details) to the pictures in my installation instructions which were taken of a new machine. To the best of my knowledge, the only significant difference between the new machines and the old ones is that the new ones have an adjustible overpressure safety valve. If you wanted to, you could install a new overpressure safety valve... but I don't know why you would. As with buying anything used, caveat emptor. Everything depends on how the machine is treated. If you do get one, I highly recommend installing (or buying pre-installed) a PID kit. It makes a big difference. Also, get a bottomless portafilter and the La Marzocco triple basket.
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For one of my crazy multi-course Thanksgiving dinners, I used to do a full course of Brussels sprouts preparations. Here is "Brussels Sprouts Four Ways" Clockwise from the upper right hand corner, there is: Sauteed with guanciale; gratineed with gruyere and bechamel; shaved raw and marinated in vinegar; and Brussels sprouts crème brûlée. It was originally a whimsical "joke course" but proved to be very popular -- especially the Brussels sprouts crème brûlée.