Placebo

Greetings folks - it's been a while. As some of you may recall, I spent several years as a cheese maker, at Beecher's Handmade Cheese, thanks to eGullet. I wound up eventually leaving the business due to there not being growth options that wouldn't force me to move to the middle of nowhere, plus I developed a casein allergy while actually doing the work After several years back in IT, I'm now reconsidering an idea that's been kicking around in my head for 7 or 8 years now - namely going into professional distilling. With the rapid growth of distilleries in Washington (and, apparently, some very craft-distillery-friendly laws) this seems like a good time for it, though, as with cheese making, opportunities are few and far between. I've only done a little bit of dabbling in the actual art, but, in talking to a distiller friend in Austin, a lot of my cheese experience will translate directly over and it'll just be about learning the details. So, I come to you, eGulleteers, to ask those of you in the food world to keep an ear to the ground for potential opportunities. I've taken a poke at the Washington Distillers Guild forums but they are very very quiet. I'm also talking with friends specifically in the biz (distributors and a few well-connected bartenders) but any suggestions or input would be greatly appreciated.

I'm in NYC for a week and one of my goals is to see if I can get my hands on a bottle or two of an obscure German liqour called Ratzeputz. It's an herbal tonic with a flavor akin to what I imagin Jaeger might have been like before it was commercialized and heavily sweetened. I suspect it's not even available stateside at all - the stuff that I've had was all brought over from Germany by a friend's family. Any suggestions on places to look would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks. If memory serves (and given the drinking that night it might not) it was on Pike a block or so up the hill from Kincora and Man Ray.

I second the Green Leaf suggestion. I've been there twice in the last week. For drinks I might also recommend Kurrant. I just ran across this place over the weekend while looking for a place to have cocktails before heading to dinner at Lark. The bartender makes his own flavored syrups. I had a Tarragon Swizzle that was quite possibly the tastiest cocktail I've ever had. My friend had a sort of cosmo type drink garnished with fresh currants and rimmed with the powder made from drying Campari. Very nice. So nice that we went back after dinner and brought more friends. The bartender was also happy to tell us how to go about making our own syrups and such. Pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/particle-wave...in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/particle-wave...in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/particle-wave...in/photostream/

Well, I don't run Beecher's as a whole but I do manage the main production floor down at Pike Place (and am typing this from there right now as I get ready to fire up the pasteurizer). EGullet foundme this job and the local gulletteers (gulletoids?) were super helpful and supportive. I've just been too busy to spend much time here lately (and living in Chinatown for the last 15 months has made me very lazy in the kitchen (something I'm attempting to remedy now). Also,I need that Out of My Kitchen Noob shirt

I lack cable and wasn't able to wrangle someone to record the episode. Apparently I got some great air time on the production floor at Beecher's. It was something like completing the circle for me, as it was Kitchen Confidential that got me seriously thinking about a career change into the food world. Four years later, Bourdain's interviewing me about cheese making. That said, if someone managed to record it I'd love to see it.

If anyone managed toi record the show I'd love to see it. Word on the street is that I got a nice little bit of very good air time here at Beecher's and I'd love to actually see it. -Amir

I live in Seattle so my cured meat needs are handled by Salumi pretty much exclusively. Living half a dozen blocks away from them makes it even easier.

I was at the bewpub.. er... march 2005 and it was great. Overheard some absurdly funny conversation while drinking my really excellent beer.

I'll be in Portland next month for the American Cheese Society conference. Clearly I will need to find a way to fit in trying some of this stuff in the process.

You might want tocal ahead first. I don't know about the raw cow milk but the raw goat milk is available only intermitently (I think the goats just wrapped up a dry spell recently).

I've had religious experiences from the porchetta at Salumi. I'm aklso a big fan of the Nw Yorker at Tat's. Like any proper east coast deli sandwich thew bread is more decorative than practical. Yum!

I like Jade Garden a lot for Dim Sum.I like Mike's for noodles - when I walk by, the aroma of the soupswafting out reminds me of Hong Kong. I've been meanin to try their congee. I hear the cod variety is particularly good. The place I go the most often, though (and I live next door to the aformentioned Hong Kong that is being renovated) is Kau Kau. They have *the* best char siu and roast duck. the roast pork is juicy and tender inside and just a little crisp in its rich redness (no supermarket bright pink rind here). The roast duck is incredibly rich and so so juicy. I save he bones and make soup with them. They do a mean sie pork as well and a great chinese broccoli. I would wager that there is almost nothing there that a vegetarian could eat apart from white rice. Even the chinese broccoli is swimming in pork fat. I go there far far too often. I can feel my arteries clogging just typing this. For Sichuan style cooking I like the place up on the w corner of 12th and Jackson. Called Sichuanese Cuisine or something to that effect.

I'll second th recommendation of PFI. I was int here on Friday and they had everything you listed. My big weaknss there is the chocolate. Particularly the 5 kilo bars of calebaut. I nearly wept...

I'll be volunteering friday evening at the Endangered Treasures event at the Triple Door.