I'm Conservative When It Comes To _____

[Jaymes]

Something I'm conservative about is Margaritas. I must be the only one on the planet that very much prefers the plain, unadorned original:

Tequila (I like a silver), some sort of orange liqueur (lately I've been using Patrón Citronge), and fresh lime juice, shaken vigorously with ice, then strained into a salt-rimmed martini glass and served straight up.

I loathe that vile sweet & sour mix.

But like I say, I must be the only one, because the original-style Margaritas are almost impossible to find.

[Darienne]

OK Jaymes. You bring the tomatoes and I'll supply the silver Tequila. I've had only slushy Margaritas, never the plain, and then just once last summer. I thought I'd died and gone to booze heaven. I know it was not a mix my friend from NJ (she of the Mexican care package) used.

You don't like slushy at all? Even homemade?

[BarbaraY]

Another Amen here, too.

What Jaynes said, too. NO FROZEN MARGARITAS! If I wanted a snow cone that's what I'd order.

[Badiane]

Mashed Potatoes-

Russet Potatoes

Butter

Cream

Salt

Pepper

Amen to that!! Garlic mashed potatoes are one of the seven signs of the apocalypse.

[Lupinus]

Food names. Some play can be had sure, but completely different things are completely different things.

If it's made of tofu, it's not a turkey.

If it's made of kelp, it's not caviar.

If it's made with something besides rice, it's not risotto.

If there's no milk, it's not cheese.

[andiesenji]

Food names. Some play can be had sure, but completely different things are completely different things.

If it's made of tofu, it's not a turkey.

If it's made of kelp, it's not caviar.

If it's made with something besides rice, it's not risotto.

If there's no milk, it's not cheese.

I'm with you! Producing an ersatz substance and calling it "food" should be a hanging offense!

[Chris Amirault]

Bitters.

[Chris Amirault]

Something I'm conservative about is Margaritas. I must be the only one on the planet that very much prefers the plain, unadorned original:

Tequila (I like a silver), some sort of orange liqueur (lately I've been using Patrón Citronge), and fresh lime juice, shaken vigorously with ice, then strained into a salt-rimmed martini glass and served straight up.

I loathe that vile sweet & sour mix.

But like I say, I must be the only one, because the original-style Margaritas are almost impossible to find.

Jaymes, you need to get yourself to some new generation bars! You'll find many, like my own, refuse to serve anything BUT classic margaritas.

Speaking of which... I feel the urge comin' on right now....

[Corinna]

Jaymes, where are you located?

There is an amazing Mexican place in Canandaigua, NY. In addition to more US-ized Margaritas, you can order a "Margarita real" which is fresh lime juice, Cointreau and your choice of tequila from a list as long as your arm (no Cuervo!) Good stuff.

[Mjx]

Related to food-name conservatism, I'm conservative about getting Italian culinary terms more or less right, at least if they've been in fairly heavy rotation for a while: What really kills me is the use of a terminal 's' in plural forms, since that doesn't happen in Italian, and most of the time, it is tagged on to the Italian plural form.

'Porcinis', 'paninis', and 'raviolis' is like saying 'footses' or 'mouses' (it's 'porcini', 'panini', 'ravioli'). I can live with 'pizzas', because there's just one plural form involved (if I heard anyone saying 'pizzes', I'd probably start bleeding from the ears).

[Jaymes]

Jaymes, where are you located?

There is an amazing Mexican place in Canandaigua, NY. In addition to more US-ized Margaritas, you can order a "Margarita real" which is fresh lime juice, Cointreau and your choice of tequila from a list as long as your arm (no Cuervo!) Good stuff.

Chris and Corinna -

I'm not located in a place where it should be particularly difficult to get a decent Margarita, to say the least. Houston.

And I know that there are bars here where I can go, but I do make pretty good Margaritas myself here at the house when I want one and, at my current age and circumstance, I'm not really into the 'social bar scene,' so it's not worth it to me to seek out a particular watering hole.

Generally speaking, I only order Margaritas when I'm out for Mexican food with the family, which we do about once a week, on "Tex-Mex Friday." And it's difficult to find a Mexican restaurant that has a good mixologist. I understand that's not their main focus.

As far as those slushy things go, it's like someone said - a snow cone. After I have the "How do you make your Margaritas?" chat with the barkeep, I usually give up and have the Margarita-flavored slurpee, since that's all that's available.

But I pine for the real thing, and wish I didn't have to waste the time and money and calories on its too-sweet slushy second cousin.

I will say that recently, local restaurants have been advertising something called the "Skinny Margarita." I dunno, didn't sound good, so I didn't inquire into it for a long while. A few months back, though, I did. And the bartender at that particular restaurant said, "Oh, it's just a regular Margarita, but we leave out the sweet & sour syrup."

Things are looking up!

[ScoopKW]

Why not just order the drink the way you want it made?

"Please ask your bartender to make me a shot of silver tequila, some orange liqueur and lime juice, shaken with ice and poured into a salt rimmed glass."

Seems easier to me than asking for an "unblended margarita without sweet and sour."

[Darienne]

As far as those slushy things go, it's like someone said - a snow cone. After I have the "How do you make your Margaritas?" chat with the barkeep, I usually give up and have the Margarita-flavored slurpee, since that's all that's available.

But I pine for the real thing, and wish I didn't have to waste the time and money and calories on its too-sweet slushy second cousin.

First of all I lie in the far frozen north. And I have never had a drink in a bar. And until last August I had never had a margarita of any kind. Plus I have never had a slushy cone or a snow cone: wrong generation I guess.

So. I loved the slushy Margarita I had last summer. It contained no mix. It certainly wasn't overly sweet. (Remember I am a Canuck and we like our sweets less sweet than our neighbors to the south). And I am looking forward to learning how to make one this summer. And then, no doubt, I shall be conservative about insisting upon this kind of Margarita only.

[Jaymes]

Why not just order the drink the way you want it made?

"Please ask your bartender to make me a shot of silver tequila, some orange liqueur and lime juice, shaken with ice and poured into a salt rimmed glass."

Seems easier to me than asking for an "unblended margarita without sweet and sour."

Sounds simple, doesn't it? In fact, doesn't it sound simple enough that I might have tried it a time or two? And for the most part, it doesn't work. These bartenders in many of these restaurants have a formula that they are expected to follow. They don't seem to know how to "wing it" when it comes to many drinks, and they're busy and they're not willing to try. Or, they don't have any fresh lime juice, and aren't willing to squeeze some. Or they don't have any orange liqueur. Or something. At best, they'll pour in a shot of tequila, and then add their pre-mixed stuff. At worst, they just want to pull a lever on their frozen margarita machine and call it a day.

But hey, things could be worse.

Wouldn't even have mentioned it, but didn't want all of the "proper martini" folks to be the only ones with an "I'm conservative...." cocktail complaint.

And my real complaint is about ceviche, anyway.

I lived in Central America for four years (Panama), and developed a deep and abiding love for ceviche. I see it on menus in upscale restaurants here in the US very often. But nobody, and I mean nobody, is in the mood for doing a plain, classic ceviche. They all want to gussy it up with some sort of special "signature" or "new twist."

I really love the old twist.

I can't even remember the last time I saw just regular, plain ol' white fish ceviche on any menu, except for a couple of authentic Mexican dives here in Houston.

But frankly, these places are so "authentic" that nobody speaks any English and the jukebox is blaring Norteno or Tejano music so loudly that you can't hear yourself think. Now, don't get me wrong, I love these places. But I have a very hard time getting anyone to go with me.

And when I'm dining in a nice restaurant somewhere, with companions, and I see ceviche on the menu, which I do very, very often, just once, I'd like for it to be the classic. Which, in my opinion, doesn't need any improvements. Or "signatures." Or "new twists."

It was fine the way it was.

Which is why it became a "classic" in the first place.

Or so it seems to me, anyway.

Edited May 31, 2011 by Jaymes (log)

[ScoopKW]

Why not just order the drink the way you want it made?

"Please ask your bartender to make me a shot of silver tequila, some orange liqueur and lime juice, shaken with ice and poured into a salt rimmed glass."

Seems easier to me than asking for an "unblended margarita without sweet and sour."

Sounds simple, doesn't it? In fact, doesn't it sound simple enough that I might have tried it a time or two? And for the most part, it doesn't work. These bartenders in many of these restaurants have a formula that they are expected to follow. They don't seem to know how to "wing it" when it comes to many drinks, and they're busy and they're not willing to try. Or, they don't have any fresh lime juice, and aren't willing to squeeze some. Or they don't have any orange liqueur. Or something. At best, they'll pour in a shot of tequila, and then add their pre-mixed stuff. At worst, they just want to pull a lever on their frozen margarita machine and call it a day.

No need to get all harsh -- I wasn't trying to be condescending.

Maybe it's the restaurants I go to, but when I spell out how I want a drink to be made, I 100% expect them to either make it my way, or tell me that for some reason they cannot do it.

If I gave the above margarita instructions at a restaurant and was served a sweet and sour slushie, I'd get up and leave. And then I'd find a restaurant where the bartender knows how to fix a drink.

If their answer was, "Sorry, Señor, we only have the margarita machine," fine. I'll drink a slushie if need be.

If their answer was, "Sorry, Señor, we have no fresh lime juice," I'd be very suspicious. What sort of Mexican joint doesn't have limes? Either they don't, and I wouldn't eat there. Or they're lazy, and I wouldn't eat there.

But if I'm paying full price at a restaurant with a reasonably stocked bar, they can damned well make the drink the way I want it. Or they can kiss my ass goodbye.

I guess I'm conservative in that respect...

[Will]

'Porcinis', 'paninis', and 'raviolis' is like saying 'footses' or 'mouses' (it's 'porcini', 'panini', 'ravioli'). I can live with 'pizzas', because there's just one plural form involved (if I heard anyone saying 'pizzes', I'd probably start bleeding from the ears).

Or, for that matter, using panini or ravioli as singular. :>

[Jaymes]

Why not just order the drink the way you want it made?

"Please ask your bartender to make me a shot of silver tequila, some orange liqueur and lime juice, shaken with ice and poured into a salt rimmed glass."

Seems easier to me than asking for an "unblended margarita without sweet and sour."

Sounds simple, doesn't it? In fact, doesn't it sound simple enough that I might have tried it a time or two? And for the most part, it doesn't work. These bartenders in many of these restaurants have a formula that they are expected to follow. They don't seem to know how to "wing it" when it comes to many drinks, and they're busy and they're not willing to try. Or, they don't have any fresh lime juice, and aren't willing to squeeze some. Or they don't have any orange liqueur. Or something. At best, they'll pour in a shot of tequila, and then add their pre-mixed stuff. At worst, they just want to pull a lever on their frozen margarita machine and call it a day.

No need to get all harsh -- I wasn't trying to be condescending.

And I didn't mean to get all harsh. Maybe I should go shake myself up a nice Margarita right now.

Of course, a very large part of my problem is that I usually go out to family-style Mexican restaurants with family in tow: daughter, SIL, several toddlers, and me, the abuelita. And not to the kinds of joints that pride themselves on their bartender's skills. And traveling with that kind of crowd, and having just arrived in the minivan, and having just now gotten settled in with a great deal of kerfluffle and shuffling of chairs and highchairs, there's not much chance I'm gonna get up and leave, either.

Although the thought has crossed my mind. And more than once.

And not just because of the sweet, slushy Margaritas.

[MellaMella]

Foods that should be fatty ...should be. Fat-free sour cream confounds me, as do fat-free ice cream and mayo. You shouldn't be able to call it mayo unless it contains egg yolks and oil. Don't get me started on turkey bacon. It might taste great! But it isn't bacon.