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eG Foodblog: johnder - Bouncing Around Brooklyn

johnder

By johnder
in Food Traditions & Culture

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johnder

johnder

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Found this from the slightly evil google book search.  Not exactly a tonic water, but seems to be more a tonic tincture.  Pretty cool.  Not sure what ss or Oij is, docsconz?

Full text here.

Tinctura Chichonae et Quassiae Composita -- Tonic Tincture

Take of Chinchona,

Quassia

Colombo

Gentian

Serpentaria

Chamomile, of each 3ss.

French Brandy  Oij.

Sorry :sad: you got me with those notations. I believe that they are somewhat anachronistic.

Congratulations, John, on a superb blog. I had a lot of fun reminiscing about my hometown and getting a better sense of what it is like today. Had it been like that then, I might never have left. Then again, it wasn't so bad even then. It was just a wee bit different.

I figured they might be some form of that weird scribble that I always see on prescriptions. It was worth a try.

Next time you are in New York City, let me know!

Cheers,

John

John Deragon

foodblog 1 / 2

--

I feel sorry for people that don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day -- Dean Martin

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ludja

ludja

Posted
Posted
What a great blog. Thanks so much for the effort.

Yes, thank you very much; it was incredible from start to finish.

You also shared a lot of great information for anyone visiting the area or in the meantime, perusing Kalustyan's online catalogue... Thanks also for photographing some of the cocktail menus!

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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johnder

johnder

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No problemo! I have become quite good at snapping photos without being obvious. I think I just need to invest in a camera with a bigger lens to get some more light in the photos. Something to keep in mind when I do the next blog.

John

John Deragon

foodblog 1 / 2

--

I feel sorry for people that don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day -- Dean Martin

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mizducky

mizducky

Posted
Posted
Ok Katie... here you go.  Straight from the lips of the amazing Jim Meehan, cocktilian superior of Gramercy Tavern.  For those of you in NYC, I highly suggest you go to Gramercy Tavern while this is still on the menu.  You can taste a fantastic drink with the super awesome Chartreuse VEP.

(recipe snipped to conserve bandwidth)

Very cool! Gotta try this one of these centuries--though it will probably have to wait until I acquire all the ingredients (or their equivalents--for instance, I'm not sure where I would find the Chartreuse VEP in this town).

It was a major revelation, by the way, getting a glimpse of the Grammercy Tavern's bar menu--not just for the exalted level of the recipes, but even the mere use of brown booze in new and sophisticated cocktails. In over-touristed San Diego, I can't seem to find a bar that advertises anything except concoctions made with a bazillion rainbow-colored sugary ingredients piled on top of vodka--many of which they dare to call "martinis" just because they serve them in a cocktail glass. :rolleyes: (Maybe I'm still just drinking in the wrong places, but wherever the *real* cocktail lounges are in this burg, they hide 'em well...)

Thank you for a most excellent blog. I feel like I need a week of recuperative spa cuisine just from reading it. :biggrin:

Ellen Terris Brenner

Examiner.com: San Diego Budget Meals Examiner

eG Foodblogs: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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eje

eje

Posted
Posted (edited)
Hmm interesting, I was reading about quinine and this is a little concerning:
Excessive dosage or continuous use of quinine may cause cinchonism, characterized by ringing in the ears, headache, dizziness, changes in blood pressure, and even death.

and...

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration limits tonic water quinine to 83 ppm, which is one-half to one-quarter the concentration used in therapeutic tonic.

Quinine is often added to street drugs cocaine or ketamine in order to "cut" the product and make more profit.

:shock:

Yeah, well, Quinine is nothing compared to Snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria), which is probably what the "serpentaria" is referring to. That would be one bitter, poisonous, tincture! Check this Dr. Cocktail post on the DrinkBoy forums.

In any case, great foodblog! Thanks so much!

Edited by eje (log)

---

Erik Ellestad

If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck...

Bernal Heights, SF, CA

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johnder

johnder

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Not the most glamorous setup, but functional. I actually have 2 immersion cicrulators, this was one most quiet, so I went with that one since it was going to be going for 2 days.

I just used a rubbermaid "roughneck" tub, covered the top with cling film and then silver foil to prevent evaporation.

gallery_28660_3644_25344.jpg

John Deragon

foodblog 1 / 2

--

I feel sorry for people that don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day -- Dean Martin

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H. du Bois

H. du Bois

Posted
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I am in awe.  I'd faint with pleasure if someone cooked me an amazing meal like that, too!    :smile: 

You're not just doing Brooklyn proud, you're doing our neighborhood proud, too.  So nice to see Park Slope represented so well.

Thanks for the compliment! I am flattered. Who knows, maybe when I recover from this dinner we can have a Brooklynite dinner. (Doc, we will have to bring you back down one day!)

Doing a Brooklynite gathering some time would be fun - and it wouldn't be complete without Doc.

Thanks again for a truly fascinating week.

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tejon

tejon

Posted
Posted
Found this from the slightly evil google book search.  Not exactly a tonic water, but seems to be more a tonic tincture.  Pretty cool.  Not sure what ss or Oij is, docsconz?

Full text here.

Tinctura Chichonae et Quassiae Composita -- Tonic Tincture

Take of Chinchona,

Quassia

Colombo

Gentian

Serpentaria

Chamomile, of each 3ss.

French Brandy  Oij.

I found out what "3ss" most likely refers to - the recipe is directing you to use the 3 subspecies of chamomile: Roman (Anthemis nubilis), German (Matricaria recutita), and Moroccan (Ormenis multicalis).

Kathy

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. - Harriet Van Horne

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johnder

johnder

Posted
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Posted
Found this from the slightly evil google book search.  Not exactly a tonic water, but seems to be more a tonic tincture.  Pretty cool.  Not sure what ss or Oij is, docsconz?

Full text here.

Tinctura Chichonae et Quassiae Composita -- Tonic Tincture

Take of Chinchona,

Quassia

Colombo

Gentian

Serpentaria

Chamomile, of each 3ss.

French Brandy  Oij.

I found out what "3ss" most likely refers to - the recipe is directing you to use the 3 subspecies of chamomile: Roman (Anthemis nubilis), German (Matricaria recutita), and Moroccan (Ormenis multicalis).

Wow, thats pretty amazing you figured that out! Now if we could just figure out what Oij is. :biggrin:

Thanks tejon!

John Deragon

foodblog 1 / 2

--

I feel sorry for people that don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day -- Dean Martin

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johnder

johnder

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Wow what a great blog, great food, great booze, double great kitchen and made for one great week. ps Is that a downdraft vent at the back of the range?

No, that is just the standard 6" riser on the back of the stove. I have a broan hood above the stove with the external blower. Cranks out about 1100 cfm. Given we live in an old house that is pretty drafty, it pretty much suck all the heat out of the first floor in the winter if we run it full blast.

But then again, I can blacken a steak with no smoke leaving the stove. Roasting coffee though, that is another story.

John Deragon

foodblog 1 / 2

--

I feel sorry for people that don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day -- Dean Martin

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edsel

edsel

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But then again, I can blacken a steak with no smoke leaving the stove.  Roasting coffee though, that is another story.

Use the drier-hose attachment for your iRoast. It works! It does change the heating characterisitcs, so you may have to adjust your profiles. Still, better that than setting off the smoke detector. :raz:

My Photo Sets (mostly food!) :: Heartland Gathering Photos

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Nishla

Nishla

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This blog has been an excellent ride through NY. So excellent, in fact, that my husband and I have decided to go to NY this weekend for a much-needed visit to Pegu Club (we went this summer, and LOVED it). Your dinner party was also inspirational!

By the way, the 3ss and 0ij are probably old apothecary measurements. Check page 55 or so of the book the recipe came from. It looks like some kind of strange code, and there are a few conversion tables in there. I didn't feel like figuring it out, but I'll be watching the cocktail threads to see if you have the patience :smile:

Taipei Travel Diary (December 2006)

Italy trip June 2007

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