davis_sq_pro's Profile
Bargain Brandy?
Do you have a link on this? I'm not aware of the issues in that region.
Bargain Brandy?
I've recently been using Marie Duffau Bas Armagnac, which I can often find for just under $30 in my area. It's quite nice in my opinion -- not too heavy, and with some citrus notes. It works very well in cocktails.
Best Hard Cider? [moved from Spirits board]
Grad to hear that your batches turned out so well. You started them on November 22 of 2011? I can imagine they'd still be a bit cloudy -- they'll drop crystal clear if you give 'em time -- RDWHAHB :-)
Unfortunately I failed to make a batch this last year, a result of too much stress at work making me exceptionally lazy on the weekends. Which is too bad, because my 2009 batch, which I mention that I tapped in August 2011, was by far my best ever.
I kegged my 2010 maple adjunct batch sometime late last year, but I won't tap it until August or September. It tasted good but still just a bit on the sweet side. Really hoping that a bit of residual fermentation takes care of that.
Did you end up using any adjuncts in either of your batches? After last year I think I'm only going to use brown sugar and/or treacle going forward. It was just so good that I don't think anything else is worth the time.
Cocktails With Swedish Punsch
Funny that you're guessing the latter. I would think the former -- "burnt sugar syrup" == caramel syrup, infused with cinnamon. I guess a visit to Clio is in order to settle this and try some pork buns.
(Are they anything like Momofuku's version? I was actually hoping to make these today for the Superbowl but plans didn't quite come together. http://momofukufor2.com/2010/01/momofuku-pork-buns/)
Flor de Cana 18 year old
I just checked prices online, and at about $45 I don't think it's expensive enough that I'd feel guilty using it in a cocktail. (Everyone has a different threshold here, of course.)
A few of my favorite cocktails to show off a well-aged rum:
- Mai Tai (I love mixing these with some of the higher end rums in my collection when I'm in a celebratory mood)
- Rum Old-Fashioned (just watch the sugar, since a lot of aged rums tend to be on the sweet side already)
- El Presidente (traditionally made with white rum; I think it's 100x better made with something darker and deeper)
Enjoy!
Strangest Starbucks Drink?
I also know a guy on Atkins who regularly goes to Starbucks for a Venti cappuccino made with heavy cream and sugarfree sweetener. Ugh. (He also enjoys such delicacies as a midnight snack of 4 hot dogs topped with cheese and bacon. And you wonder why you're 150lbs overweight? "On Atkins you CAN do this and still lose weight!" Umm... Okay, rant over.)
And then there is a guy I sometimes see at my local store who ignores the large jar of sugar and stands there dumping packet after packet after packet after packet of sugar into his coffee. Like, 20 of 'em. And it's not like he's going for the Sugar in the Raw or artificial -- just the normal white sugar packets. I guess he likes the papery flavor in his intensely sweetened drink?
And then there was the woman who recently asked me to hand her a packet of sugar, so I gave her one of the Sugar in the Raw packets. She replied "no... I don't want the healthy stuff."
Pie for Breakfast...
It's great stuff; just make sure to bake it a bit longer than it calls for (see the comments at the bottom for more info). And it's one of those baked goods that becomes 10x better the next day, for whatever reason (I still don't understand the science behind that).
Pie for Breakfast...
Tollhouse Pie, cold, straight out of the fridge. With a strong cup of coffee. Oh yes...
A good recipe here: http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2006/11/21/as-american-as-toll-house-pie.html
It's That Time of Year - Make Your Own Cointreau / Triple Sec / Orange Bitters
How did this go?
Bourdain in San Francisco for Layovers
Thanks! Especially for the bitters-focused place. That's right up my alley.
Bourdain in San Francisco for Layovers
hill food:
Finding a drink and finding a well-crafted cocktail are two very different things. It's the latter that I'm (usually) after.
Looking for coupe glasses
I have the same glasses, and agree with "sturdy." They're nice glasses, and I use them all the time. But... I own mostly Riedel wine glasses, plus a handful of Riedel spirits glasses, and compared with all of those the coupes that Boston Shaker sells are just a bit thick and clunky ("sturdy!").
I wish that Riedel or a similar company would make some coupe glasses that weren't way oversized (the Riedel ones are 9.5oz). Until then, the ones Boston Shaker sells are good enough.
Bourdain in San Francisco for Layovers
So, if you had only a few nights to grab drinks where would you go? I'll be there on business in two weeks and expect to have free evenings -- currently on the list are Alembic, Absinthe, Agricole, and Smuggler's Cove... Anything I should add to or subtract from the list?
By the way, what's the deal with seemingly every restaurant in town being open only Tuesday - Saturday? Kind of sucks since I'll be there Sunday through Wednesday, and Tuesday is arguably the worst solo dining out night of the year (Valentine's Day).
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #12 - 01/25/12 (Spoilers)
Agreed, it's really stupid. Anyone know how the ratings are doing? Hopefully they've fallen a bit? (Probably not -- they're probably GREAT, and next season we can look forward to such challenges as a strong-man competition where contestants will be challenged to haul 350 chickens on large platter across a field of steaming risotto...)
Cocktails With Swedish Punsch
Ah, wish you'd posted that earlier. I was in the area yesterday and visited a few stores looking for it and some other things. I'll grab it next time I'm over there...
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #12 - 01/25/12 (Spoilers)
I thought her goal was to deliver advertisements in a deadpan tone as though she would seriously ever even consider using the products she's shilling. I realize the show has sponsors that pay the bills but I felt like some of her monologues in this episode went way, way, way beyond the norm.
Paula Deen eating a cheeseburger
I can't stand her, but we have no clue what else she ate that day, or even that week. I assume that you can eat a cheeseburger or pretty much anything else you want if you have diabetes, assuming that you balance it out with other, correct choices. I would certainly not expect that TMZ did any kind of background check before posting that photo. Who knows if she even finished the burger?
Furthermore, agreed with gmk1322. It's her life. Maybe she's hoping for a nice life insurance payout for her sons ;-)
Top Chef - Texas - Last Chance Kitchen (spoilers)
I predict that Grayson will be eliminated next. Of course I've thought that for weeks. But you saw it here first! :-)
Mixologist Video
I would love to see a hidden cam video of someone bringing his or her own ice to the bar. I'm certain that the looks on the bartenders' faces would be classic... But what would you bring it in? Some kind of pressurized container would be best, preferably with a bit of dry ice involved so a bit of visible mist is released as the thing is opened. That video would go viral for sure :-)
2012 Confessions
There is a place in Springfield, Massachusetts called Red Rose, that serves all pizzas with pepperoni and peppers. You can add "extra" toppings if you like, but that's the base pie. So apparently this isn't just a random occurrence -- although I can certainly see how it would be vexing for a vegetarian!
2012 Confessions
Interesting. That's pretty much exactly how I roast them prior to braising. They never seem to properly soften up until I give 'em something to drink.
(Which is fine, since they always end up tasting great. I braise them in a bit of chicken stock flavored with soy, mirin, and sriracha, reduce it at the end so it becomes a glaze, and finish with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. Yum.)
Greek yogurt sales continue to soar
Health and taste for me. I like the texture more than most non-Greek yogurts, and it's a great and easy way to get plenty of protein in the morning without cooking anything.
2012 Confessions
Too funny! On a similar note, a friend of ours recently brought her daughter over to play with mine, and I cooked them some broccoli as a side for their lunch.
Our friend told me not to bother. "She can't stand broccoli."
Imagine the surprise when her daughter ate every bit. Turns out, she *loves* the stuff -- if it's pan-roasted with a bit of butter and salt. I have a theory that a lot of kids hate veggies merely because adults insist upon serving them nasty unseasoned preparations that they themselves wouldn't bother with. Kids have tastebuds, too!
2012 Confessions
Wasn't the usual preparation to boil the hell out of them until they turned gray and flabby (not to mention bringing out all of the nice sulfuric notes)? Ughhh...
2012 Confessions
I roast, then braise. How do you get them tender enough with just roasting? (Or maybe it's a preference thing and I like them on the soft side.)
I find it difficult to understand how people managed to ruin this vegetable for so long. It's so simple and so delicious, in my opinion.
Top Chef - Texas - Last Chance Kitchen (spoilers)
Pause and rewind? Meh. It's all about fast forward! Goodbye commercials, boring sections of shows, etc. (For example, if you watch Chopped, you can FF starting at when the judges finish talking about the dishes all the way through the commercial break to the first chop, and save yourself 5+ minutes which you can use to do something better with your life.)
