Mixology Monday's Repeal Day theme: Ruby Cocktail 2007

There's a fine cocktail geek writing project called Mixology Monday in which everyone is encouraged to write on a particular theme each week. Often it's an ingredient, but this time, it's pre-Prohibition cocktails, in honor of Repeal Day (which is December 5th).

As my first foray into MxMo, I'm pleased to present The Ruby, which Joe & I found in a cocktail pamphlet from 1908 called The World's Drinks And How To Mix Them by William "Cocktail" Boothby. It's unclear if the recipe has appeared anywhere else. It's certainly not the same recipe as others going by the Ruby name.

"Ruby Cocktail

Into a mixing-glass place a lump of ice, a dash of Orange bitters and a dash of cherry cordial. Add half a jigger of Sloe gin and half a jigger of Italian vermouth; stir until cold, twist in the oil from a piece of lemon peel, strain into a cocktail-glass and serve."

Sadly, the thing we forgot to buy in London was really good sloe gin, so I can't really say I've yet tasted this as it's meant to be tasted. However, even with cherry Heering and DeKupyer Sloe Gin, it's a charming drink. We celebrated with it last New Year's Eve (photo left by my friend Ann Larie).

It's tart and sweet and fun, and as you might guess from the name, a gorgeous color.

The Bar, Bartender and Cocktail Guide 2007 2007

Given all the cocktail discussion within my London travel posts and our intense cocktail geekery over the last year, it seems time to start pulling it all together in one place.

Bars:

San Francisco:

Absinthe, Hayes Valley
[Not to be missed; recommended bartender: Jonny Raglin; recommended drink: consider whatever's up on the chalkboard tonight]

The Alembic, Upper Haight
[I need to give this one another try; had a suboptimal first experience, but am assured that's not typical]

Bix, Financial District
[recommended bartender: Bradley]

Bourbon & Branch, Tenderloin
[Gorgeous space, fantastic drinks]

Citizen Cake, Hayes Valley
[recommended drink: The Bravo]

Nopa, Divisidero & Hayes
[recommended bartenders: Neyah White, Matt; recommended appetizer: the flatbread]

Range, Valencia Street/Inner Mission
[recommended for dinner as well; recommended drink: 1794; recommended bartender]

Rye, Nob Hill
[Need to visit again - only tried once at a very quiet time and think it may not have been a lead bartender on duty]

New York City:

Campbell Apartments
[lovely atmosphere]

Pegu Club
[not to be missed and a serious contender for my Best Bar in the World vote - certainly by far the best cocktail/food pairings in the world, try the Little Italy; recommended drink: 19th Century]

WD-50
[recommended drink: Rye & Quince]

London:

Artesian at the Langham Hotel, Regent Street
[recommended drink: Jerry's Medicine]

Baltic, Southwark
[nice enough, but not top of the list]

The Bar at the Dorchester Hotel, Mayfair
[not to be missed; recommended bartender: Paulo; recommended drink: Martinez with Old Tom]

Lobby Bar at 1 Aldwych, Strand
[recommended drinks: Caraway Maker, The Gentleman; appetizers merely adequate as of Nov 2007]

Montgomery Place, Notting Hill
[not to be missed - my current vote for best bar in the world; recommended bartender: Marian Beke]

 

Favorite drinks of the year:

The Bravo [invented by Matt of Citizen Cake & Nopa in San Francisco]

The Gentleman [invented by Giovanni, formerly of Lobby Bar at 1 Aldwych in London]

Old Potrero Hotalings & Carpano Antica Formula Manhattan

Cynar-washed Negroni [specialty of Kevin of O'Reilly's Holy Grail in San Francisco]

Martin Millers & Carpano Antica Formula Negroni [called by Joe Gratz and now my favorite version]

Bars on the to-be-tried list still:

London: The Blue Bar at the Berkeley (NYT recommended), Claridge's Bar (NYT recommended), Cocoon (bartender recommended, but just for drinks), Connaught Hotel (NYT recommended), Dukes Hotel (Negroni recommend by Jonny Raglin), Fat Duck (mentioned in NYT article), Green & Red (bartender recommended), Hakkasan (bartender & NYT recommended), Library Bar at the Lanesborough (bartender recommended),The Lonsdale (NYT recommended), MatchBar (NYT recommended), Nobu (bartender recommended), Roka (NYT recommended), Shochu Lounge at Zuma (NYT recommended), Trailer Happiness (NYT recommended), Whisky Bar at the Atheneum (bartender recommended).

New York City: Employees Only (friend & bartender recommended), Flatiron Lounge, Milk & Honey (bartender recommended), PDT (consultant Jim Meehan tends at Pegu Club).

San Francisco: Cantina (recommended on eGullet forum), Elixer (keep running into barkeep H at various cocktail geek events)

***
[Edited Dec 24th, 2007, after finding that Matt is back behind the bars at Citizen Cake & Nopa and that the Bravo is indeed his creation]

Cheese du jour 2007

Also from our visit to Jardiniere last night, we recommend the Fenacho semi-firm goat's milk cheese with fenugreek* from Bend, Oregon, and the Epoisses washed rind cow's milk cheese from Burgundy, France.

*A stellar example from the genre my cheesemonger friend Gordon describes as "cheese with stuff in it".

Setting up a home bar 2007

I put together the following tips for a friend, but thought others might find them interesting too:

Starting (snob-friendly) bar supplies:

good fresh ice (you can store fresh cubes in tupperware in the freezer so they don't pick up flavors from other things)

shaker
I have both a lidded kind and the combined glass/metal kind. I haven't got the hang of shaking with the latter yet, but the big metal base is great for stirred drinks. My lidded one is kind of like this one but a bit more squat

cocktail strainer

measuring cup
I much prefer these little cups to traditional jiggers. As with all your mixing gear, just rinse right after you serve the drink and they stay clean and nice (sticky liquors are a pain to scrub later when they've started to dry).

bar spoon
e.g. something like this

channel knife (for making twists)
e.g. something like this

(And you'll also want to have on hand a cutting board for citrus, a good paring knife, a bar towel to wipe spills, and some means of extracting the juice from fresh fruit).

The booze.
Think about your & your most frequent guests' favorite drinks. You'll want to start your cabinet around these.

Say, for example, the drinks are Manhattan, Martini, Margarita, Lemon Drop, and Cosmopolitan.

The Manhattan is most usually made with bourbon and sweet vermouth with a dash of bitters, but the correct spirit for it is rye which really makes a much better drink (IMNSHO). It is garnished with a cherry.

The Martini can be made with either gin (traditionally) or vodka, a breath of dry vermouth, and garnished with an olive, onion, or lemon twist.

The Margarita calls for tequila, triple sec (preferably Cointreau), and fresh lemon and lime juices. It is garnished with a lime wedge or wheel.

The Lemon Drop calls for citrus-flavored vodka, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. It is garnished with a lemon wheel.

The Cosmopolitan is made of vodka, triple sec (preferably Cointreau), cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice, with a lime wheel garnish.

So here's the shopping list (to be accumulated as funds permit in order of frequency with which you'll want your handful of featured drinks).

1 bottle bourbon - Maker's Mark or Wild Turkey 101 will do, Knob Creek is preferable.
***upgrade: Bulleit
***variant: Old Overholt rye

1 bottle sweet vermouth - Martini & Rossi is good
***upgrade: Carpano Antica

1 bottle bitters: try to get Orange Bitters (preferably Fee's) but settle for good ol' Angostura
***trick: a few dashes of bitters in a pint glass of soda water will settle an upset stomach

1 jar cherries: the best you can afford, ideally getting as far from those alarmingly bright colored ones for Shirley Temple drinks toward the less sugar & red dye #2 end of the spectrum.
***upgrade: Luxardo brandied cherries (We got a jar of these at Dean & Deluca and they are the bee's knees).

1 bottle gin: I favor Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray.
***variant: Hendricks (with which you should garnish martinis with a cucumber slice rather than an olive or onion for best results).

1 bottle dry vermouth: Noilly Prat
***variant: Lillet Blanc

1 jar cocktail olives: quality helps, but you can be less fussy about these than the cherries
***variant: cocktail onions

1 bottle tequila: Herradura Silver

1 bottle triple sec: Cointreau. Yes, it's pricey, but nothing else is as good and you'll use little bits in lots of drinks.

1 bottle vodka: given the Lemon Drop in our hypothetical list, I'd start with the Citron version of your favorite vodka. Absolut is always safe, but if your crowd is label conscious, buy the damn Ketel One.
***variant/upgrade: Grey Goose unflavored, for martinis with a lemon twist.

Small bottle cranberry juice

Simple syrup? Make it in small amounts & store in the fridge, it's comically easy:
(I don't agree with Alberta all the time, but this is a good video to show just how damn simple this syrup is).

Fruit? Buy it fresh, with a good-looking rind for zesting & garnishes.

Where to go after these? Try cocktails from good bartenders and see what else you like. Also note what your guests ask for. Probably some scotch is the next on the list; I recommend the Balvenie Doublewood as a good place to start with single malts.

Glassware
All these drinks look great served in cocktail glasses (or what is commonly called a martini glass), but they taste fine in any glass which is as wide or wider at the top than the bottom and which has about a 6oz capacity. (Yes it's more work for the bartender, but almost all cocktails should be enjoyed while still quite chilly so smaller servers are better. This is also why cocktail glasses - with their long stems keeping the warmth of your hand away from the drink - are ideal).
Joe and I are partial to the Luminarc 5oz which we were able to get in bulk at a restaurant supply place. Here's a picture 
Their 1/3 bowl, 2/3 stem proportion is very elegant and makes for a good (small) drink size and nice presentation.

Putting some spin on it:
Manhattan - make it with rye and orange bitters for a proper one; substitute scotch for a Rob Roy.

Martini - 2oz gin, 1oz vodka and 1/2oz of Lillet Blanc garnished with an orange wheel will give you the delightful Vesper, of Casino Royale fame. Or try out the ancestor of the Martini, the gin-based Martinez.

Margarita - get a bottle of light rum and you can offer Daiquiris instead.

Lemon Drop - this is basically a Daiquiri with vodka, you can also jump off from here to a Delilah by substituting gin for the vodka, adding 3/4oz of Cointreau and leaving out the simple syrup.

Cosmopolitan - described as a "juice box for yuppies", it's not actually as bad as its reputation, provided you do not put simple syrup or Rose's "lime juice" in it. Still, you could try to up the ante by introducing your guest to the Sidecar (which does require a decent cognac in your bar).

Happy hosting!

The anti-recommendation 2007

I do wish Yelp (and sites like it) had a way for you to mark a review as "not tall enough to ride this ride" or "not for you" or "antithesis" or something to indicate that the negative review indicates exactly the kind of person who one is trying to avoid and who will therefore not be so likely to be found at this particular place.

The reviews of Bourbon & Branch by clueless party kids ("My girlfriends and I couldn't talk at the top of our lungs or people told us to quiet down, that's soooo WACK!" "They told me the smoking area isn't inside, it's O'Farrell Street! What the hell?") are prime illustrations.

I marked a few as "useful" but then realized I might be giving props to bad writers so have stopped.

What a friend we have in cheeses 2006

On the first day of Cheesemas...

Le Chevrot with Ash, French goat cheese

On the second day of Cheesemas...

Irish Cahill's Porter

Istara Ossau-Iraty sheep milk

On the third day of Cheesemas...

Australian Marinated Feta sheep & goat milk

Zingerman's Bridgewater Round Triple Cream with Peppercorns

On the fourth day of Cheesemas...

Great Hill Blue raw milk

French Fromager Des Clarines

On the fifth day of Cheesemas...

Hope Farm Tomme de Brebis raw sheep milk

On the sixth day of Cheesemas...

more of the ultra creamy Fromager Des Clarines

a quesadilla at Taqueria Can-Cun in the Mission

On the seventh day of Cheesemas...

more of the peppery delicious Zingerman's Bridgewater Round Triple Cream with Peppercorns

Welsh Red Dragon with Mustard Seed and Ale

Palak Paneer at Naan N Curry

On the eighth day of Cheesemas...

tomato & brie sandwiches with my tea at Leland Tea Company

On the ninth day of Cheesemas...

spicy Algerian crepe with cheese at Cafe Grillades

more of the peppery delicious Zingerman's Bridgewater Round Triple Cream with Peppercorns

more of the Welsh Red Dragon with Mustard Seed and Ale

more of the Hope Farm Tomme de Brebis raw sheep milk

Parmesan on shaved fennel salad at Chez Panisse Café

On the tenth day of Cheesemas...

spicy Algerian omelette with jack and creme fraiche

the last of the Welsh Red Dragon with Mustard Seed and Ale

Trader Joe's Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina with Tomato Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese

random Manchego at a party

random Brie x2 at a party

popovers with pear, leek and cheese (yummy party food!)

On the eleventh day of Cheesemas...

the last of the Zingerman's Bridgewater Round Triple Cream with Peppercorns

oh and then I lost track... but there was more cheese after that too.

Tea Time 2006

Someone (Megan from notmartha maybe? Hmm, no, maybe it was in Selva's flickrstream) mentioned liking Adagio Teas and enjoying their link rewards program. I'm don't know yet what the tea tastes like, but it sure sounds good and if it's even half as tasty as their website design, I'm sure it's worth checking out.

First on my list to try would be Cha Cha:

Much like the Cuban dance for which it is named, famous for its three quick steps ("cha-cha-cha"), Cha Cha deliciously mingles soothing Chamomile, refreshing Peppermint and zesty Lemongrass into a wonderful herbal concoction sure to send your taste buds dancing with delight.

I bet Silver Needle is good too. I've had white teas that were stunning; a zen garden on your tongue.

And in the category of "household items to covet" I give you the Wagenfeld teapot. Ooo, sexy.

How to Order a Drink at a Bar 2005

With the approach of another New Year's Eve, I face my annual debate: should I go out to a public venue? And as ever, I conclude it's just not worth it.

New Year's Eve brings out the newbies, the folks who never visit clubs any other time of year and who have no clue about how they work.

In the hope that education might be the answer, I offer the following information. Perhaps we can get some kind of public communication project going next year to promote these principles on colorful posters with cartoon mascots named "Bobby Booze" and "Cindy Cocktail".

How to Drink in Public:

- Have your ID out when you get to the front of the club. They will almost certainly check it. Don't make a big deal out of it.

- If you don't like cover charges, don't go to the places that have them. There are plenty of alternatives including, in many cases, coming in earlier. New Year's Eve can be an exception; the club spends a bunch on decorations and bringing on extra staff, so do a little homework first and go somewhere you can afford.

- Decide what you will order before you approach the bar. Don't ask the bartender to recite the beer list - look at the goddamn taps or the bigass menu behind the bar. Don't shout back to your idiot friends at your table asking what they want.

- Know that you can only order and carry two drinks. If four friends want drinks, two of them should go to the bar. The bartender needs to see an appropriate number of drinking age patrons to go with the drinks.

- It's really easy to see what's happening at a bar and gauge when the bartender will get to you. Don't wave your hands at him or shout. Just stand there with your money in your hand, chin slightly raised and watch him until he makes eye contact. Raise and lower your face quickly while smiling slightly (the same gesture you make when passing a co-worker again in the hall and asking a rhetorical "hey, how's it going?"). The bartender will acknowledge this with a similar gesture or a wave. You should now stop staring at his every move, relax and enjoy the ambiance of the bar. Stay attuned to things so that when the bartender approaches you are immediately ready to order. It might take a little while, but a patient and friendly patron brightens the bartender's day and tends to get very good service.

- When the bartender says "What will you have?" state your answer clearly and if you are ordering more than two drinks, gesture at the person(s) with you as you order the third and fifth drinks. Good patrons who like the same drinks will order them in rounds so that the bartender can mix them together. For example:

"A Guinness, two Sam Adams, and three Lemon Drops, please."

- If you care about the alcohol in your drink, name it in your order. Otherwise you will receive the "well" or "house" version of that alcohol. For example:

"Sapphire and tonic, and a Grey Goose Martini, please."

- If you want to order something obscure, have an easy fallback order in mind. Do not order difficult drinks when a bar is very busy. Always look for the bottles for the ingredients to your drink; you shouldn't ever need to ask "Do you have Campari?". A scan of the bottles and of the drinks being served will usually tell you how complex your order can be. It is best to work up to a complex drink by ordering a simpler one in the same family first. For example:

Round 1: "A Manhattan, please."

Round 2: (noting the bottle of Pernod and being satisfied with the mixing of the first drink) "How about a Sazerac?" If the bartender unfortunately says "What's in it?", respond with "Actually, another of your good Manhattans would be fine. Thanks."

- Order appropriately for the bar you are in. Don't have a martini in a poolhall in a Texas college town; you might think that no one could screw up a martini, but you'd be wrong. Get a beer or a Jack & Coke.

- If the bartender asks to see ID, show it without comment or rolling your eyes. They can lose weeks of pay when a bar gets closed for serving someone underage; don't endanger someone's rent payment for your drink.

- When the bartender comes back with the drinks, have your payment ready. Do not start a tab on a credit card unless you will be ordering more than two rounds. ATMs are plentiful, just bring cash for god's sake.

- Tip your bartender. If you can't just hand over the right amount for drinks and tips, after you get your change, set the money on the counter nearer to the bartender's side than yours. A dollar for a couple beers is fine, but mixed drinks call for a bit more. Complex drinks such as Mojitos or Bloody Marys deserve an extra dollar beyond that.

- Always make room for barbacks to move through the crowd bearing their heavy loads of ice, bottles, or glassware. They have a hard job; treat them kindly.

- If you need to leave your drink momentarily (e.g. to go to the bathroom or step outside for a cigarette), set a coaster on top of your glass. The bartender and barbacks will know it's not abandoned and will leave it for you. Do not abuse this courtesy by leaving it for more than 15 minutes.

Bartenders and barflys, what have I left out? Belly up to the bar in the comments!

Occupational hazard? 2005

Last night I hung out with a cheesemonger and today I have so far managed to consume 8 different cheeses. Does this happen to everyone they spend time with? Sneaky devils.

Cheeses of the day:
- French St. Agur Blue
- Valbrie Brie
- Dutch 1 year aged Gouda
- Bravo Farms Sage Cheddar
- Irish Cahill Porter
- some Irish sharp Cheddar (paired with a good fresh fruitcake)
- generic smoked Gouda
- unknown super yummy light & fluffy Mozzarella

Fromage du jour 2005

I am giddy with carnal delight over tonight's cheese: French Fromager D'Affinois Pepper Brie. I'm smearing it on slices of Semifreddi's bread (the Sour Batard to be precise) and basking in the creamy, peppery goodness.

Lest you think I'm completely clueless about nutrition, I should note that the rest of dinner consisted of some yummy pan-cooked kale, baby carrots, and a Reed's Extra Ginger Brew (All Natural Jamaican Style Ginger Beer).

All natural, baby.

Cheese Month Continues at MetaGrrrl Dot Com 2005

I think if I was to start over today, I might just do a LiveJournal instead of a blog. I know many of you may be shocked to hear me say it, but reading a couple years of one has given me a clear sense of how good they are for making a community. The regular commenters, the interplay of conversations and memes, I like it all a lot.

It helps, of course, that Gordonzola's a really good writer and has a fantastic group of regulars in his comment threads. Plus with material like memories of childhood, thoughtful analyses of 20th century political theory, stories of retail hell, punk this & that, and YES! cheese, it's hard to go wrong.

Plus these comment threads. Too fun! This is from a discussion of Asiago cheese:

"Wake up, people!" says Anarqueso, "Gordonzola said 'It’s sharp, salty and has that slight vomit aftertaste of an Italian provolone. Oh, I’m not supposed to say vomit… is that what piquant means?' God, is anyone even reading this? Yes, he said vomit, and yes, it does taste like it, and, hello?! that's a bad thing. Bad, not good.

Spoonfeeding replies "yes, but so does blue cheese, and does that gross me out? no, I fucking love it. if you encase a cat in it, I'll eat it. I don't care."

These are my kind of people. Cheese freaks.

 

Cheese of the day 2005

Today's tasty bite is Mimolette, a French, 6 month old, bright orange cheese. Very nice with crisp green apple and sourdough bread. The Rainbow Grocery staff were apparently feeling rather romantic when they wrote the info card for this one since it was all about chedder and gouda's eyes meeting across a crowded café one night, but they're certainly right that it evokes both.

Food Porn 2005

I was getting quite steamy reading Gordonzola writing about his favorite sheep's milk cheeses - hott! - until I got to the bit about bad Perail. Instant cold shower. But I'll definitely remember the warning now!

I don't know most of these - ah, lovely cheese explorations ahead! - but absolutely agree with his comment that you must try Pecorino Ginepro.

Thursday flavor 2005

It was a joy to pull down the big stockpot from it's place and start cooking split pea soup tonight. Winter is soup season; the time of the warm kitchen and steam and good smells in the house.

While it cooks I'm saute/steaming some zucchini, having a small Manhattan (1oz Rye, 1/2oz Sweet Vermouth, dash of Angostura Bitters, over a maraschino cherry in a chilled cocktail glass) and letting some cheese lose the chill of the fridge before I eat it.

Tonight's cheese was a surprise last minute purchase. I'd already spent quite a while choosing three cheeses from Rainbow's selection when The Bearded Cheeselord* appeared bearing a fresh sample plate. I do not neglect the bounty when it is granted and waited for the first scurry around the bowl to abate before taking my toothpicked share of Italian Cacio de Roma Sheep Milk.

"Hm, creamy, sheepy, nice but simple," I thought as I moved on away from the cheese department and then the finish taste just kept going and getting more luscious and bringing in hints of other flavors. This one comes in under the radar and made me turn right around and grab a wedge.

They're so good at picking great stuff, why resist?

*Sure he's benevolent behind the counter, but I bet he could wield a mean broadsword if need arose. Some of those cheese knives are pretty big too, so be polite.

All of me is back now 2005

My jetlag ended suddenly yesterday between 5 and 6pm. I was commuting home with friends from work and one of those bizarre Dinah jokey comments burst out of my mouth - don't remember what wacky notion it was now, alas - and with my sense of humor also returned my brain power.

I had spent the first two days back at work feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Hardly encouraging after a three-week vacation and a fairly cushy week of work attending a conference the week before that. Turns out it was just jetlag; today was MUCH better and I am no longer wishing desparately for some escape into a non-work world.

I didn't do much last night except cook myself a good easy dinner, chat with friends online and carry on reading websites.

Tonight I am somewhat more energetic and might actually do some cleaning up and putting things away. I'm cooking rice and I haven't yet figured out what I'll have with it. Might just steam some zucchini since my tongue is currently getting a great deal of satisfaction out of a cheese plate with hazelnuts, dried tart Montmorency cherries and Harley Farms five peppercorn goat cheese. Also I have a fantastic Meyer lemon which so far I've just been cutting wafer thin slices of and eating rind and all. Flavors, I am all about the flavors, baby.

Last night I had a bit of Bravo Farms chipotle chedder which is fine, but doesn't make me happy the way their sage chedder does. Interesting, but given the number of other cheeses out there waiting for me to try them, I probably wouldn't buy it again, hmm, heh, yeah, except perhaps for grilled cheese sandwiches. What would be set off nicely with the spicy smoky chipotle flavor and toasted bread? One of my dads makes a great ceviche-like salad with shrimp, that might work. (Paul, are you willing to share that recipe in the comments?)

I still haven't gotten my pictures from my trip sorted out into any kind of slide show, but I may start putting a few up. About time I figured out how to do all that perfectly easy stuff that Flickr supports...

Goat-themed Post 2005

Okay, if I can't rouse myself from the bed, I can at least clean up my browser window.

While in London it was my great pleasure to visit Neal's Yard Dairy to partake of sublime cheeses. I unfortunately didn't take enough notes and only remember the name of the last cheese I tried: Childwickbury. It was a very fresh - four days old! - goat cheese with a lovely texture and delicate flavor. Simply sublime. And, as with other cheeses I tried, delightful with crusty sourdough bread and a richly-flavored Jonard apple.
Here's an article with a picture of the happy goats behind that cheese. All goats deserve a climbing folly in their yard.

I've given goats as holiday gifts in the past, or more precisely, given the gift of a goat to someone who needs it in the name of a non-goat-needing friend or family member. This Guardian article follows up on what happens with gift goats.

(Oh and while we're at the Guardian, here's an interesting survey of the 20 best geek novels. No goats, but Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is #4. I know I've read 12 of the 20, with another possible 1 or 2 that just might have been so long ago I've forgotten. I was a big time SF reader in my late teens).

And I'll round this out with a nice portrait avec la chèvre which my cheese pusher Gordon posted in his journal. He calls it "Goat Empathy".

Cheese lovers' alert: Rainbow expands 2005

Maybe I'm behind the times - my foot has slowed down my travels of late - but I was just in Rainbow Grocery tonight* and the cheese section is bigger. That's right, what I consider the best cheese selection in San Francisco now has room to grow.

Now there are places with more cheese and there are places with staff in cute white aprons who'll cut pieces off giant blocks for you, but for "ya just can't go wrong" selection, trust Rainbow.

Their tasting notes are hugely helpful in selecting the right cheese and they're always right at hand to answer questions.

Tonight's cheese is a Welsh Harlech with horseradish and parsley. It is a soft snacking cheese whose creaminess is set off by the love bites of horseradish. Delicious!

*Thanks to my pal Len who picked me up from work, let me shop as long & slowly as I needed and then transported me and my groceries home AND reminded me that I'd worked my foot very hard today and I needed to ice it. Sitting here with my foot on ice and sipping on gin & tonic, I raise a toast: "To the very best friends who are always there when you need them!"

Recipe: ?Cucurbitus Caesaris? 2005

This is so simple but the results are fantastic. It's just zucchini quickly cooked in a virgin version of the classic cocktail, the Caesar. As with most drinks, I follow the Paul Harrington recipe.

Slice the end bits off a small (but not tiny) zucchini (~6" long, 1.5" diameter), and then cut it into 1/4" slices.

In a sauce or saute pan, put the following ingredients:
4 oz Clamato
dash Worcestershire sauce
pinch of black pepper
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon horseradish (a bit less if you're wussy)
1/8 teaspoon celery seed

Turn the heat on to medium-high under the pan and add the zucchini.

Stir to coat in sauce & celery seeds.

Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low-medium and cover.

Allow to cook about 3 minutes until zucchini softens just slightly.

Serve (with spoons available to eat the delicious sauce).

[I'm just awaiting confirmation from my Latin consultants regarding the correct form for the name of this recipe]

Such a GOOD weekend! 2005

Creatively productive day Friday. That Certain Someone picked me up after work. Dinner at Citrus Club on Haight. Sitting in bed surfing the web. Spooning.

Farmers' Market at the Ferry Building Friday morning. Aidells Maple & Smoked Bacon sausage sandwich with Seeds & Suds mustard. Fresh snap peas. Tasting cheeses and balsamic vinegars. Selecting and eating Recchiuti chocolates - Peanut Butter Puck, Honeycomb Malt, special of the day (Fleur de Sel caramel topped with pecan encased in bittersweet chocolate; simply fucking incredible. One of the top ten chocolate experiences of my life.), Fleur De Sel, Cardamom Nougat, Tarragon Grapefruit, Bergamot Tea - on a bench looking out at the bay. Sailboats. Clouds. Sunshine. The Bay Bridge. Yerba Buena Island.

Walking up Sacramento to Mason and down to Geary. Buying tickets at the Curren for "I Am My Own Wife" (about which more in a couple weeks no doubt). And then seeing Kung Fu Hustle at the Metreon.

Stop what you are doing now and go see Kung Fu Hustle. It's got more life and fun and excitement in it than the last 10 American films I've seen. If I could pre-order the DVD today, I would, and I'll definitely be seeing this one at least twice in the theater.

Grinning like maniacs. A Manhattan and a cheese plate at The View atop the Marriot Hotel looking at, well, the view. Trying to figure out what was going on at the ice rink. Walking across Yerba Buena Gardens to find it was a demonstration game of sled hockey. Very cool. Chatting briefly with a player as he got back into his wheelchair. Coming home and watching the original Star Wars "A New Hope" (laser disc version, not this bullshit "Greedo shoots first" crap).

Sleeping in. Languid lazing around. Puttering around the house. Soup for dinner. The win-win debate: movie or play a game?

Recipe: sopa de zanahoria y horchata 2005

4 cups chopped carrots
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons dried shallots
2 cups broth (make your own or buy ready made)
1 cup Rice Dream Horchata

Melt the butter over medium heat in a big saucepan.
Add shallots and let cook for half a minute or so.
Add the carrots.
Cook, stirring frequently.
When more than half the carrots show browning from the butter, add broth.
Cover and cook 5 minutes.
Stir, cover, cook 5 more minutes.
Stir, cover, cook 5 more minutes.
Add horchata.
Puree with hand mixer (or food processor or blender, but the Braun MultiQuick is the easiest to clean).
Heat up again if necessary and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

This is a sweet soup and could probably be very nicely garnished with garlic croutons. Note that though it tastes sweet and rich and decadent, it's actually quite low calorie.

It was only after I was writing this post that I realized the maker of the broth I used and of Rice Dream are the same company. Hey, Imagine! Keep making this horchata - it rocks!

(Thanks go out to the ever wonderful Jane for translation assistance).

Lynn's Pasta Sauce 2005

My aunt made this yummy dinner when I was helping her move last year. I just found the old email with the recipe and am posting it here to remind me to make it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a baking dish, lay down a layer of basil leaves.
Cover it with a layer of tomatoes.
Sprinkle in some garlic cloves and olive oil.
Bake for a couple hours.

You can serve it right away or save it to reheat when you're cooking pasta.

Add some chopped fresh tomatoes and basil leaves when you warm it up to really make it extra good.

The magic of fresh fruit and vegetables 2005

I feel better now.

Wow, I feel a lot better.

I had a nice chicken tamale for dinner, which was good, but I also had an apple and a big dish of broccoli with fresh Meyer lemon juice on it. Fresh organic produce rules!

I got my first delivery from Organic Express tonight and it is some mighty good looking and tasty produce, I gotta tell ya. Tomorrow I can have a banana in the morning and take an apple and a pear to work and maybe some celery. This is gonna be great.

Clearly my body has decided to kick out the pleasure chemicals to get me to keep eating right. :)

Wine of the Day 2005

Bridgeway Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Pretty tasty. (And here's a nice review. I don't get the licorice or the dustiness, but the rest is right on the mark.)

Cheese of the Day 2005

I finished this last night, actually, but it was too excellent not to mention.

Italian caciotta del lazio sheep milk/pecorino fresco.

Rainbow Grocery had it with a sign warning they probably wouldn't be able to get it again. It's a darn fine snacking cheese.

The end of a short weekend 2004

I could definitely do with one more day to be home from my trip, but tomorrow it's back to work. It'll be a busy week, I know. I was out of the office the last 6 work days between taking a day to relax before the busy-ness, getting sick, and the trip to Cleveland.

The flight back was fine. We had a good tailwind so arrived 20 minutes early or so. I stopped at Ti Couz on the way home and had an excellent crepe (carmelized onions, tomatoes and sausage) and some tea. Napped for an hour or two and then did epic laundry (four loads!) and grocery shopping. Stayed up late chatting & writing email & stuff which was fun.

Today I slept in (in my own nice bed with the clean sheets) and am definitely feeling much better. Still a little coughing, but doing pretty well. Min Jung and Jason got me out of the house and down to the Folsom Street Fair which was odd but fun until the crowd got far too thick and I began to get a little panicky. Icky sensation. Had to shuffle through the crowd for two blocks before I could get some breathing space and calm down. They definitely need to lay the booths out with better spacing. It was extremely unsafe when the crowds packed in. After escaping we walked back to Rainbow Grocery and then they came over to my place where I invented a new drink which we were going to call a Honey Crush, but Googling now I see the name is taken. Since it's based on a drink called the Bee's Knees, I guess it'll be the Cat's Pyjamas instead:

Cat's Pyjamas

2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 barspoon honey
3 ounces Korean crushed apple juice

Shake with cracked ice;
strain into two chilled cocktail glasses.
Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Tart, sweet, sassy.

Gypsy date(s)? 2004

Anyone want to try to get tickets to this incredible evening of Roma food and music on Monday night?

I was already thinking of going to see this band - famous from the Guca Brass festival in Serbia - at Ashkenaz tomorrow night, but the possibility of a delicious meal and an added performance by the Extra Action Marching Band is very enticing.

If you want to go, let me know as soon as possible; the show is expected to sell out.

Recipe: TCT Salad 2004

Tonight the house was hot and I wanted a cool and easy dinner. Starting from this recipe (which I found through a Google search for recipe tomato cucumber), I created the following simple supper. This is a great dinner for someone on a diet because it yields what seems like an enormous amount of food, but only totals about 230 calories.

TCT (Tomato-Cucumber-Tofu) Salad

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of cherry tomatoes, washed
1 fairly substantial cucumber (say, 7 or 8 inches long and a couple inches in diameter), to yield 1.5 cups when cut up
1 12 oz package of lite extra firm tofu (I used Mori-Nu Silken Lite Tofu extra firm, which I keep in a cooler drawer in the fridge. It comes in a little vacuum-sealed package and lasts for months.)
2 tsp dried shallots (which you can get from Penzey's) or 3 Tbsp finely chopped sweet red onion
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Wash your hands.
Get a medium size bowl such as you might use for mixing or serving at the table.
Get a small glass bowl.
Put the shallots or onions in the little bowl with the balsamic vinegar.
Peel the cucumber and cut it in half so you have two approx. 4" lengths. Slice each one lengthwise into four 4" long wedges and then cut those about every half inch or a little less.
Put all the cucumber bits in the big bowl.
Using a serrated knife, cut the cherry tomatoes in half or thirds.
Use a scraper (like this one) to scoop the tomatoes and their juice into the big bowl.
Open the tofu package and drain the water.
Rinse your hands again.
Over the big bowl, squeeze the tofu out of the package and crumble it onto the cucumber-tomato mixture.
Now you may lick your fingers and wash your hands again.
Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar mixture over the salad and stir.
Allow the salad to rest for 5 minutes or so for the flavors to get a little bit into everything.
Grind a little black pepper on and enjoy!

How to Clean: Procrastinator's Version 2004

Which is more fun: cleaning house or reading websites? How about cleaning house or reading a book? Cleaning house or taking a nap? Uh, yeah, basically most things are more fun than cleaning house, right.

So here's the thing: if you're a small-scale hedonist and are bad at making yourself buckle down and do chores, how can you force yourself to get on it? The answer is simple: fear.

Here's what you do:

1. Mid-afternoon on a Saturday invite twenty friends to stop by sometime between 4:30 and 11pm.
2. Go to the corner store & get ice & mixers for cocktails.
3. Clean house, but not too strenously to stop and be a gracious host. Periodically pause to wash your face, brush your hair and rest for a moment.
4a. Have a nice time with the friends who show up.
4b. (If no one shows) Have a nice cocktail in your clean house.

A is for Americano.

The week improves 2004

I had kind of a crummy Monday at work. Couldn't get my act in gear to do anything focused. Weird day. Brightened up a bit late on with hopes of a nicer Tuesday, and pleasantly enough, that turned out to be true. Today was much more productive, I left work half an hour earlier than usual (especially nice after working long days a lot over the last couple weeks) and had a nice mellow dinner with excellent company. Recommended: the salmon at Firecracker. Now if only the amount of time spent at work and the amount of time spent having a pleasant time enjoying this fair city had been reversed, it would have been a really good day.

Recipe: Green Soup with Cheese 2004

Ingredients:
2 leeks
2 parsnips
bundle of broccoli (~1lb before trimming)
12 oz sugar snap peas
olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock (neutrally-flavored or with sage)
4 oz cheese (e.g. Italian Pio Vecchio, Italian Pecorino Pepato, or Stilton)
1 and 1/4 cups milk (grain or cow)
1/4 cup heavy cream or rich nut milk such as hazelnut
fresh ground pepper

Equipment:
cutting board
good chef knife
vegetable peeler
some bowls to hold cut up ingredients
stock pot (e.g. this beauty from Calphalon)
hot pads
stirring spatula
handheld blender (e.g. Braun Multiquick)
ladle

1. Clean the vegetables. (Cut the tops off the leeks, slit them and wash the dirt out. Peel the parsnips and the broccoli stalks. Break the ends off the peas - do not shell them, you got sugar snaps so you can eat the shells.)

2. Cut the leeks into half inch slices.

3. Put the heat on medium-low, put a few teaspoons of olive oil in the stockpot and swirl it around to coat the bottom, let it warm for a moment and then add the leeks. Stir them to coat with oil.

4. While the leeks cook, and pausing every few minutes to stir them, you can cut up the other vegetables. The leeks should be cooking but not sizzling or browning. Cut the parsnips & broccoli stalks into half inch slices.

5. Break the broccoli tops into small pieces no more than an inch or so across. Separate a few pretty florets for use in garnishing the soup dishes.

6. Cut the peas into half inch slices.

7. See how the leeks are doing. You want them to be softer and becoming translucent, but not yet mushy. If they've reached this state, add the parnsips & broccoli stalks. Stir & let them cook for another few minutes while you finish preparing the rest of the ingredients.

8. Grate the cheese.

9. Stir the pot.

10. Put all the dirty dishes in the sink & wipe down the counter.

11. Add the broccoli tops to the pot & stir. Don't add your garnish broccoli!

12. Pour the milk and "cream" into a big measuring cup. (Households with a cat will want to put this container back in the fridge until needed).

13. Add the peas to the pot & stir.

14. Add the stock to the pot. Bring to a slow boil.

15. Cover the pot and let it boil gently for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally (by which I mean every 5 or 10 minutes).

16. Finish tidying up the kitchen, set out your nice soup bowls and get your hand blender ready.

17. After the 25 minutes have elapsed, check the vegetables by pushing them against the side of the pot. They should be soft enough to break apart. If not, turn up the heat a little and cook 5 more minutes, then test again.

18. Turn off the heat and move the pot to a cold burner. Take off the cover and put it in the sink.

19. Let the soup cool for 10 minutes.

20. Use your hand blender to puree the soup in the stock pot. (Tip: insert the blender under the surface, tilt it very slightly and then turn it on. Go slow and always turn it off before it breaks the surface or you'll get splattered with hot soup. The blender will want to propel itself down to the bottom of the pot, tilting it just a little helps thwart this.)

21. Pour in the milk and "cream" mixture. Puree just a little more.

22. Add the cheese. Stir to blend so that you don't gunk up your hand blender with melted cheese.

23. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with broccoli florets and a bit of fresh ground pepper.

24. Enjoy!

Boozy Goodness 2003

I forgot to mention last week when it came out that I have another piece in the Bay Guardian. This one is about my friendly neighborhood wine shop.

(Note to editrix: A, I have the next column written, I'm just letting it breathe before I give it a bit more polish. Should have it to you tonight. -D)

Cheese of the Day 2003

Tonight's cheese - courtesy of the incredible selection at Rainbow Grocery (where I also got more of that delicious Bravo Farms Sage Cheddar, some Grafton 4 year and 2 year aged Cheddar and an Italian Pecorino Pepato that goes incredibly well with green apple) - is Ardrahan from Neal's Yard Dairy. It is now tied with Brie for "skeeziest cheese I love". Here's what the Cowgirl Creamery (whose new store will open soon in San Francisco's Ferry Building) says about it:

Eugene and Mary Burns are third generation dairy farmers for whom cheesemaking is a true passion. Their washed rind cheese, Ardrahan, is a true farmstead cheese, made using milk from their farm in County Cork, Ireland. The small 2 lb. discs are made using pasteurized cow's milk and vegetarian rennet. They are aged from 1-2 months during which time the sweet milky cheese develops the true pungency of a classic washed rind.

We're also enjoying a nice wine tonight, the 2000 Navarre Mourvedre. Mmmm.

Recipe: Spicy Chicken & Nibs 2003

New recipe tonight, probably to be refined for a larger quantity:

Clean the fat & bone off two chicken breasts and chop or tear them into chunks.
Put them in a glass dish.

Sprinkle over them:
- a pinch of ground cloves
- a couple pinches of ground cinnamon
- two or three fennel seeds
- a black peppercorn
- half a teaspoon tomato paste
- half a teaspoon chopped garlic
- half a teaspoon sesame seeds
- a tablespoon of Sharffen-Berger chocolate nibs
- one large (~2 inch long) dried chili pepper, crumbled
- one half inch long chunk of bay leaf

Add enough water to almost cover the chicken.
Stir.
Cover and set aside in fridge to marinate for 3 or 4 hours.

After the chicken is marinated, place a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and let it warm for a minute over low heat.
Add the chicken and its marinating liquid into the pan and spread the chicken out so all the pieces can cook.
Let it go for a bit until the top edges of the chicken start to turn white, then flip all the pieces.
Let it go that long again and a bit longer until the thickest piece of chicken has no more pink in the middle.
Turn the heat on high and sear the chicken for 30 seconds on each side.
Remove the chicken from the pan.
Discard the bay leaf and the peppercorn.

Serve with something bland - rice would be good - and a big glass of water.

Good Things 2003

What a lovely afternoon & evening! Chris, his mom, my mum and I went for the tour at the Scharffen-Berger chocolate factory. Very interesting and a wonderful sensory experience. That company's love of quality really shines through.

After the tour we had dinner at Cafe Panisse and that was just sublime. The garlic soup was to die for. Again, a recommended experience. (I had New garlic broth with grilled bread, a pan-fried chicken dish, and shared some bittersweet chocolate ice cream with hazelnuts with my mum).

Last Weekend's Cheese, Which We Miss This Weekend 2003

Chris picked out a rockin' cheese last weekend and we ate it all up. I've been craving it this weekend, but having to make do with other treats. It was a white cheddar with sage from Bravo Farms and it was delicious.

We also got a high quality garlic cheddar at the farmers' market a few weeks ago.

Mmm, cheese.

That's My Wholesome All American Boy 2003

She: I don't like 'em.
He: What?! You grown up!
She: Don't call me a grown up. That's the meanest thing you ever said to me.
He: You're not a kid. You don't like Lucky Charms.
She: That's cuz I like Count Chockula better.
He: THAT is some quality shit! I could live on nothing but that and Guinness.

Cheese of the Day 2003

Tonight's cheese is some kick-ass Montasio from Artisan Cheese. We had it on pizza baked on the new pizza stone. Mmm, really good pizza. Oops, too much cheese and it's time to sand the cheese residue off the new pizza stone. Oh well. It's worth it.

Cheese of the Day 2003

Today's cheese is Sally Jackson Goat. It is cured wrapped in grape leaves and has a lovely creamy texture and a characteristic goat cheese tanginess.

Yumminess: Quite
Skeeziness: Moderate

Cheese Journal 2003

I'm beginning to get into gourmet cheeses. This is partially the fault of the fine cheesekeepers at Rainbow Grocery. They turned me on to the phenomenal Welsh Red Dragon - a creamy cheese with a hint of good beer and lots & lots of whole mustard seeds. It is fantastic stuff.

Tonight's cheese is from A. G. Ferrari (or whatever it's called), the gourmet Italian deli chain. It's a hard cheese with a salty, smooth flavor. A slight tangy aftertone, but nowhere near as sharp as a good Romano or Parmesan. It's called Piave Mezzano and I recommend it.

Recipe: Mobster's Holiday 2002

Here's a new recipe of mine, invented just this evening. It's an Italian-Mexican casserole.

Tools:
1 Oven
1 Baking dish approx. 8" x 11" or bigger (I just found a good one cheap at Ikea)
1 Spatula or wooden spoon
1 Cheese grater
1 Can opener

Ingredients:
about 2 cups of uncooked pasta
2 small red onions or one large one
a little vegetable oil or olive oil or butter or some Pam cooking spray
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce (this is the most average can-sized can)
1 16 oz bag of frozen corn niblets
1-2 cups pepper jack cheese (those who don't like it extra spicy probably should split it, half regular jack, half pepper jack)
(optional) half teaspoon cumin
(optional) half teaspoon cilantro
(optional) dried toasted onion bits

Instructions:

Pull the corn out of the freezer and set it on the counter to start defrosting.

Cut off the ends of the onion(s).
Slit the side and peel the dry skin off. (If you make vegetable stock, these bits go in your Stock Parts container in the freezer).
Cut the onion into roughly inch sized chunks. (I cut my small onions in half vertically, then cut the halves horizontally in half, then cut those into 3 even chunks).
Put a couple teaspoons of oil (or whatever) into a frying pan.
Put the heat on medium.
Put the onion in there and let it cook gently (turn the heat down if you need to), stirring it from time to time with the wooden spoon, until the onions get softer and translucent.
If you have some, when the onion is mostly done, sprinkle cumin and dried cilantro on the onions. Stir.

While the onion is cooking:
Turn the oven on to 350 degrees to preheat.
Put about 3 times as much water as you have pasta in a pot.
Add a pinch of salt.
Bring the water to a boil and then add the pasta.
Stir the pasta with the spatula or a wooden spoon.
Cook the pasta for as long as you're supposed to cook that kind of pasta (probably about 8 minutes). Don't overcook it.

While the pasta is cooking (if the onion is done, turn off the heat and transfer the onion to a bowl if it continues to cook in the pan):
Spray Pam or wipe some olive oil in the baking dish.
Open the can of tomato sauce.
Grate the cheese.

When the pasta is done & thoroughly drained, pour it into the pan.
Form a flat layer in the bottom with it.
Evenly spread the cooked onion over the pasta.
Evenly spread the corn over the onion.
Evenly spread the tomato sauce over the corn.
Evenly sprinkle the grated cheese over the sauce.
If you have it, sprinkle some dried toasted onion bits on top of the cheese.

Put the pan in the 350 degree oven and leave it there without peeking for 30 minutes.

When it is done, remove it from the oven using oven mitts to hold the hot pan.
Serve immediately to joyful recipients.

Because the pasta can be a little slippery, a big serving spoon or ladle is recommended for dishing it up.

This can also make a good "bringing lunch to work" dish.

Is it really this bad? 2002

According to a Need To Know reader Stef Magdalinski, Diet Coke Lemon is "like drinking ordinary coke through a Kentucky Fried Chicken Handwipe".

Ah, I love a really descriptive product review...

It's probably fatal, but... 2002

... does anyone know the recipe for a Lemony Snicket? I am given to understand it is reminescent of a Mojito, only using white rum and lemon juice instead of lime.

Additionally, does anyone know any drinking establishments at which I might be served a Lemony Snicket or a Jasmine (Paul Harrington's lovely apertif)?

Thank you ever so much.

Lust 2002

I am drooling over these beautiful truffles from Vosges Haut-Chocolat.

When I have money again, I want to try the Mint Julep, Black Pearl, Absinthe, Naga, Budapest, Viola and Chef Pascal.

I don't like milk chocolate that much, but I love violet flavored candy and the idea of a curry-chocolate combination is too fascinating to resist.

Hey, I have an idea. Who wants to have a truffle tasting party? Split four ways we could afford the 16 piece box with express shipping to keep it from getting overheated... and with seven or eight people we could get the 32 piece box. Oh my!

Recipe: Homemade Vegetable Broth 2002

In the kitchen with...

Today's Money-Saving, Dinner-enhancing, Life-enriching Tip:
Homemade Vegetable Broth
with bonus clever storage idea!

Step One: Dedicate a little sealable container in your freezer to holding vegetable trimmings. Put everything in there you might otherwise have thrown away: carrot tops, broccoli stalks, edamame pods, onion ends, parsley stems, etc. Don't include big hunks of dirt or moldy stuff, but you guessed that. [As of August 2004 and for some time now, I've been converted to the use of good fresh eating parts of vegetables rather than trimmings for making stock. It is much better.]

Step Two: When the container is full or the mood strikes you (e.g. when you're in the kitchen cooking something else, but have a burner or two free), chop up an onion into big chunks. Put some olive oil or spray some Pam or some such into a frying pan. If you like garlic, throw some garlic in there too. I like to sprinkle one kind of herb (preferably a fresh one, but dry is fine) in there too (e.g. thyme, sage, oregano, basil). Cook the onion on low heat, stirring it from time to time so it doesn't burn. If you like, you can put a chopped tomato in there too after the onion has been cooking for a few minutes. This is especially nice with basil & garlic.

Step Three: Put some drinking water in a big pot (I use a Corning Vision stockpot which apparently isn't made anymore - basically it's a big pyrex casserole/stockpot which you can actually see through - or a lovely Calphalon pot Edmond gave me). Add your frozen vegi scraps. Turn the heat on medium high so the water is at a very gentle boil. Cover it.

Step Four: When the onion has turned translucent or is a bit browned, take it off the heat & let it cool for a few minutes. Pour the onion into your broth. Ladle out some broth into the frying pan and stir it around to get the good onion browning off the pan. Pour that liquid back into the broth.

Step Five: After your broth has been going for about 30 minutes all together, take it off the heat and leave it covered for a while to cool.

Step Six: When the pan & broth are cool enough not to burn you, set up a pan big enough to hold all the liquid with a strainer or colander resting over it. The finer the mesh, the clearer the broth. Carefully pour the broth through the strainer. Watch out for avalanches of cooked vegis. Once you've emptied the stockpot, set it beside the new pot and lift the strainer to allow all the liquid through. Give it a little shake and then put the strainer in the stockpot to carry all the soggy vegis over to the compost (or the trash if you must).

Step Seven: Allow the strained broth to cool. And here's the really clever bit: put it in a ziploc bag pre-labeled with the date and any special notes (e.g. "April 8, 2002 - Onion-Thyme-Garlic"). Make sure the bag is well closed. Lay the bag flat in a pan and put the pan in the freezer until the broth is a frozen sheet. Remove the pan.

Step Eight: Whenever you are cooking something like, say, ramen noodles, which calls for water, use your broth instead. Just break off a chunk of the sheet as needed. You can also cook in broth instead of oil or butter. This is lovely for things like zucchini or fish.

If you make a habit of this, soon your freezer will be stocked with tasty starting points for many meals - soup, stew and otherwise - and you may find yourself experimenting ("Hmm, maybe I'll throw in a little dijon mustard...and the rest of my beer...and some black pepper....")

(Many thanks to my pa, Paul, for the culinary advice!)

Sunday Night Slump 2002

I have so many things I want to be doing at home to get things cleaned up both on and offline that it's hard not to feel a bit down at the end of the weekend because I've only just scratched the surface. On the bright side, I did get a lot done including my most hated chore: scrubbing the bathroom. Bleah.

Now I need to go do some dishes since I went through a lot cooking a mushroom-barley-thyme soup and vegetable stock at the same time. The soup came out very good though and I did learn a new technique to add more flavor: pan fry some spring onions or shallots in olive oil with chopped up fresh herbs. Really rounds out the flavor of the soup with much more complexity.

Yep. Gotta do some dishes.

Think I'll play a little Bejeweled first though.

Good Home Cookin' 2002

I felt the urge for a good warming vegetarian meal tonight. I ate a lot more meat in the last month than I normally would and lots of high fat things, so it's time to mellow out the diet a bit and make my body feel better.

Tonight's meal: Butternut Squash Quorma (squash, onions, garlic, turmeric, a bit of garam masala, salt, pepper & some peas) & Chalau (white rice cooked with cumin and coriander)

This is an Afghan meal and if you've never had Afghan food, I highly recommend finding your local middle eastern restaurant and trying some. Sabsi - a sort of spinach dish reminescent of Indian Saag - is my favorite.

Time to eat!

A Good Friday Night 2002

Ah. Starting to feel a bit settled. I'm still having trouble getting to sleep at night, but I can sleep in so my schedule is a little wonky but not painful.

Telecommuted today, working on the next phase of CentralBooking.com and it's going along well. I think we'll be able to finish ahead of schedule - which everyone likes. Fingers crossed for continued smooth sailing.

Had dinner at Suppenküche with Clemens and Friederike who pronounced it very good. Clemens had Sauerbraten mit Preiselbeerkonfit�re, serviert mit Rotkohl und Spätzle and said it was the best south German food he'd had in the Bay Area. It's a fun restaurant and I highly recommend it. The shared seating is actually lots of fun. We were next to two large and pleasant parties of people - a good place for extroverts!

Now I'm all warm and sleepy and faced with a dilemna: if I make the bed (currently in couch form) and brush my teeth and go to bed, will I actually be sleepy enough to go to sleep for the whole night? Or will I, as I strongly suspect, sleep for 2 hours and then wake refreshed and stay awake until 3 or 4 and totally screw up my sleep schedule?

Maybe I'll make the bed and then play games for an hour. Jeez, so much for being an urbane city dweller - "Oh, goodness, it's almost 10pm. *yawn*" I blame the good, rich German food.

Beauty is wherever you find it. 2002

Quite some time back I was snacking and found the perfect rice cracker. It's an aesthetic work of art, worthy of the plate of an emperor.

I saved it and kept it by my monitor, waiting for a day when I'd have time to document it and share it with you. True to eastern principles of beauty it is flawed; I just ate it and, unsurprisingly, it was stale.

I'm reading Diet for a 2000

I'm reading Diet for a New America. What I am learning, or, more accurately, being reminded of, is convincing me that I need to change the way I eat. As I mentioned in my simple blog, I have already made significant reductions in my consumption of meat and dairy products. Tonight I went to EarthSave International's website and took their VegPledge to further reduce my consumption of meat (fish, fowl, beef, pork, etc.), dairy products and eggs over the next 60 days. It is my intention at the beginning of December to pledge over the following 60 days to transition to a vegetarian diet, and, subsquently, to a vegan diet. By Earth Day next year, I will be eating without guilt. Even if I only succeed in cutting out 90% of my consumption of non-vegan foods, I will be very happy with myself and will have made a positive impact on the environment.

Planning a party? 1999

Here's how to calculate your cocktail needs. (from Paul Harrington inventor of The Jasmine).

Jinx (a.k.a. my Mum) writes from Edgewood: 1999

Partly in honor of National Ravens Week - partly as a way of getting the fridge cleaned out - we offered several treats to the ravens today. First they got some bread, aged stir-fry, and jasmine rice with pinenuts. Later, they got a couple of doubtful slices of roast beef and the last of the red grapes which were languishing uneaten in the vegetable bin. They took the meat first, then carried away the grapes one at a time. By then the sun was bright behind them and we could see each grape glowing in the beak as the raven flew off - it looked like they were carrying off rubies...

Gourmet Friends Are Good Friends 1999

Sorry I haven't written much lately. Last week I had to work extra hours to make up for the holiday I couldn't work and didn't get paid for. And then I got sick on Wednesday. :p

The F/X reunion was fabulous and we raised an incredible amount of money for Mark. Yay!

My eBay auctions have gone so well, I'm about to start some more. [but I got sidetracked and didn't].

I had friends over last night and it was fun. Bill & Jessica win Most Decadent for making fresh butter and then turning it into super garlic dipping sauce. Marie & Pete take second place for the combination of their offerings. Oh, but Robert better be tied there too for the salmon with mustard and capers. Oh hell, it was all great! Mike was knocked out of Most Fashionably Late to a Party by Dan who arrived almost 8 hours after it started. Fortunately, we were still going strong. (If you didn't get invited, it's because you're on the other cycle. My place is just to small to invite everyone every time, so I'm going to start doing an alternate invite list (with occasional crossovers, of course). Watch for the March party invite coming soon).

Feeling better. Down to general fatigue and a scratchy throat. I'm still going to take it easy this week.

My computer has taken to crashing frequently. I think I'll cut my losses and put this up now.

[I'm a little confused about this post. You see, I had begun my blogging life by just adding more into a given day's post at the top so it would naturally fall in reverse chronological order on the page. However, the last line of this suggests that it wasn't writtent that way. It's possible that some of the other posts between October 1998 and whenever I stopped posting like that are somewhat out of their original order. I could go to the Internet Archive and check, but frankly, that sounds like a big pain for little payoff and I've got a lot of content still to add. You can deal, right? Good. - Dinah, January 2004]

Presents & mundania 1998

Too lazy to move this to the old latest page today. [Apparently I used to only have the most recent post on the home page]

Feeling kind of sick. Maybe I drank too much eggnog. It was only 2 glasses and nonalcoholic, but still I feel all blurghy.

Thanks to the amazing power of Sherman "Ubershopper" Lewis, I have finished all my holiday shopping. Well, ok, all but one special someone whose size I don't know. (For the anal retentive, here's two dots to put over the U in ubershopper : )

Recommended restaurant: Tokyo Go Go on 16th near Valencia in San Francisco. Very stylish and tasty new Japanese place.

Gave the most outrageous present I have ever given. My fears were relieved by the recipient appearing to be rather pleased, albeit shocked. No, I'm not going to tell you more than that. I'm just going to encourage you to follow your wild instincts, be unconventional and if the friendship is worth having it will survive.
Oh, all right, here's a clue.

I wish I could afford to take a week off. I really need it. *sigh* Contracting sucks sometimes...

Of course, I also wish I could spend a thousand dollars at Archie McPhee. Such is the nature of desire.