tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82344411756618582372024-02-07T13:12:18.923-08:00small hand bartenderjennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-87052935810784281882011-05-18T17:42:00.000-07:002011-05-18T18:46:00.796-07:00Cocktail Camp!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4BwkmrUM7ROrahkx7PxvmcXcgAYrhZbNyv8Yl7btcD7NDWl4a4Umy7gYv0UQ2xTBhLsGwDU3LxajBU4n2Ye-ECiAHlMu8wfu8X3xn0POJhAuaarqTMqVnfv4KXjDwScuAqQ4JqwcQmo/s1600/cocktailcamp.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608231481168710386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4BwkmrUM7ROrahkx7PxvmcXcgAYrhZbNyv8Yl7btcD7NDWl4a4Umy7gYv0UQ2xTBhLsGwDU3LxajBU4n2Ye-ECiAHlMu8wfu8X3xn0POJhAuaarqTMqVnfv4KXjDwScuAqQ4JqwcQmo/s400/cocktailcamp.jpg" /></a><br />I recently presented at the second annual <a href="http://www.cocktailcamp.net/">Cocktail Camp PDX</a>, a day-long series of seminars in Portland geared toward the home bar/spirits enthusiast. I, along with <a href="http://qmixalot.com/">Columbine Quillen</a>, a rockstar of a bartender/blogger from Bend, Oregon, talked about homemade syrups, sodas, bitters and tinctures. Columbine wrote about her part of the presentation <a href="http://qmixalot.com/pdx-cocktail-camp-how-to-extract-flavors-to-make-tinctures-and-bitters">here</a>, so I won't attempt to paraphrase her, but I will say her low-tech methods of extraction and distillation are fascinating.<br /><br />As for my side of things, I spoke about understanding the science behind sugar, fruit and spice, and how to exploit that science to create the best-tasting syrups possible. I must give credit to <a href="http://www.artofdrink.com/">Darcy O'Neil</a> and <a href="http://www.curiouscook.com/">Harold McGee</a> for the bulk of my content. I refer to the research both of them have done constantly. I hope I have done them justice in condensing and explaining what I feel are the pertinent aspects of syrup making.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 278px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608234042071155906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOyz-lHbXJjprvTdX67YyGtSvX1l-OVRXlLioN_M2mFHY6RZxVpJm2n8zP8rkkQhFYjmLSzH2ULn8b-MC6xKqm4ACzDb2Df7aRyQSJMqtohsjMUk8boq4g-IGtGRmTpruDUfTgsrGKDs/s400/sucrose%255B1%255D.gif" />Here is a diagram of a sucrose molecule (sugar). It is comprised of a fructose molecule and a glucose molecule bonded together. When you heat it with water, you begin the inversion process whereby those bonds are broken, and you end up with fructose-glucose syrup, also known as invert syrup. It takes a while to fully invert, but heating it at all makes it partially invert. Sucrose is more viscous than either fructose or glucose. Therefore, if you make simple syrup by combining equal parts sugar and cold water and stirring or shaking until dissolved rather than heating, your simple syrup will be more viscous. Cold-dissolved simple syrup is molecularly different, and in my opinion, superior, than when it is heated. <br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608234819978629090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0f2ELtbvwGF2G2bW-DSdz3kUB5_p34R0PRWqw1kz80185uvY_Eb7gQGW0uN1oitSwMxi0P4dM9M52LU3wUeGdXvEtse3_JwlujH0QEprjrag8AawQ83irgzfELkYfpKukNK35R-aIZSA/s400/aplantturgor%255B1%255D.gif" />This is a diagram of a fruit cell. The important part is the vacuole in the center that holds the good juicy part inside. Remember in the 90s, when every other bar had big jars of infused vodka on the back bar? After soaking for a couple of weeks, the liquid tasted fruity and delicious. But take a bite of the soaked fruit itself and it tasted terrible, like alcoholic fiber. The reason is the difference in sugar content between the fruit juice inside those vacuoles and the alcohol itself. When the sugar content (and here we're talking fructose) is higher inside the fruit than outside, the juice will cross the cell walls via osmosis, collapsing those cells, and mix with the surrounding liquid. Thus the tasty infusion yet limp, anemic-looking fruit. In syrup making, this is what you want happening in those cell walls. You're after the juice, not the fiber. Simmer chopped fruit in water first, strain out and discard the remains, then add sugar. This will help you get all the good stuff out of the fruit.<br /><br />The opposite of this is true as well. If your goal is to make delicious sweetened fruit, say, brandied cherries for example, you need to add enough sugar to the brandy so that it exceeds the natural sugar content of the cherries. The sugar then will cross the cell walls via osmosis, this time into them, bulking up those cells and creating that lovely “snap” to the skin that is so appealing in amarene cherries.<br /><br />However, if you want to make a syrup from a spice, it is the essential oils in that spice you want to bring into your syrup. Oil has carbon in it, as does sugar. Water does not. As Darcy O'Neil explained to me, “like dissolves like,” so if you simmer that spice in a combination of sugar and water, the sugar will help draw out more of the aromatic compounds in the spice than simmering in water alone.<br /><br />How this works for syrup-making is that if you want to make, say, a strawberry-black pepper syrup, you chop up the strawberries, simmer them in water until they are limp and pale, strain them out and discard them, then add sugar and coarsely crushed black pepper. Simmer that until you have the flavor you want. Fine-strain and enjoy!<br /><br />The event overall was a great success; I had a lot of fun giving the presentation. (Actually, I nervously paced and bit my nails until it was my turn, then apologized about a dozen times for being such a nerd.) But people seemed into it nonetheless. I hope I am invited back next year! </div></div>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-14461047284105691302011-04-18T12:29:00.000-07:002011-04-18T12:50:26.652-07:00The Margarita, aka the Tequila Daisy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcP86L4eCyG_3g7_vCMbmGeWLqZHvbOXq0OU9lmz3LWunM0FeauJJ-HG8WYcjGl7AEEc1pBTdtChKCOy60nDZuuQVn5PNSNE4ng_tG741TllE-mAmMX2b2tOsbYdApKPa9KqvoOfMhus/s1600/margarita+rocks.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589970095163396210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcP86L4eCyG_3g7_vCMbmGeWLqZHvbOXq0OU9lmz3LWunM0FeauJJ-HG8WYcjGl7AEEc1pBTdtChKCOy60nDZuuQVn5PNSNE4ng_tG741TllE-mAmMX2b2tOsbYdApKPa9KqvoOfMhus/s400/margarita+rocks.JPG" /></a> <br /><div>There's been a bit of a hot debate going on for a while about constructing the perfect margarita. <a href="http://www.tommystequila.com/">Tommy's</a> in San Francisco promotes their 100% agave margarita heavily, which uses <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_syrup">agave syrup</a> instead of orange liqueur to sweeten it. It makes sense; eliminating the orange aspect makes the tequila flavor shine through. But there's a problem with this.</div><br /><div>As you dive into the world of classic cocktails, you begin to recognize cocktail families. Some are familiar, some, less so:</div><br /><div>Sour: spirit, citrus, sweetener, often egg white</div><div>Fizz: sour with a carbonated aspect (soda, sparkling wine, etc.)</div><div>Cocktail: spirit, sugar, bitters, water (dilution from ice suffices)</div><div>Improved/Fancy Cocktail: spirit, flavored sweetener, bittering component, perhaps an aperitif wine...</div><br /><div>You start to recognize the patterns everywhere. You read the menu description of a bar's "Apple Orchard" (Calvados, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, orange bitters) and you understand that it is just a modified sidecar. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. It's great to know these formulae. Understanding what makes a sour delicious means it's easy to begin to substitute the base spirit for another, swap flavored sweeteners or acid, etc...</div><br /><div>It also means it's a lot harder to be surprised. So when the Tommy's-style margarita started making the rounds in San Francisco, I was a little confused. Because despite <a href="http://liquor.com/liquor/articles/behind-the-drink-the-margarita/">David Wondrich's article</a> about the history of the tequila daisy, people still don't seem to talk about the fact that "margarita" is the Spanish word for "daisy." And a daisy is an entire class of cocktail, comprised of spirit, citrus and flavored sweetener.</div><br /><div>The most common sweeteners for daisies, historically, are yellow Chartreuse, grenadine, raspberry syrup and... curaçao. Curaçao, the orange liqueur in said margarita.</div><br /><div>I like a Tommy's margarita. I do. Quality tequila, fresh lime and clean sweetener? Delicious. It's just that I don't think it's actually a margarita. The curaçao (or whatever version of orange liqueur you use) is what makes it a margarita, aka a tequila daisy, and not just a tequila daiquiri.</div><br /><div>For the record, here's how I make a margarita. (Note that I offset the citrus with simple syrup. You can invert the proportions of lime and curaçao and eliminate the simple syrup, but this makes the drink a bit boozy for my taste.)</div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Margarita</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">1 1/2 oz 100% agave tequila</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">1 oz fresh lime juice</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">3/4 oz Cointreau or good curaçao</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">1/4 oz 1-to-1 simple syrup</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">'Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a double old-fashioned glass filled with fresh ice and rimmed with salt if desired, or strain into a chilled cocktail glass or coupe. </span></div>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-38649532436480001942011-03-30T12:01:00.000-07:002011-03-30T12:02:17.386-07:00Citric Acid<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0arMa6lg4EzLjO_n3tMCC_-VXnYHQ-XzKvxqZ8j8bQeFH1Oa8GqNb-zLi8KqI_h2eOD9mpHDBWQ9YBqBzzSRKG37mRvQ39IHkj9l-6mJ46v8jLswvj9y3kJZy5AksyM0UdUmppAKLlm4/s1600/731075-250x250%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528031130230394626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0arMa6lg4EzLjO_n3tMCC_-VXnYHQ-XzKvxqZ8j8bQeFH1Oa8GqNb-zLi8KqI_h2eOD9mpHDBWQ9YBqBzzSRKG37mRvQ39IHkj9l-6mJ46v8jLswvj9y3kJZy5AksyM0UdUmppAKLlm4/s400/731075-250x250%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a> <br /><div><a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2010/02/possibilities.html">As I mentioned before</a>, I treat my ingredients like a cook rather than a food producer. Yet when you get into food production, as I have been doing while expanding my <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/">Small Hand Foods</a> <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/products.php">syrup line</a>, there are a few scientific things you must pay attention to.</div><br /><div>Ph values are the level of acidity in a product. If you are going to seal anything in a jar or bottle, one of the ways to make it safe is to insure that the ph is 4.5 or lower. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism">Botulism</a> (botulinum toxin) thrives in a low-acid, oxygen-free environment. Once you expose a food product to oxygen, say, by taking a jar of jam off your shelf and opening it, keeping it refrigerated after opening prevents other bacteria from getting in there. All of this science must be applied when creating a new food product that you intend to bottle.</div><br /><div>But food production folk are a funny lot. They know how to keep food safe, but they aren't chefs. They want everything super scientific. I needed to lower the ph of my gum syrup to make it safe to bottle. And every single person I encountered told me to use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid">citric acid</a>. They said that citric acid is essentially concentrated lemon juice. So I bought some and tried it.</div><br /><div>I don't care what people say; citric acid is nothing at all like lemon juice. If you have access to it, mix a little in some water and taste it. Does it taste like lemon juice? Not even remotely. It tastes acrid and bitter with a dry, metallic aftertaste. Like nibbling on an unripe lime, with its peel, dipped in metal shavings and wrapped in brown paper. Quite frankly, I don't want that in my syrup.</div><br /><div>Actual lemon juice, contrary to what the food scientists say, contains citric acid, yes, but also malic, tartaric and oxalic acids, plus sugar, fiber and a trace of protein. And vitamins and minerals. Using lemon juice as an ingredient adds so much more than just a ph reducer. And adding enough to a bottle of gum syrup to make it safe adds less than a teaspoon per bottle: a couple drops per drink. In exchange I get the safety of the acidity without the metallic, bitter taste. It's a fair exchange to me.</div><br /><div>I've begun to look more closely at product labels and am stunned by the number of edibles that use citric acid. Out of all the varieties of hummus now sold at <a href="http://traderjoes.com/">Trader Joe's</a>, only one uses actual lemon juice rather than citric acid. There are also so many products that seem to me to unnecessarily use an acidifier. Flavored syrups like <a href="http://rosesmixers.com/">Rose's</a> or <a href="http://www.torani.com/">Torani</a> add citric acid because there is no actual juice in them, therefore nothing to bring the ph down to safe levels. But fruit juice is already acidic; I can't see any purpose in adding citric acid to a drink or syrup already containing fruit juice. Yet there they are.</div><br /><div>I do not claim that there is anything unhealthy or dangerous with citric acid. It is typically derived from lemon pith, although through a fairly refined process. My bias here is about flavor, and that I prefer to drink the way I eat, with a concentration on whole, real foods. In addition, to me lemon juice just tastes better. So that's what I choose to put into my syrups. Food scientists be damned.</div>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-58763082764129163082010-12-22T13:31:00.000-08:002010-12-24T23:41:00.991-08:00Green Chartreuse Marshmallows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWHhKjOJorH4StWksZXfUM19TFCBOE1-zuOC3-L-ViaZD1nSUqPIxh5u5jMxOoi3jMoSnqX03Y5fRy5t7NKPnGGhXHuodTe0TxpoAkZyK5_TcgTrdnShQ6Y9sez4alJPGb0UEJTGfdws/s1600/chartreuse+marshmallows.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554520395149506786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWHhKjOJorH4StWksZXfUM19TFCBOE1-zuOC3-L-ViaZD1nSUqPIxh5u5jMxOoi3jMoSnqX03Y5fRy5t7NKPnGGhXHuodTe0TxpoAkZyK5_TcgTrdnShQ6Y9sez4alJPGb0UEJTGfdws/s400/chartreuse+marshmallows.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div>Every winter we put a hot drink on the menu at the <a href="http://slanteddoor.com/">Slanted Door</a>. The last couple of years it's been a hot buttered rhum cider. It's insanely good: a trademark Erik Adkins concoction, rich but perfectly balanced. I love it, but I also crave new things, and the recipe development that goes along with them.<br /><br />And every winter, I think about a <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/12/tequila-hot-chocolate.html">Tequila Hot Chocolate</a>. I've written about it once already, but I really wanted to step the drink up and make it work for our cocktail list. While it is delicious on its own, I thought an indulgent yet geeky touch would be to top it with a marshmallow flavored with green Chartreuse. Chocolate and green Chartreuse have a strong affinity for one another. So much so that there has been a flurry of articles written on the subject recently, including two by a couple of my favorite booze writers, <a href="http://www.alcademics.com/2010/12/chartreuse-chocolate-delicious.html">Camper English</a> and <a href="http://www.cocktailchronicles.com/2010/11/30/6030-12-16-four-drinks-with-chartreuse-and-chocolate/">Paul Clarke</a>. They may argue about who thought of the combo first, but I assure you, I've been trying to do a tequila hot chocolate with a green Chartreuse marshmallow for years! (Ask Erik; he will totally attest to my laziness and procrastination.)<br /><br />I already had the ganache worked out. The <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/12/tequila-hot-chocolate.html">version I posted before</a>, however, was a rich and creamy cuddle-in-front-of-the-fire style, a large mug to warm you to your bones. A cocktail list version needed some tweaking: the tequila should be more prominent, and it should be rich but not too large. It should be a satisfying end to a meal, not a replacement for one.<br /><br />I've been a fan of the signature hot chocolate at <a href="http://www.bittersweetcafe.com/">Bittersweet</a> for years; they use water instead of milk, yet it is incredibly rich and potent. Dairy can cloud some of the higher notes in dark chocolate; using water intensifies the nuances. As long as you use enough chocolate, that is.<br /><br />So that's what we did: up the proportion of chocolate, use water, and put it all in a smaller mug. It's perfect: flavorful tequila wrapped in an intense hit of chocolate, with an adult marshmallow on top.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Tequila Hot Chocolate<br /></strong><br />2 tbsp Mexican Chocolate Ganache<br />2 oz water<br />1-1/4 oz reposado tequila<br />1/4 oz Cointreau<br /><br />Heat ganache and water together, stirring until dissolved. Add to a small mug along with tequila and Cointreau. Top with green Chartreuse marshmallow.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Mexican Chocolate Ganache</strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">4 oz dark chocolate<br />1 c cream<br />6 tbsp cocoa powder<br />¾ c sugar<br />¼ tsp cayenne<br />½ tsp ground cinnamon</span> </div><div> </div></div><div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Melt the chocolate into the cream in the top of a double-boiler. Add the cocoa powder and mix thoroughly with an immersion blender. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, heat the cream and whisk the cocoa powder into it, then melt the chocolate into that.) Add the sugar and spices and stir with a spatula until thoroughly mixed. The sugar may not dissolve; it’s okay. Keep extra ganache refrigerated. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></div></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554519085169036434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLxaHd1gVkt-B3HIqRpSXNwx6hbJhiQmkFrRjDXXXfJXD6PoTVsQ1wBUrOeeioQfc3fl0Je0Bo2mPj_QaX0gvemlNZBM1Ma8zW5NNLxyrtJRhg8ElF_y5Z8puBWzcdr2iGrAjlLAUGew/s400/mexi+hot+choc.JPG" /><br /><br /><div>The marshmallows are my bar geek conceit. Green Chartreuse is a bartender favorite due to its herbal intensity and cult-like recipe secrecy. Incorporating it into a marshmallow recipe proved tricky but not impossible. After several tries and some help from my friend <a href="http://sfwinechef.com/">Melissa</a>, here is the final recipe:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Green Chartreuse Marshmallows<br /></strong><span style="font-size:78%;">adapted from Gourmet, December 1998<br /><br /></span>about 1 cup confectioners' sugar<br />3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin<br />1/2 cup cold water<br />2 cups granulated sugar<br />1/2 cup agave syrup<br />1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp green Chartreuse<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />2 large egg whites<br />1/2 tsp vanilla<br /><br />Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan and dust bottom and sides with confectioners' sugar.<br /><br />Beat egg whites to stiff peaks; set aside.<br /><br />In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand to soften.<br /><br />In a heavy saucepan cook sugar, agave, 1/2 cup Chartreuse and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F., about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.<br /><br />With a standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. Beat egg whites, vanilla and remaining 3 tbsp Chartreuse into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and sift 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar evenly over top. Let sit, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours, and up to 1 day.<br /><br />Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up 1 corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and let drop onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into 1-1/2 inch squares. Sift remaining confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and add marshmallows in batches, tossing to evenly coat.<br /><br />Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week.<br /></span></div></div></div></div>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-41295760879415290012010-11-30T15:28:00.000-08:002010-12-15T00:39:22.734-08:00Canning, aka Stress Relief: part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0HX2wcd_uesIforbvs0httQ34lvpuGnS1N9_306z-jl7QqiwJ-yXvTiAmooVpHeBOwmDONWI-Hx0bFVv5dGvOlrBEBejhsAKVMJfHZEprmt7Srff3Pkz3SKGhotmerKs-X9i-lnKTtg/s1600/canning6.JPG"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; display: block; height: 300px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549936902884699842" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0HX2wcd_uesIforbvs0httQ34lvpuGnS1N9_306z-jl7QqiwJ-yXvTiAmooVpHeBOwmDONWI-Hx0bFVv5dGvOlrBEBejhsAKVMJfHZEprmt7Srff3Pkz3SKGhotmerKs-X9i-lnKTtg/s400/canning6.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>There I am, stressed out about work and fresh from a visit to my friends' farm in the <a href="http://capayvalleygrown.com/">Capay Valley</a> (my number one stress reliever). As always, I was sent back with a dozen eggs from their hens and bags full of what they had growing. Which this time was kadota figs, several varieties of eggplant, and peppers. Red peppers, yellow peppers, green, fat, skinny, bulbous peppers. Peppers the size of my pinky nail in nail polish colors. Purple-streaked green peppers. Orange peppers the color of the sunrise.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; display: block; height: 320px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532819236916751138" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh919R__-TtolP8ZjBPSDChy6DpU_blSU6nxDcJi7my_6PNpPI8rv2V9aHLI2jBWg8JYLT9WNZM4VjfTCr1SDpTHPbG7v4cGhgr4TUfoXYFjji3sJCjMAUh0Y0hji2qwogg2tBzLe-_aVY/s400/peppers.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>So I went nuts. Two kinds of fig jam: Fig with Vanilla and Fig with Honey and Bay (both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mes-Confitures-Jellies-Christine-Ferber/dp/0870136291/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288210452&sr=8-1">Christine Ferber</a>, natch). Caponata with the eggplants. A savory hot sauce with the red chiles. Spicy, spicy green chile-and-vinegar sauce. And just because I was on a roll, I picked up a case each of tomatillos and pasilla chiles from <a href="http://berkeleybowl.com/">Berkeley Bowl </a>for tomatillo sauce.</div><br /><div>Here is the recipe I used, adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Well-Preserved-Recipes-Techniques-Putting-Seasonal/dp/0307405249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288205208&sr=8-1">Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Food</a> by Eugenia Bone:</div><div>(I scaled up x16 to get through my 40lb case of tomatillos)</div><br /><div><strong>Tomatillo Sauce</strong></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">2.5 lbs tomatillos, husked and rinsed</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">2 poblano chiles</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">1 jalapeno chile</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">2 cups chopped onion</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">3 chopped garlic cloves</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">.5 cup lemon juice</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">2 teaspoons salt</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the tomatillos just until they begin to soften, about 30 seconds. Puree them in a blender or food processor.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Roast the chiles either under a broiler or over a gas flame, turning to char them evenly. Let cool, then peel off the skins. Don't rinse as you will lose some of the roasted flavor. Remove and discard the seeds and pith, and chop flesh finely.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Combine everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Ladle into pint jars and seal with new lids. Rims can be reused. Process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let jars sit in the hot water for 5 more minutes before removing. (This prevents breakage.) Let cool. </span></div><br /><div>Now for the technical details:</div><br /><div>This recipe has a lot of lemon juice in it. Too much for my taste, really. This is because, for a product to be safe for canning it must have a ph of 4.5 or lower. (Ph is a measure of acidity. Remember high school science class? I didn't either, until I started bottling syrups for a living.) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulinum_toxin">Botulinum toxin</a> thrives in a low-acid, oxygen-free environment. Canning cookbook authors are extremely worried that someone will make their recipe and end up poisoning their loved ones because the recipes wasn't followed to the letter. So they tend to vastly overcompensate with the acid level in their recipes: if your vegetables are larger than normal, the product will still be safe. When these authors test recipes for safety, they typically send samples to a lab. The lab purees the samples and tests the ph. So, because I have a ph meter, I did the same and realized I didn't need nearly as much lemon juice as the recipe called for.</div><br /><div>Now, I'm not suggesting you go around reducing acid from canning recipes willy-nilly. Not at all. I'm just saying that there is a reason the recipes are structured the way they are, and that reason has nothing to do with taste. If you really like canning, and you want to expand beyond jam (fruit is naturally acidic and rarely needs additional acidifiers), I suggest picking up a ph meter. Make sure it's food-safe, and a temperature compensation feature saves a lot of time.</div><br /><div>The other detail, and you will never see this in any canning cookbook, is that whole boiling water bath process? Unnecessary. Seriously. What is necessary is that the entire finished container, the contents plus jar or bottle, must be at a sufficient temperature when it is sealed. You can heat the jars in the oven, or boiling water if you like (although this is not always necessary), and keep your mixture at a simmer. Fill, wipe down the threads of the jar, apply a new lid, and screw on the bands. Do this reasonably quickly. If you have a European grandmother perhaps she does this then turns each jar upside down until it cools. (I don't; I've just heard stories. Sigh.) I am not sure of the science behind this, but I do like the idea that there is moisture contacting the entire soft gasket on the inside of the lid, so if the seal doesn't form you can see some of the sauce squeezing out. The high temperature forces the oxygen out, and as each jar cools it makes that satisfying <em>ping!</em> noise as the lid gets suctioned down.</div><br /><div>The reasons for the boiling-water bath are safety and liability. If your mixture is not hot enough, it won't create the necessary seal. You can fill at any temperature as long as you hot-water-bath process your jars. As for me, I water-process anything chunky and do a simple hot fill with sauces. Mind you, I enjoy canning to relax, not to add to my stress.</div><br /><div>No one wants people to get sick from their recipes. Also, no one wants to get sued. So precautions abound, and often the recipes suffer as a result. Just like other cookbooks, not all canning recipes make for yummy food. If you ensure that you are doing it safely, make the changes you like. And enjoy the bounty!</div>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-15007953977495757172010-10-16T23:15:00.001-07:002010-12-13T13:00:25.109-08:00Canning, aka Stress Relief: Part 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXmzTgCFcjqPvPDZ1pB2CRdZ9iWDqs8gohHR-YDKeT1e6M-7-m4DwN6Zw8KetOUpAxy7-gNixerTEdmtwtK2m69pfmForbDlzYsLVc5gA9gdDJPaTAE9R9ZlkBUqBJfF5RCJh-ZRsJ-o/s1600/canning1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532815606774692514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXmzTgCFcjqPvPDZ1pB2CRdZ9iWDqs8gohHR-YDKeT1e6M-7-m4DwN6Zw8KetOUpAxy7-gNixerTEdmtwtK2m69pfmForbDlzYsLVc5gA9gdDJPaTAE9R9ZlkBUqBJfF5RCJh-ZRsJ-o/s400/canning1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I haven't posted in a long time. I know, and I'm sorry. I have a number of partially finished blog posts in the queue. But mostly I am bogged down by the practicalities of running a business. I love cooking, and I love bartending, and I started <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/">Small Hand Foods</a> to bring my love of ingredient-driven cocktails to a wider audience. But it's really hard. I spend most of my time trying to organize the making of these syrups, rather than actually making them, and I haven't had much time to do what I love, which is cook.<br /><br /><div>Being stressed out makes me want to can. There's a sense of accomplishment when you look at rows upon rows of jars, filled with food you can eat for months. When I feel less-than-accomplished in my daily life, I turn to the kitchen.</div><br /><div>I've had many culinary obsessions over the years. Back when I was vegan, I became obsessed with making truffles. At the time, vegan truffles were unheard of, and the compromised versions occasionally available were so disappointing that I set to make proper ones, using rich ingredients like coconut milk and cognac to create the kinds of chocolates I wanted. I learned about tempering chocolate and bought a bunch of molds and special tools. (For anyone interested, <a href="http://spunsugar.com/">Spun Sugar</a> in Berkeley is a fantastic place to drop a lot of money on candy-making and cake-decorating supplies.) Everyone got chocolates that Christmas.</div><br /><div>Then, for a while, I got really into bread. I carried my sourdough starter around in a blanket and fed it three times a day. I put stones in my oven (which have remained due to my deep love of homemade pizza). My favorite bread was the Fig-Anise bread from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Silvertons-Breads-Brea-Bakery/dp/0679409076/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288205332&sr=1-1">Breads from the La Brea Bakery</a>. F'n delicious.</div><br /><div>Most recently I got into making jam. I love the weird herb/fruit combinations from Christine Ferber's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mes-Confitures-Jellies-Christine-Ferber/dp/0870136291/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288205460&sr=1-1">Mes Confitures</a>, and I would stay up all hours of the night, patiently water-processing each batch of jam, listening to the lids <em>ping!</em> as they sealed and I finally crawled into bed. I ultimately had to stop because my apartment was filling with cases and cases of unopened jam. I had to face the fact that, as much as I like making jam, I just don't eat it. For breakfast I prefer eggs, and am generally a savory kind of gal overall. I gave most of the jam away and resolved to start obsessing about something I actually like to consume.</div><br /><div>[Enter syrups. But this entire blog is devoted to that pursuit, and this post is about what I do when I'm not syruping.]</div><br /><div>The thing about canning is that there is a great, satisfying end result. You spend a few hours, or a day (or if you're like me, three), and you can see this vast bounty you have created. And it lasts! Months later you can pop open a jar and summer (or spring, or fall) rushes up to greet you. I don't care what kind of gourmet organic canned tomatoes you buy; nothing holds a candle to ones you put up yourself.</div><br /><div></div><div>In the next post, I'll discuss technical aspects of canning, with gadgets! (Hint: Christmas is coming up, and if you are a friend of mine I hope you like chile sauce.)</div></div>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-14383772478359140222010-04-26T16:09:00.000-07:002010-05-03T17:27:34.545-07:00Cook For Hire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLL8WYbik1JemZWgtufm1wdaZJ1QKEl8lwXlO_NdbBQ8YmCpgKO5XcL6YY6MzKgz4Pw2DpDfQNLqbhq_1GuOYMpT2O857HS-Hb_VBadkCagFJ6MqsDZ2ME76csIvBU4U_q7ozkx_F8swg/s1600/cranberries.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLL8WYbik1JemZWgtufm1wdaZJ1QKEl8lwXlO_NdbBQ8YmCpgKO5XcL6YY6MzKgz4Pw2DpDfQNLqbhq_1GuOYMpT2O857HS-Hb_VBadkCagFJ6MqsDZ2ME76csIvBU4U_q7ozkx_F8swg/s400/cranberries.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467201663816793394" border="0" /></a><br />Since I've had someone else making some of my syrups for me, I've had a lot more free time. So when <a href="http://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/Rickhouse-has-a-cocktail-for-everyone-53893887.html">Erick Castro</a> of <a href="http://www.rickhousebar.com/">Rickhouse</a> texted me asking if I make a cranberry syrup, I answered "No... but I could make some. You want?"<br /><br />I figured hey, I know fruit and I know sugar. I've made <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2009/08/sirop-de-groseille.html">red currant syrup</a>; how different could it be?<br /><br />Sometimes my arrogance bites me in the ass.<br /><br />I started the same as with red currants. I washed the cranberries, covered them with water, and simmered them over low heat until they were soft and beginning to fall apart. I strained the mixture through a chinois then dissolved in some sugar. It tasted good, so I threw it in a bottle. Seemed easy enough.<br />Yet as it cooled, I noticed something funny. The syrup had a strange, clumpy texture, like not-fully-dissolved Jell-O mix. I had fine-strained the whole thing, so there had to be something happening in the making that caused a reaction.<br /><br />Then I thought about cranberry sauce. You know, the jellied stuff that slides out of a can and is the atrocity of so much Thanksgiving Americana.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkGx2eAMJQP2wo88vCMEz-8u1EJ6uNIR9Kf_Pc0wahplDCZmh8ifZT3u-ksNQKlJbr5tEAcF-Xtp1NeN_C040lQDTxe0MTW1VT3viB5eDWOGpnlo3hDlFMS4BpH_wm-4j4fsyB_20HOg/s1600/cranberry-jelly-860.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkGx2eAMJQP2wo88vCMEz-8u1EJ6uNIR9Kf_Pc0wahplDCZmh8ifZT3u-ksNQKlJbr5tEAcF-Xtp1NeN_C040lQDTxe0MTW1VT3viB5eDWOGpnlo3hDlFMS4BpH_wm-4j4fsyB_20HOg/s400/cranberry-jelly-860.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467204195782818466" border="0" /></a><br />Here are the ingredients for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grown-Right-Organic-Cranberry-16-Ounce/dp/B001ELL2OM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1272932203&sr=8-1">Grown Right Organic Jellied Cranberry Sauce</a>:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Organic Cranberries, Organic Sugar, Water and Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Aroma Concentrate and Natural Fruit Pectin</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vsiCKwZsM7y2rXXAXijWTsCP9KPvX9EYHaU2nqo2ImuCmX8ww8G5AKLqq1T7G9_ZY0xbLUfFoOxXhjW2JlUxEaHN7kPo51FuBVseo8Q9Tzfnbc30QuVgIoVDDkk6XEk2AEdTP9ErLpo/s1600/cranberry-jelly-860.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br />And this is what it looks like out of the can.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Despite its appearance, there isn't gelatin in the mixture; it's the pectin in the cranberries (plus extra pectin, for help) that bind with each other and form a big jellied mass.<br /><br />Most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectin">pectin</a> in fruit occurs in the skins, pith and viscera that surrounds the seeds. So I think that pressing the solids through the chinois while the mixture was hot, the pectin, dissolved into the syrup at that point, flowed through the sieve. Then when it cooled, the high amount of pectin bound up again, causing the weird gelatinous globules.<br /><br />So I ended up doing a crude method of fining on my next batch, sans egg whites or oxblood. After simmering, I let the whole mass cool, undisturbed. The skins, seeds and pulp rose to the top and formed a thick, gloppy mass. It ended up being pretty easy to scoop off, as long as I skimmed off every trace of thick, foamy stuff.<br /><br />And once I added sugar, the resultant syrup was smooth, flavorful and thick without being gloppy.<br /><br />Does this mean you can now get a <a href="http://www.alcademics.com/2009/12/why-cant-i-get-a-mcdonalds-hamburger-at-chez-panisse.html">Cosmopolitan at Rickhouse</a>?jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-24311916809377804982010-02-18T21:46:00.000-08:002010-02-26T20:27:41.968-08:00Possibilities<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgKL0nX0cLro6Q_GAtYSkocc2KhUIXbsPebEXYnKiONpYwn7KWUOHsOPc4PvxFs-Jznqz0d6y7xCOm1_yQI8E1k3jhzu0OkJyTsdf99HsjhHlEA9Uq5A9Md71X4ieZhXYZZI7Ab0rMK8/s1600-h/02-27-10+031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgKL0nX0cLro6Q_GAtYSkocc2KhUIXbsPebEXYnKiONpYwn7KWUOHsOPc4PvxFs-Jznqz0d6y7xCOm1_yQI8E1k3jhzu0OkJyTsdf99HsjhHlEA9Uq5A9Md71X4ieZhXYZZI7Ab0rMK8/s400/02-27-10+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442773849005128066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've been spending much of my time lately transitioning two of the syrups I make through my <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/">Small Hand Foods</a> label, Gum Syrup and Pineapple Gum Syrup, to larger production. On a good day it takes me ten hours to make eight cases of syrup by hand, and while the notion of someone squeezing pineapples by hand may be grand and romantic, it actually makes me bitter and angry. Juicing pineapples for six hours straight isn't cooking; it's factory work.<br /><br />However, it's really hard to find companies who can treat ingredients the way cooks do. And regularly available ingredients are concentrated, pasteurized and often not so tasty. So I've started working in a pretty unorthodox manner. Rather than accepting ingredients as they are readily available, I have started working with companies that can treat ingredients as I do when I make the syrups myself.<br /><br />As an example, I could not find organic, not-from-concentrate pineapple juice. As far as food production is concerned, it practically doesn't exist. But I refused to believe it's impossible. If I can juice organic pineapples myself, there had to be a way to get someone to do it for me.<br /><br />I found a local juicer, <a href="http://voilajuice.com/">Voila</a>, that has organic certification. They also happen to have a very large version of the same kind of juicer I use, which is very important to maintain the qualities of the syrup I am looking for. Because they do not already juice pineapples, I needed to buy the fruit myself. After a test run, where I could see that the juice was, in fact, identical to what I produced myself, I knew I was on the right track.<br /><br />(By the way, sourcing enough fruit for such a large quantity was crazy. I had to show up at <a href="http://www.earlsorganic.com/">Earl's Organic</a> with a cashiers check for twice what I make in a month of bartending, as they wouldn't extend me credit or take a card for such a large amount.)<br /><br />Ultimately, instead of simply handing my recipe over to a co-packer and standing back as they source ingredients and cook them up, I bought the produce, coordinated the delivery, organized and executed labor to chop the pineapple, organized the juicing and delivered it all myself. Before we even started cooking. But we got it done, and I left with 500 cases of syrup.<br /><br />It's great; I don't mean to complain...<br /><br />It's just that there is simply no infrastructure in place for this kind of food production. Food processors aren't used to clients who want to taste their ingredients, let alone source them themselves. It's not that they mind; they just aren't used to it. I find it extremely disheartening. I'm essentially wedging my way in. I refuse to believe that food can't be made in this way. I really hope demand increases for ingredients treated with care. Not only will available food products increase in quality, but it will make my job a hell of a lot easier.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-7118769400206575722009-11-22T20:52:00.000-08:002009-11-22T20:59:32.752-08:00Process<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9nItPNznMIXQFwVq0H40EBdO52tbMWG2DQbtUM4fs3Z5HSxKTJouQU5JGszTr4lqs-o0bv7Ak4kTp3XmM4zi8_KXZSBhhVXrUkBvlk7wTX4MPUW27afURJUv7o9u1Et7gqtI5JWdu94/s1600/production+7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9nItPNznMIXQFwVq0H40EBdO52tbMWG2DQbtUM4fs3Z5HSxKTJouQU5JGszTr4lqs-o0bv7Ak4kTp3XmM4zi8_KXZSBhhVXrUkBvlk7wTX4MPUW27afURJUv7o9u1Et7gqtI5JWdu94/s400/production+7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407136206835446002" border="0" /></a><br />Since I started <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/">Small Hand Foods</a>, I often get people asking me about my syrup-making process, so I thought I'd share some of it here.<br /><br />When people find out what I do, one of the first things they say to me is, "Wow; you do all of that out of your house?" Um... what? No. You can't legally sell stuff you've made in your home kitchen. Actually, in some states you can certify your home kitchen, but California ain't one of them.<br /><br />"Don't you need permits for that sort of thing?" Yes. You need a <a href="http://www.cdph.ca.gov/PROGRAMS/Pages/FDB%20ProcessedFoods.aspx">Processed Food Registration</a>, <a href="http://www.dhs.ca.gov/fdb/local/PDF/FSN9902-A.PDF">food safety certification</a>, <a href="http://www.dhs.ca.gov/fdb/HTML/Food/Organreq.htm">Organic Processed Product Registration</a> (if you use organic ingredients), <a href="http://www.boe.ca.gov/info/reg.htm">seller's permit</a>, <a href="http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/forms/auditor/275-321.pdf">Fictitious Business Name Statement</a>, and business licenses in both the city you make the product in and the one you live in, assuming you do things like keep records in your house. There may be other permits you need for where you live; state and county offices will be able to tell you what you need.<br /><br />If you are interested in starting a small food business, one of the big initial hurdles is finding a space to cook out of. Commercial kitchens are available for rental, but they can be expensive. They also may not have all of the equipment you need. Many people get their starts through the generosity of people already in the industry, myself included. I owe so much to the former owners of Fellini in Berkeley, <a href="http://www.caminorestaurant.com/">Camino</a> in Oakland, and of course, to Charles Phan and the entire Phan family of <a href="http://slanteddoor.com/">Slanted Door</a> and <a href="http://heavensdog.com/">Heaven's Dog</a>. Often deals can be worked out when restaurants are closed; i.e. mornings in a dinner-only establishment, or on a Sunday or Monday when a particular restaurant is closed. I start cooking in the afternoon and usually finish midnight or later, because that is when the space I use is available.<br /><br />I usually start each cooking session by picking up my produce from <a href="http://www.berkeleybowl.com/">Berkeley Bowl</a>. It's just slightly higher in cost than wholesale, they have the quality I need, plus they're really nice. I pack it into my cargo van (size 14). Here are 20 cases of organic pineapples.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2J28o0qzWJ2K4GqugGOmX_oKqqDZcMfCTgTXbwq9K2Er_y2KIZqTPrJboTlsNG9fp-NT6cM43LCK0afYhOmBSl_TPsRaJSg0B7hsF6Ewmt4KRf6IRyvfPNf0CaOy9KhG24kNoBeAzPI/s1600/production+9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2J28o0qzWJ2K4GqugGOmX_oKqqDZcMfCTgTXbwq9K2Er_y2KIZqTPrJboTlsNG9fp-NT6cM43LCK0afYhOmBSl_TPsRaJSg0B7hsF6Ewmt4KRf6IRyvfPNf0CaOy9KhG24kNoBeAzPI/s400/production+9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407138455809978770" border="0" /></a><br />I buy my bottles from <a href="http://www.calglass.com/">California Glass</a>. They mostly serve the wine industry, but have a number of other bottles and jars for people like myself. They're wholesale only and have a $500 minimum, which was daunting at first, but I got over that quickly. Now I buy from them about every six weeks or so.<br /><br />I cook in really big pots. I have to stand on a crate to see inside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCR8lh0w0OOLqb-8QuDK0HYP0_VrS6aiKS95-VxRnyCKd5W_O2t-ji4j03vWEllJkdPaeAE-WOSJ9cbXSbkT2tYmp3IZ2OW7xmGtazkH1LeYRnd0WbD2xfnO2aJFZqVxz6O6olHZv0X0/s1600/production+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCR8lh0w0OOLqb-8QuDK0HYP0_VrS6aiKS95-VxRnyCKd5W_O2t-ji4j03vWEllJkdPaeAE-WOSJ9cbXSbkT2tYmp3IZ2OW7xmGtazkH1LeYRnd0WbD2xfnO2aJFZqVxz6O6olHZv0X0/s400/production+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407126944006662146" border="0" /></a><br />Bottling by hand is really time consuming. Especially when the gum syrup is bubbly, and I have to fill the bottles, wait for it to settle, and top off each one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGo2wIWp6Ov_WtL2YhlXnjOjuaVKBr4Ms0mUDPBprh5tot3G2W9LA8w70MSGz5cfPl_BxFYpx04-Te10kk_prbZX11NCFHIk6LyQb_v6DVNrA0uJteMW4BTzIM0Zpu71KYY6uMy13Q-oQ/s1600/production+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGo2wIWp6Ov_WtL2YhlXnjOjuaVKBr4Ms0mUDPBprh5tot3G2W9LA8w70MSGz5cfPl_BxFYpx04-Te10kk_prbZX11NCFHIk6LyQb_v6DVNrA0uJteMW4BTzIM0Zpu71KYY6uMy13Q-oQ/s400/production+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407126462127846514" border="0" /></a><br />I slip on the capsules then use the heat gun I have left over from refinishing furniture to shrink them on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2frMkzPG8u9CBzigKT17hwyXdJDQMdL1dHglHkYDqEFn5ARCU5zjGHMJOPjfj7fVXtUnqW1Cf2JmN39Kijuse0CrfIy2To3NXnuHkjpQsVgdIdTXgp4CFYod17Bdh8RZirhAQqRRAjM/s1600/production+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 348px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2frMkzPG8u9CBzigKT17hwyXdJDQMdL1dHglHkYDqEFn5ARCU5zjGHMJOPjfj7fVXtUnqW1Cf2JmN39Kijuse0CrfIy2To3NXnuHkjpQsVgdIdTXgp4CFYod17Bdh8RZirhAQqRRAjM/s400/production+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407127383577420914" border="0" /></a><br />I used to use stock black capsules, but my bottles have these tiny glass bumps on the necks, and the capsules often broke and shrank away from the bumps.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvc09KBsX6Nol2Etnv5mPF_MYM3HxEAsn_6zDZNLE6Cu3Lzo6TiOaFE5wp0u62TOwNe9M-uu70m4TdIKDSoiGgX3xMjTCknQraptR8-iZhjlkKOBJS0pJVAVHSifhBkiOwLceM6xPYdM/s1600/production+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvc09KBsX6Nol2Etnv5mPF_MYM3HxEAsn_6zDZNLE6Cu3Lzo6TiOaFE5wp0u62TOwNe9M-uu70m4TdIKDSoiGgX3xMjTCknQraptR8-iZhjlkKOBJS0pJVAVHSifhBkiOwLceM6xPYdM/s400/production+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407128367883210130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ15TNMeXiZoXz9MbS9p9ZxAtOg6ug3jy5JmXE-adFwMQduD3f3a5etg62W5sPjnOtVRbBVDUa9tgK4aBaqnKNnWKK1lukHdH_boUM_jFqXs4rHaTXuXkEIDBxyrU90f_bvbOZWuxaMWw/s1600/production+5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ15TNMeXiZoXz9MbS9p9ZxAtOg6ug3jy5JmXE-adFwMQduD3f3a5etg62W5sPjnOtVRbBVDUa9tgK4aBaqnKNnWKK1lukHdH_boUM_jFqXs4rHaTXuXkEIDBxyrU90f_bvbOZWuxaMWw/s400/production+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407129845516673810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I switched to custom capsules from <a href="http://www.cecapsules.com/introduction.html">C&E Capsules</a>, and now they not only match my labels, the glass bumps no longer break through!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUxJg0sO044YmTD59XT-a0pyZ4EHTMoiu2SAh7mY1DwEmKHNXZYnIsHuj4Y-GCageXSLPF6rwEj-JjxkusrVAkIrvZexiyaVJKSMczawWuJ80fwsMelpwjShVrXCFI30HF5lrYVUX78A/s1600/production+6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUxJg0sO044YmTD59XT-a0pyZ4EHTMoiu2SAh7mY1DwEmKHNXZYnIsHuj4Y-GCageXSLPF6rwEj-JjxkusrVAkIrvZexiyaVJKSMczawWuJ80fwsMelpwjShVrXCFI30HF5lrYVUX78A/s400/production+6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407133116854253538" border="0" /></a><br />When I finish a batch, I've usually been working 12 or 14 hours. Plus the bottles are pretty hot, and I'm too tired and cranky at this point to wait for them to cool, so I put them away to label later.<br /><br />Labeling by hand is also ridiculously time consuming. This is one of several times in this process where the economies of scale turn around and laugh in my face. How I wish I had a machine to do this! I use a ruler for the first bottle, then just visually line up each bottle with the first and apply the labels by hand.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNUP3q528kmtoKqQAlkUBVAavIqGOOIU5fTpUs_LFDxjxiFpAlCjjNkEGYLDU1NG5-ei5lv7wvZw83ZuUavkJ88ijU_J6Eu8Jivwq_QDIRBzHU9bclxNHUM0LG1QFDD6xSwAa_7tM6aU/s1600/production+8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNUP3q528kmtoKqQAlkUBVAavIqGOOIU5fTpUs_LFDxjxiFpAlCjjNkEGYLDU1NG5-ei5lv7wvZw83ZuUavkJ88ijU_J6Eu8Jivwq_QDIRBzHU9bclxNHUM0LG1QFDD6xSwAa_7tM6aU/s400/production+8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407137072909504050" border="0" /></a><br />I generally cook a larger quantity than I'll need at any given time, and I'll cook usually one or two products a week. I ask my customers to place their orders by Friday, then I know what I'll be cooking next and what ingredients I'll need to order. I cook on Mondays and Tuesdays, label and deliver on Wednesdays, then finish with my shift at Heaven's Dog Wednesday nights. I invariably get panicked calls on Tuesdays for syrups, and if I have the product in stock, I'm happy to oblige, but sometimes I get cleaned out. I do my best, though.<br /><br />So that's my process. Like most small businesses, my company lives or dies with me alone. The rhythm of production doesn't afford me the luxury of illness, and I've been dreaming of a vacation for two years. But, like most small business owners, I love it, and I wouldn't have it any other way.<br /><br /><br />Some resources:<br /><a href="http://www.sba.gov/">Small Business Administration</a>: Frequent classes, most of them free.<br /><a href="http://www.asbdc-us.org/">Small Business Development Center</a>: One-on-one counseling sessions: free!<br /><br />In San Francisco:<br /><a href="http://www.lacocinasf.org/">La Cocina</a><br /><a href="http://www.rencenter.org/">Renaissance Center</a>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-4331112905262090682009-09-17T12:40:00.000-07:002009-09-17T15:29:28.239-07:00Grenadine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19uY9h-mX6KO0Rv-65rZgSdJ-76v8dD1yFyOo2BnzAv7OxLKaFKn-pqj85VdBe5nHFXX2IqUlQ5uL8VDu1046BO-x2ejPN3iCV1dZkaWSlceZu3sCUfYVXZ-IH5txoTMMBY2Y6nEhbN4/s1600-h/SmallHandsSyrups.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19uY9h-mX6KO0Rv-65rZgSdJ-76v8dD1yFyOo2BnzAv7OxLKaFKn-pqj85VdBe5nHFXX2IqUlQ5uL8VDu1046BO-x2ejPN3iCV1dZkaWSlceZu3sCUfYVXZ-IH5txoTMMBY2Y6nEhbN4/s400/SmallHandsSyrups.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382557912165888098" border="0" /></a><br />I make and sell a grenadine through my company <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/">Small Hand Foods</a>. It differs vastly from what is currently on the market, and some people have been asking why.<br /><br />First and foremost is the issue of taste. There are generally two kinds of grenadine on the market: ones that contain juice, like <a href="http://www.stirrings.com/">Stirrings</a> and <a href="http://www.sonomasyrup.com/">Sonoma Syrup Company</a>, and ones that don't, like <a href="http://www.rosesmixers.com/">Rose's</a> and <a href="http://us.monin.com/coffee.php">Monin</a>. Unfortunately, although the ones with juice in them are far tastier than their artificial addititive counterparts, when mixing them into cocktail, they simply don't taste like pomegranate. There is the sweetness, of course, and the citric acid tartness, but none of the tannic juiciness I associate with ripe pomegranate.<br /><br />I had always understood that grenadine was a syrup made from pomegranate and sugar, <span style="font-style: italic;">grenade</span> meaning pomegranate in French, and <span style="font-style: italic;">granada </span>in Spanish. But unlike other cocktail ingredients I can find almost no recipes for it in my collection of old cookbooks. In fact, the only recipe I found is in <a href="http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?cm_sp=narrow*middle*go">Home Made Beverages: The Manufacture of Non-Alcoholic and Alcoholic Drinks in the Household</a> by Albert A. Hopkins, first published in 1900. And it is a rather unfortunate one:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Grenadine:</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Extract grenadine, 2 oz.; liquid foam, 1 oz.; red fruit coloring, 1 dr.; syrup, 1 gal. Mix then add fruit acid, 2 oz.</span><br /><br />(Syrup here would refer to simple syrup, made in this book by adding 2 pounds of sugar to each pint of water and heated until dissolved.)<br /><br />So I guess we shouldn't fault the modern artificial versions too much; they obviously are following a long heritage as well. But for me, I want a simpler product that tastes like its ingredients. I like to drink the way that I like to eat, close to the earth with minimal processing. I want to know my ingredients, how they were grown and produced, and if possible, the people that grew and produced them. So I knew that my grenadine was going to taste like pomegranate, and hopefully, make cocktails that tasted like there was pomegranate in them.<br /><br />In a lot of classic cocktails, grenadine is called for in dashes, leading me to believe that it was used often for color. And if you look at a modern version of a common grenadine cocktail like a tequila sunrise, you will see that yes, indeed, there is a very noticeable color addition.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL59X_JO4aIr6_yBz_F5m1pAsAW4PMMCpA1uAJSeyoTmwpjBp4wb_OtpY2krJBj1z3MsMC3CFM-cCgcaZwfYxXBxGRAKKmewvsuTY9i5HAzCWFzKwoxfHf0GaGxfupau9ZHdaq4RSOMs/s1600-h/tequila_sunrise2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL59X_JO4aIr6_yBz_F5m1pAsAW4PMMCpA1uAJSeyoTmwpjBp4wb_OtpY2krJBj1z3MsMC3CFM-cCgcaZwfYxXBxGRAKKmewvsuTY9i5HAzCWFzKwoxfHf0GaGxfupau9ZHdaq4RSOMs/s400/tequila_sunrise2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382556500357492962" border="0" /></a>My problem is that if grenadine is made with just pomegranate and sugar, it wouldn't be a bright red, it would be a darker, more wine-like color.<br /><br />Perhaps we have gotten so used to artificial colors that something natural looks too muddy. When we serve a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Temple_cocktail">Shirley Temple</a> at <a href="http://heavensdog.com/heavensdog.html">Heaven's Dog</a> we use <a href="http://www.fever-tree.com/">Fever Tree</a> Ginger Ale (as the Shirley Temple was originally made with ginger ale, not 7up or Sprite) and sink some Small Hand Foods Grenadine into the glass. Kids, and the occasional adult who order them, often look askance at the beverage until they take a sip. It's really good, and tastes like ginger and pomegranate, like the actual ingredients. Unusual, yes, but only compared to the high-fructose corn syrup and FD&C Red #40 concoction we've become accustomed to.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhghurTXoWbugPwyQiXzjqNgjNAMMTdsIUVR0zzvz4uDUVQE8Hx2RQbbgfMmLzYDDC1y7ZzLWMS4EfIELdC9Rt6op-_xX2i4rbE9lHJSWs8Lil3z6ixLsowC7YaOfGWcEiom_Pt1ocCM/s1600-h/3691494362_8bb3f4bbaa_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhghurTXoWbugPwyQiXzjqNgjNAMMTdsIUVR0zzvz4uDUVQE8Hx2RQbbgfMmLzYDDC1y7ZzLWMS4EfIELdC9Rt6op-_xX2i4rbE9lHJSWs8Lil3z6ixLsowC7YaOfGWcEiom_Pt1ocCM/s400/3691494362_8bb3f4bbaa_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382556946513194338" border="0" /></a>There is a great discussion in the <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/forum/88-spirits-cocktails/">Spirits & Cocktails</a> forum on <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=active">eGullet</a> about <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/70880-making-your-own-grenadine/">making your own grenadine</a>. There are many, many recipes that contributors have posted, and every one of them is vastly superior to anything you can find on your typical liquor store shelf. However, one of the most interesting parts of the discussion is that some people add additional flavors to their grenadine, from vanilla to orange flower water to star anise. One post compared grenadine to pomegranate syrup like orgeat to almond syrup, as in, one is a pure flavor syrup and the other is a flavored syrup with pomegranate or almond as the base. Etymologically this is erroneous, of course, as <span style="font-style: italic;">grenade </span>means pomegranate, and <span style="font-style: italic;">orge </span>actually means barley, the culinary root of this syrup, which has evolved into its current form.<br /><br />I tried adding flavors to mine. I love orange flower water, and thought vanilla, since it is often used in artificial grenadines, would make the syrup taste a bit more familiar. I even tried adding hibiscus, thinking it would donate a brighter red color and a bit of that lovely sorrel-like zing. But they all tasted weird to me. The vanilla made the syrup taste more like artificial grenadine, which was really unfortunate. The orange flower water tasted out of place and lended a body-product floral unpleasantness, the way too much lavender or violet can. And the hibiscus just muddied the bright acidity of the natural pomegranate.<br /><br />So I came back to a pure pomegranate syrup. It's dark and murky, like a reduced red wine sauce, and adds a lot of color to a cocktail. But it tastes juicy and rich, less sweet than commercial products, and still has a tannic bite that reminds you it comes from real fruit. And yes, it will add more flavor to your cocktail than the other stuff. But I think that's the way it should be.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-32078437997658844882009-09-04T10:16:00.000-07:002009-09-04T10:18:34.949-07:00Sherry Wine Punch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBeOAAdgILUpYTYYpfBwa3w1uKJ8JNGRfnLmeaxLh_Sz09eLimqZ-7H2eppfiOORyAvpu6-X3gLxT45ZVkBvpb5U2gSt6ABQ99o55ggJvcXeMXltkbzxACydPFA4UPTwEbvp8RxKE8sc/s1600-h/Jen's+punch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBeOAAdgILUpYTYYpfBwa3w1uKJ8JNGRfnLmeaxLh_Sz09eLimqZ-7H2eppfiOORyAvpu6-X3gLxT45ZVkBvpb5U2gSt6ABQ99o55ggJvcXeMXltkbzxACydPFA4UPTwEbvp8RxKE8sc/s400/Jen's+punch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368462716346357138" border="0" /></a>I have a predilection for sherry-based cocktails for drinking on hot Sundays while relaxing with friends.<br /><br />You may recognize the setting for this photo as the same as the one for my <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/11/italian-lemonade.html">Italian Lemonade</a> post. Last year I made a sherry and milk lemonade for exactly the same purpose: kickin' it on the river the Sunday after a big party at my friend Jen's farm in the <a href="http://www.capayvalleygrown.com/">Capay Valley</a>. I figured, why break with tradition?<br /><br />This time it was our friend Beth's birthday. We ate under the stars and played in the river. I napped and read about pickles. We took eggs warm from the hens. Jen made pita from scratch. There was a pinata for the kids, and another one that was supposed to be for adults, but I never saw it get cracked. (What is in a pinata for adults? Weed and porn?) We slept under the stars. These parties are always fabulous.<br /><br />So I needed a low-alcohol drink for the day after such revelry. Sherry-based drinks are ideal, and a brief search turned up a Sherry Wine Punch listed in Harry Johnson's "New & Improved Illustrated Bartender's Manual" published in 1888. It includes <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/12/orchard-syrup.html">Orchard Syrup</a>, an ingredient I have been working on for a while. This time I made it with extra lemon juice and more warm spices like cloves and allspice. It came out a bit too apple-pie-like, but the cocktail was still tasty. Next time I think I'm going to try Chinese 5-spice powder.<br /><br />I made it all in a large jug for sharing, but here it is scaled down for one:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sherry Wine Punch</span><br /><br />3 oz amontillado sherry<br />1 oz orchard syrup<br />1/4 oz lemon juice<br />3/4 oz red wine<br /><br />Stir sherry, orchard syrup and lemon juice together in a frappe glass, then pack crushed ice in to fill and stir briefly. Float red wine on top.</span><br /><br />Enjoy!jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-2984942925876273372009-08-09T15:47:00.000-07:002009-08-20T01:03:24.036-07:00Sirop-de-Groseille<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88e3XdQutjQlRdI9DTkFe-VkR38rpvGaNJFlnt82BcAWPERMrFaWgFruFdir_gBTeBm8tAiX9jnYD2DU0yoFF-n_pFmyGZXx69FUX4ucVluMNqAf_Y64ek3jAvLkpLcupyt86F7qjtIQ/s1600-h/Red+currant.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368113569338698146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88e3XdQutjQlRdI9DTkFe-VkR38rpvGaNJFlnt82BcAWPERMrFaWgFruFdir_gBTeBm8tAiX9jnYD2DU0yoFF-n_pFmyGZXx69FUX4ucVluMNqAf_Y64ek3jAvLkpLcupyt86F7qjtIQ/s400/Red+currant.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />As a pretty geeky bartender, I like to scan old bar books looking for drink recipes that call for obscure ingredients (see <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/11/capillaire.html">Capillaire</a> and <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/12/orchard-syrup.html">Orchard Syrup</a>).<br /><br />I first came across Sirop-de-Groseille in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Savoy-Cocktail-Book-Harry-Craddock/dp/1862057729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249927638&sr=8-1">Savoy Cocktail Book</a>, although it's also listed in Harry McElhone's "<a href="http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/content/barflies-and-cocktails">Barflies and Cocktails</a>." It's a red currant syrup, sometimes used as a substitute for grenadine or raspberry syrup. It's often described as having a similar flavor to those, although I find it quite different, tannic and with an odd seedlike flavor, like biting into an apple seed. I think it is this quality that makes it a good match with kirsch, as kirsch is made by fermenting whole sour cherries including their pits.<br /><br />Stone fruit seeds and apple seeds contain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzaldehyde">benzaldehyde</a>, a poison related to cyanide (see <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-mix-drinks-by-jerry-thomas-is.html">The Trouble With Cyanide</a>). The flavor is barely noticeable in fresh red currants, but when I cooked it into a syrup, the seedlike pungency is much more pronounced.<br /><br />The first recipe I saw with this syrup was the Artist's Special from the Savoy. I always like drinks that combine sherry with another liquor, and the nutty oxidation of the sherry tones down the tannins and seedy flavor of the groseille. Erik Ellestad of <a href="http://underhill-lounge.flannestad.com/">Underhill-Lounge</a> describes his experience with this cocktail <a href="http://underhill-lounge.flannestad.com/2008/02/18/artists-special/">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Artist's Special Cocktail</span><br /><br />1 oz whisky<br />1 oz sherry<br />1/2 oz lemon juice<br />1/2 oz groseille syrup<br /><br />Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://cocktaildb.com/index">CocktailDB</a> lists the <a href="http://cocktaildb.com/recipe_detail?id=1606">Nineteen-Twenty</a>, a cocktail with both groseille and kirsch. I love this combination, and I love this drink, although I prefer a variation made with genever instead of gin. My co-worker Jon suggested this as I was working out the drink, and I think it is just fabulous.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Dutch 20</span><br /><br />1 1/2 oz dry vermouth<br />3/4 oz genever<br />1/4 oz kirsch<br />1/4 oz sirop-de-groseille<br /><br />Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.</span><br /><br />There is a French cocktail called The Rose, published in "<a href="http://vintage-cocktail-books.blogspot.com/2009/07/petits-et-grands-verres-recettes-de.html">Petits et Grands Verres</a>" from 1927 that is essentially this drink without the gin. The name refers to the color the syrup lends the drink.<br /><br />CocktailDB also lists a <a href="http://cocktaildb.com/ingr_detail?id=355">recipe</a> for making the syrup:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Express the juice of small red currants, reds. Per quart of juice obtained, add 2 quarts of water and 3-1/2 lbs. of sugar. Dissolve sugar in water before adding the juice. Leave standing for several days. Filter or clarify and bottle.</span><br /><br />I suppose you could put the currants through a juicer, but I find it easier to simmer them in water for about 10 minutes until the water is bright pink and the fruit looks anemic and sad. Press the whole mass through a chinois. You don't need to de-stem the currants, either, just throw everything into the pot. And I don't know why you would let it stand for several days, except to eliminate solids. I am far too impatient, so I let the whole mass drip slowly through a jelly bag. It still had a tiny amount of sediment, but not enough to be noticeable in a drink.<br /><br />In any case, red currants are only available fresh for a short period of time every year. But the syrup will last for a while, so give it a try! Or come into <a href="http://heavensdog.com/heavensdog.html">Heaven's Dog</a>, for as long as my bottle lasts, of course.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-27606972397300650332009-07-23T17:27:00.000-07:002009-07-31T13:23:08.713-07:00Tales!Like many bartenders, enthusiasts and all around bar geeks, I spent last week in New Orleans at the annual <a href="http://talesofthecocktail.com/">Tales of the Cocktail</a> event. It's more interesting than a lot of cocktail events in that there are seminars and workshops, not just brand shills. (Unfortunately, some of the seminars are given by brand shills, so you have to read the descriptions carefully.)<br /><br />But for most of us working bartenders, it's really an excuse to rub elbows with those industry folk we admire, and hang out with bartenders we like but rarely have the opportunity to spend time with outside of their bars (and ours). And drink, of course.<br /><br />The workshops themselves were a mixed bag. I've learned to go by the people giving them, as they tend to be pretty informative. One I went to, Asian-Influenced Cocktails, was essentially a brand promotional event given by two soju and sake producers trying to convince everyone that these liquors were the Next Big Thing. (Example: Soju cocktails are low-calorie! Which everyone appreciates! Um, aren't they lower in calories because they're lower in alcohol? And why is the drink you're serving me blue?) I wish I had spent the same money on the ice-carving demonstration given by an actual bartender. The best one I went to was Sugar: The Science of Sweet given by Darcy O'Neil of <a href="http://www.artofdrink.com/">The Art of Drink</a>. He discussed various sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc.) and how they act in the mouth and in the presence of other ingredients like acid and alcohol, all important considerations when composing cocktails. I've been a fan of Darcy for years, and will happily sit in any seminar he gives.<br /><br />One of the most fun nights was a party and barbecue held by a handful of San Francisco bartenders who had rented a house right near Frenchman Street, home of some of best bars to see live jazz (more on that later). It was close to our rented apartment, which, seeing as I did not have a prize-winning cocktail that garnered me a spot in the <a href="http://www.hotelmonteleone.com/">Hotel Monteleone</a> like last year, was a far more practical option.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hvTJvmMk97oxZRRwLeTTw1zim5l2J946cOBzUZcvwpnCTvv8xiSq0EL2VdesfnQycmTZdOj_Imu4tZrzGmxeQuhYBF1KZJzV4Ygt3DeMixdAatNvMkq5lImtwWzF14DE4dMI49OTeec/s1600-h/07-28-09+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hvTJvmMk97oxZRRwLeTTw1zim5l2J946cOBzUZcvwpnCTvv8xiSq0EL2VdesfnQycmTZdOj_Imu4tZrzGmxeQuhYBF1KZJzV4Ygt3DeMixdAatNvMkq5lImtwWzF14DE4dMI49OTeec/s200/07-28-09+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363975102169935570" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Me and Miss Jackie Patterson, the two lady bartenders of <a href="http://heavensdog.com/heavensdog.html">Heaven's Dog</a></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhMiOUka7qcZ6W-n5cYy-uL1mkpX8lhBAm1M3qXSlMtw0_plEtdnxNOZ_2N8qwCsgkSo2AEcbp7otVvnuPh2bXDlCqWeqomM-P-0JkUga50JoIK1Tu5L7MrzrMWzdf-y-tRiSThqJLwU/s1600-h/07-28-09+021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhMiOUka7qcZ6W-n5cYy-uL1mkpX8lhBAm1M3qXSlMtw0_plEtdnxNOZ_2N8qwCsgkSo2AEcbp7otVvnuPh2bXDlCqWeqomM-P-0JkUga50JoIK1Tu5L7MrzrMWzdf-y-tRiSThqJLwU/s200/07-28-09+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363976132978068226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The Pisco Duggan was drinking was delicious. I would totally buy it if I knew what it was.</span><br /><br />One of the absolute best things about San Francisco bartenders is our support of each other and willingness to share tips, techniques, recipes and anything else involved in making our drinks. It's a dynamic I haven't seen, at this level, in any other city. When we're off work, we sit at each other's bars and ask questions, and drink, and talk shop. No one is cagey, and no one is rude, or even rarely very arrogant. People who act that way don't fit in very well, and it's pretty obvious. We all work so much that we rarely get to hang out without being at a bar, in which case, one of us is working. So when a San Francisco bartender party gets going, it's pretty much love all over the place. Smack-talking, of course, but mostly drunken, drunken love. Ronnie from <a href="http://www.magnoliapub.com/">Magnolia</a> worked the grill, there was swag and product promotion (i.e. free booze) all over the place, and it was overheard that "if this house burned down you wouldn't be able to get a decent drink in San Francisco for ten years." Great fun.<br /><br />This year I brought my boyfriend, a member of the Oakland-based Dixieland style brass band <a href="http://blueboneexpress.com/">Blue Bone Express</a>. Although I had been to New Orleans before, I got to see a whole new side of it (arguably the better known side) as he took me to club after club, introducing me to his industry giants.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0EvxQbI-1KK7pMLKDu6B1XHiEe2_t4Ti9EgLUHfzc_d9Ko0ZGsB89MRPCXHxkx2HJ_x6W9dorGWoZ5J7SRYq-dQxg7Tpzfj0kmJW1mE_HDXGKlP3k7GNHBxJ6GGKmhW8nrAirOomruE/s1600-h/6612_1208347207491_1193022938_30621195_1945592_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0EvxQbI-1KK7pMLKDu6B1XHiEe2_t4Ti9EgLUHfzc_d9Ko0ZGsB89MRPCXHxkx2HJ_x6W9dorGWoZ5J7SRYq-dQxg7Tpzfj0kmJW1mE_HDXGKlP3k7GNHBxJ6GGKmhW8nrAirOomruE/s320/6612_1208347207491_1193022938_30621195_1945592_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364408454307598322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> The <a href="http://www.jazzvipers.com/">New Orleans Jazz Vipers</a> at <a href="http://www.drinkgoodstuff.com/no/default.asp">d.b.a.</a></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHxSD8c8lAWqjmJwuTJQtqIc9Xd9Y6DQh18oW3UYl-2ucy5rnrWbpK-F4ewTFu7bV1sVm75YXCHMJxMD8KkW6667UXwW59c_lpYz-7V0ESAUu2NHBb0qGTfmlwxqLakcNQ8UUlDD2Jpw/s1600-h/07-28-09+043.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHxSD8c8lAWqjmJwuTJQtqIc9Xd9Y6DQh18oW3UYl-2ucy5rnrWbpK-F4ewTFu7bV1sVm75YXCHMJxMD8KkW6667UXwW59c_lpYz-7V0ESAUu2NHBb0qGTfmlwxqLakcNQ8UUlDD2Jpw/s320/07-28-09+043.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364409457190808562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/kermitruffinsmusic">Kermit Ruffins</a> at the <a href="http://www.bluenilelive.com/">Blue Nile</a></span><br /><br />We also saw <a href="http://www.myspace.com/tremebrassband">Treme Brass Band</a>, but the venue was little more than a smoky basement, and none of my photos turned out. It was pretty amazing; I've lived in California my whole life, and was never exposed to this kind of music before. But in New Orleans, live brass is played nightly, and often for free. It was a welcome respite from the 10:00am drinking workshops, too.<br /><br />Our last day we rented bikes and had a picnic in Audubon Park. Anyone who knows me well knows I love picnics!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_pmU8ykOp89NpP7WWd2nhcdcP5jdKcp1rFIoJMSfDLGvyUw310aoRwA8UvJY95UihN1FgFoFOH0FdxreAofsfXDmdcxKvGFnNeukhJnXMElG-265rdVy8e0hAyG3ezU7gcdxiyKw07U/s1600-h/07-28-09+050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_pmU8ykOp89NpP7WWd2nhcdcP5jdKcp1rFIoJMSfDLGvyUw310aoRwA8UvJY95UihN1FgFoFOH0FdxreAofsfXDmdcxKvGFnNeukhJnXMElG-265rdVy8e0hAyG3ezU7gcdxiyKw07U/s320/07-28-09+050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364413141581291042" border="0" /></a><br />New Orleans in July is the low season because of the ridiculous heat, so hotels and apartments are dead cheap. The struggle with the conference on the whole is how to negotiate brand sponsorships while trying to provide informative discussions on aspects of drink-making. I don't consider a sales pitch something I'd like to spend money on, and yet I did, unwittingly until I was there. I left early from such events, and felt taken advantage of. I know the event itself is expensive, and sponsorships help offset that cost. But if the seminars continue to consist of brand shills and company bartenders, I'm pretty sure home enthusiasts and professional bartenders will stop attending. So I'd recommend the event for next year, but with the advice to only take classes taught by folk you have heard of, on subjects you are interested in. Taste the brand products in the tasting rooms. They're free.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-30507039138945615872009-06-20T14:43:00.001-07:002009-06-20T14:52:53.347-07:00The Egg White Situation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWxUhOB1l4eAMNiGAGN4p9CrgCWWyagMTtlmPlrBuOpfQzIdnYZWhvpkCLxhu3Eerb-7_buovKTNYVCX8iUwmL2pqJgSzJ7LcgXFNmLXj805fNH-2hqaQaTfSrCV-46W1ceAmi-ZDIpU/s1600-h/05-03-09+035+edited.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWxUhOB1l4eAMNiGAGN4p9CrgCWWyagMTtlmPlrBuOpfQzIdnYZWhvpkCLxhu3Eerb-7_buovKTNYVCX8iUwmL2pqJgSzJ7LcgXFNmLXj805fNH-2hqaQaTfSrCV-46W1ceAmi-ZDIpU/s400/05-03-09+035+edited.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349530860845089810" border="0" /></a><br />As <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/11/italian-lemonade.html">I mentioned before</a>, I really like fat and protein in my drinks. They add extra dimensions not often found in modern cocktails. With the resurgence in pre-prohibition cocktails and cocktail culture, a greater amount of attention has been paid lately to texture.<br /><br />Egg whites are a perfect example of a texture additive: once used to disguise the inferior quality and overall nastiness of bootlegged and homemade booze during prohibition, as well as the vile flavored stuff known as "bathtub gin," modern bartenders now use egg whites to round out and integrate often aggressive, singular flavors into a cohesive whole.<br /><br />I do think sometimes we've gotten a little too egg-happy. We have plenty of great-quality booze available, so we shouldn't be trying to mask undesirable characteristics. The integration ability, however, can be used to great effect, often unifying strong elements like acidity from citrus, or sharpness and spice from high-proof rye.<br /><br />In the case of the Ramos Gin Fizz, the protein unifies the herbal gin, the fat from cream and the floral orange flower water. The egg white also prevents the cream from curdling as it mixes with the lime juice. Try making one without the egg white; it tastes good, but every ingredient is readily identifiable, whereas with the egg it turns into a lovely, cohesive someone-spiked-my-orange-julius delight.<br /><br />Two of my colleagues and friends make a similar drink, a gin-cucumber-mint spritzer sort of thing. Erik makes his with egg white and Cate makes hers without. The ingredients are almost identical, but the addition of the egg white changes the drink completely. They are both delicious: Cate's Gin Snaggler is like having an amazing brunch with your epicurean friends and feeling a little naughty because it's barely noon and you've got a buzz on. Erik's Cricket Club Fizz is like being at brunch with the same buzz, but at a polo match at the same time.<br /><br />So make them both!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gin Snaggler</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Cate Whalen, <a href="http://www.pizzaiolooakland.com/">Pizzaiolo</a>, Oakland, CA</span><br /><br />1/4 cup chopped cucumber<br />1 oz fresh lime juice<br />3/4 oz 1-to-1 simple syrup<br />several mint leaves<br />11/2 oz gin<br />Prosecco<br /><br />Muddle cucumber in mixing tin. Add ice and remaining ingredients and shake vigorously. Double-strain into a flute. Top with Prosecco. Garnish with a sprig of mint.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cricket Club Fizz</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Erik Adkins, <a href="http://www.heavensdog.com/heavensdog.html">Heaven's Dog</a>, San Francisco, CA</span><br /><br />several slices fresh cucumber (peeled if waxed)<br />several mint leaves<br />1 oz fresh lime juice<br />1/2 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur<br />3/4 oz 1-to-1 simple syrup<br />2 oz gin<br />1/2 oz egg white<br />seltzer<br /><br />Muddle cucumber in a shaking tin until juicy. Add remaining ingredients and shake without ice for several seconds. Add ice and shake vigorously. Double-strain into a fizz glass. Top with seltzer. Garnish with a slice of cucumber threaded with a sprig of mint.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-60112445032568695682009-05-23T15:35:00.000-07:002009-05-23T15:35:52.364-07:00Pisco Punch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6BhQY2K7cuDC5Hp19GsnGPSYrU7uUOLo2aS40vbDEBlWXl8plHcoRIziprO5FtyWbkpn371nngBHD2bzSjKhvM0hy6ldQf8KMYuIZLGUHRdrJMQmG8r6URnEfO0eWx35sh6K-okBjhY/s1600-h/05-03-09+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6BhQY2K7cuDC5Hp19GsnGPSYrU7uUOLo2aS40vbDEBlWXl8plHcoRIziprO5FtyWbkpn371nngBHD2bzSjKhvM0hy6ldQf8KMYuIZLGUHRdrJMQmG8r6URnEfO0eWx35sh6K-okBjhY/s400/05-03-09+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332098594611960146" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Recently I had the pleasure of providing punch for a party hosted by the folks at <a href="http://www.nirvino.com/">Nirvino</a>. It was a user appreciation party held at <a href="http://www.lecolonialsf.com/home_frame.html">Le Colonial</a> in San Francisco. I demonstrated making a punch in front of everyone, Martha Stewart-style, complete with swapouts and pre-measured ingredients. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I also had two punches served at the onset for socializing. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">One of these was Pisco Punch.<br /><br />Pisco Punch was a drink concocted toward the end of the 19th century by a barman </span><span style="font-size:100%;">named Duncan Nicol </span><span style="font-size:100%;">at the Bank Exchange in downtown San Francisco (where the Transamerica building now stands). Pisco, a clear grape brandy either unaged or aged in glass or stainless steel (which prevents color being added) is debated as being originally from Peru or Chile. Both countries have a history of making this spirit, although the methods of production differ slightly. Several types of grape are used, most often Muscat varietals. Pisco became popular in San Francisco during the Gold Rush, was widely imported, and was known for being quite alcoholic without tasting strong. Pisco punch was often compared to lemonade, but with "a kick like a mule." Unfortunately the Bank Exchange closed its doors at the start of Prohibition, and cagey Mr. Nicol took his recipe to his grave.<br /><br />What we do know are the ingredients of this drink: Pisco, lemon juice and pineapple gum syrup. Gum syrup (also known by its French spelling, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >gomme</span><span style="font-size:100%;">) was widely used back when bartending was a learned trade like any other, and bartenders passed on their knowledge in apprenticeships. They regularly made syrups, bitters, infusions and other ingredients for cocktails. Unfortunately, when Prohibition occurred, the men either had to find other work or leave the country, and a lot of culinary knowledge pertaining to drink-making was lost. So gum syrup largely stopped being used in favor of the far easier to make simple syrup. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_arabic">Gum arabic</a>, resin from the gum acacia tree, is expensive and difficult to incorporate into a sugar syrup, and mixing water and sugar is, well, simple. But gum arabic lends a silky, viscous texture to cocktails that simple syrup does not.<br /><br />Many modern bars, if they make a Pisco Punch at all, use a pineapple syrup made without gum arabic. And this, I think, is the problem with most incarnations. For a drink with only three components, one of which is the light and delicate Pisco, each one plays a very specific role. Without gum arabic, the drink is thin and rather flat. But with the added viscosity, it is round and flavorful, not rich per se, but full-bodied and satisfying.<br /><br />Pisco Punch is not a true punch. (More on that later.) But it is well suited for being served as a punch, that is, in a large bowl for a crowd. Keep in mind, however, that dilution is a key component in this and any other drink, so you may want to add some water if the punch will be consumed rapidly. Otherwise let sit over large pieces of ice for a little while before serving, so the drink comes to an adequate balance.<br /><br />Of course, it certainly can be served as a single cocktail, as pictured above. The proportions are absurdly easy, so scaling to any volume is simple. An added bonus is that when shaken vigorously with big chunks of ice, the gum arabic froths up to a nice foamy head and gives the drink a lovely white cap.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Pisco Punch<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />1 oz fresh lemon juice</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />1 oz Pineapple Gum Syrup (this recipe is for <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/">Small Hand Foods</a> syrup; if you make your own, add to taste)<br />2 oz Pisco (I use <a href="http://www.marianfarmsbiodynamic.com/our_farm.php">Marian Farms</a> California-style Pisco. Neither Peruvian nor Chilean, this biodynamic farm in the San Joaquin Valley distills fantastic brandy in a copper pot still from Muscat and Thompson grapes.)</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />Shake vigorously with large chunks of ice and double-strain into a coupe. Garnish with a strip of lemon zest if desired.<br /><br /><br /></span>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-46907584488098984372009-04-24T10:06:00.001-07:002009-05-04T17:17:17.290-07:00Whey<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawiKlWHjV_t0NScjEBlg28DFV9sF-7Wp98YOat8QQ1ZgFCPGqqEiPi9QU0H-udg7AHkR3Hl3ulrSLEKdUMW01R2eE3Fc42QMZagp-mKVHKrJ7aZ-lwJ3v_urEPxYQjESdd5vmyiU2XZI/s1600-h/05-03-09+031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawiKlWHjV_t0NScjEBlg28DFV9sF-7Wp98YOat8QQ1ZgFCPGqqEiPi9QU0H-udg7AHkR3Hl3ulrSLEKdUMW01R2eE3Fc42QMZagp-mKVHKrJ7aZ-lwJ3v_urEPxYQjESdd5vmyiU2XZI/s320/05-03-09+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332127078202670050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've been enamored of the curdled/strained milk addition in cocktails ever since I made <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/11/italian-lemonade.html">Italian Lemonade</a>. It's often called for in milk punches, although bartenders tend to make milk cocktails to order. Shaken and consumed immediately, one often avoids curdling the milk, at least in the glass. But mixing the milk and citrus ahead of time, allowing it to curdle, then straining out the solids leaves the protein of the whey without the richness of the rest of the milk.<br /><br />One of the features of the Italian Lemonade is its incredibly low alcohol content. I wondered if I could harness the flavors but punch up the booze to make it a proper cocktail. Also, while making it, I had to strain it several times. But the mixture remained cloudy. Although the drink did not appear mottled and curdled, there was still a lushness that betrayed the dairy content. I wondered if I could remove <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of the solids, and what the remainder would taste like.<br /><br />Rather than mix everything at once, I isolated the two components that cause the curdling: citrus and milk. I substituted lime for lemon, mixed them together, and waited until it was quite chunky.<br /><br />Straining required time and patience. A coarse sieve removed the bulk of the solids, then a tea strainer, then finally I wet a kitchen cloth, set it in a funnel and let the liquid slowly make its way through. Ultimately I was left with a greenish-clear substance that smelled kind of like a lime popsicle.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3eAwe5B7Om8YW6e2jPMtbd4dEhghzwvTMW6Kd1JibqSQOIgdsaeco9pxsfiuW2RmS4Tc9_0Go81HJwWPdEsOUrEVflngmMCvIOFnUMw30PHeMRHkDEH_oZUwPvEfYAgQsQbVFPkzCRA/s1600-h/05-03-09+028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3eAwe5B7Om8YW6e2jPMtbd4dEhghzwvTMW6Kd1JibqSQOIgdsaeco9pxsfiuW2RmS4Tc9_0Go81HJwWPdEsOUrEVflngmMCvIOFnUMw30PHeMRHkDEH_oZUwPvEfYAgQsQbVFPkzCRA/s320/05-03-09+028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332108821869948514" border="0" /></a><br />I've been enamored of <a href="http://www.marianfarmsbiodynamic.com/our_farm.php">Marian Farms</a> <a href="http://www.marianfarmsbiodynamic.com/products.php#alcohol">California Style Pisco</a> since it became available last summer. The farm is located in the San Joaquin Valley and distills spirit from <a href="http://www.demeter-usa.org/">biodynamic</a> Muscat and Thomson grapes in a copper pot still. The result is an unctuous, flavorful spirit with a lower phenol content than other Piscos I have tried, giving it a cleaner, more mixable quality. It lends a backbone to cocktails, yet is mild enough to let other delicate flavors come through. I think this is what some bartenders default to vodka for; they don't want the spirit to ruin the flavors they have put together. I try instead to match qualities of spirits to the qualities of the added ingredients. As much as I love agricole rhum, it would kill the nuances of this drink. And yet vodka would add nothing. This Pisco makes me happy.<br /><br />This cocktail does something I delight in: the ingredients mesh so that it is hard to identify any one thing. Various bartenders I have made this for asked if it had gin, or egg white, or rum. The foam created looks like egg white, but it's not as slippery. And the whey adds a familiar protein quality but having the rest of the milk removed makes identifying it elusive. I love this!<br /><br />I submitted this cocktail to the guys at <a href="http://leftcoastlibations.com/">Left Coast Libations</a> for their upcoming book. It's promising to be a very interesting collection of recipes from the specifically west coast style of bartending. I'll write about it more when it comes out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brace</span><br />1 oz lime/whey mixture*<br />1/2 oz manzanilla sherry<br />1/2 oz Cointreau<br />1/2 oz 1-to-1 simple syrup<br />1 1/2 oz Pisco<br />Shake all ingredients together vigorously in mixing tins. Double-strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange peel.<br /><br />*Mix 8 oz nonfat milk with 3 oz freshly squeezed lime juice. Let stand a few minutes to curdle. Strain through successively finer strainers, then pour through a wet kitchen cloth, letting stand until the clear liquid has filtered through.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-17767002212957801232009-03-31T08:35:00.000-07:002009-08-10T10:39:45.322-07:00The Trouble With Cyanide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyUtDqOJaXgm7xjJHZW1s00U7Pe6QRZJTcnPwR_HL5YW0PGRhTeW1OcnXO3cakgFZFiS93FubJ2TRRoQg3WVrWIvCL7bImQpNGEOQPszPtOtH1-e3XyHCKoGCuq7elidsPmnLL7WySlM/s1600-h/bartendersguide.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyUtDqOJaXgm7xjJHZW1s00U7Pe6QRZJTcnPwR_HL5YW0PGRhTeW1OcnXO3cakgFZFiS93FubJ2TRRoQg3WVrWIvCL7bImQpNGEOQPszPtOtH1-e3XyHCKoGCuq7elidsPmnLL7WySlM/s320/bartendersguide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319389794205726610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/content/the-bartenders-guide-how-mix-drinks-a-bon-vivants-companion">How to Mix Drinks</a> by Jerry Thomas is usually the first reference for anyone looking into pre-prohibition cocktails. But as a confectioner as well as a bartender, I am equally intrigued by the appendix added to this book, almost as long, titled A Manual For The Manufacture Of Cordials, Liquors, Fancy Syrups, Etc. Since I know that modern commercial orgeat is not made from actual almonds, I decided to see how historical recipes were made.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">424. Orgeat (or Almond) Syrup.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">2 lbs. of sweet almonds.<br />3i ounces of bitter almonds.<br />3 pints of fresh water.<br />6 or 6 1/2 lbs. of sugar.<br /><br />Take your almonds (sweet and bitter) and drop them into boiling water. This blanches them, and they are easily skinned. Having peeled them, drop them into cold water, in which wash them; when ready put them into a clean mortar (one of marble is better than bronze), and mash them; next, squeeze in the juice of two lemons, or add a little acid, and, as you pound the almonds, pour part of a pint of clean water into the mortar; mash thoroughly, until the mixture looks like thick milk, and no pieces of almonds are left; then add another pint of the spring water. Now squeeze the white mash through a hair-cloth, or other good strainer: a common plan is to have a large strainer held by two persons; as they twist the milk may be caught in a clean basin; whatever of the almonds is left in the cloth put it back into the mortar, and mash it over again, adding a little of the spring water; then strain it, and mix with the former almond milk; this done mix it with your sugar (about 6 lbs.) which must first, however, be clarified and boiled to a " crack" (see No. 17); whilst adding the almond milk let the pan of hot sugar be off the fire; when mixed give another boil up; then remove the pan from the fire, and stir the syrup until cold;* pour in a small portion of the tincture of orange flowers, or the least drop of the essence of neroly, and pass the mixture again through a cloth; give the bottles an occasional shake for a few days afterward; it will keep the syrup from parting.<br />*This is done to keep it from separating and splitting up after being bottled.<br /></span><br /><br />This is the first recipe I came across that calls for bitter almonds to augment the sweet ones. Now, I am a methodical cook; I will happily adjust recipes to suit my tastes, but I have to make the original to the letter the first time. How would you know how to adjust it without a specific frame of reference?<br /><br />So apparently I needed some bitter almonds. Turns out, they are pretty much M.I.A., at least in the U.S. Even scouring food boutiques that specialize in European foods (I'm looking at you, <a href="http://www.bouletteslarder.com/">Boulette's</a>), I was only able to find some specialty varieties of sweet almonds. Delicious out of hand, absolutely. But not what I was looking for.<br /><br />So I started researching it.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almonds#Sweet_and_bitter_almonds">wiki</a>)<br />The bitter almond is rather broader and shorter than the sweet almond, and contains about 50% of the fixed oil which also occurs in sweet almonds. It also contains the enzyme emulsin which, in the presence of water, acts on a soluble glucoside, amygdalin, yielding glucose, cyanide and the essential oil of bitter almonds, which is nearly pure benzaldehyde. Bitter almonds may yield from 4-9mg of hydrogen cyanide per almond. Extract of bitter almond was once used medicinally, but even in small doses effects are severe and in larger doses can be deadly; the cyanide must be removed before consumption.</span><br /><br />So this explains why bitter almonds are so hard to find in the U.S. And it explains why modern recipes never call for them. Many websites detail that the cyanide is neutralized with cooking. Which is why, I suppose, we have been able to take delight in the lovely flavor that is the bitter almond, as it flavors marzipan, Italian and Chinese almond cookies, and anything else with almond extract in it, as the heat-processing of the extract makes the result safe for consumption.<br /><br />It also explains why old recipes call for whole bitter almonds, but always within the context of a highly cooked product. The cooking was necessary to neutralize the poison.<br /><br />Now, in my attempt to make the original recipe, I was stymied by the lack of available bitter almonds. However, other stone fruits also contain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzaldehyde">benzaldehyde</a> in their kernels, including peaches, cherries and apricots, as well as apple seeds. I know that apricot kernels are available in some herbal pharmacies, as they are sometimes used as a natural cancer treatment. A controversial medicine called Laetrile, first sold in the United States in the 1960s, was touted first as a cancer cure, then relegated to treatment status, and ultimately claimed to be only a preventative measure. The USDA stopped its import and sale in 2000, although there are ways to get around this ban. Laetrile is made from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdalin">amygdalin</a>, a substance found in, you guessed it, apricot kernels.<br /><br />So I headed to my local herbal-specialized grocer and indeed, found a big jar of apricot kernels. They were unblanched, so I had to go through the hassle of blanching them myself, but ultimately I had enough to make the recipe. I even went so far as to clarify my own sugar using egg whites, a procedure I do not recommend unless you are happy having to forever afterwards light your stove burners with a lighter because you have completely killed the pilot lights.<br /><br />I made the modern concession of using a food processor instead of a mortar and pestle. But when I boiled the whole thing with the quantity of sugar specified, it was so thick that by the time it cooled it had to be spooned from a jar. It reminded me of pomade, or the solidified part of a can of cream of coconut. And after a couple of days, the entire thing crystallized and had to be chipped out of the jar.<br /><br />Flavor-wise, however, it was delicious. The apricot kernels had imparted a profound bitter almond flavor, much like almond extract. And the richness that came from using actual almonds was apparent. The fat and protein in the mouth make for a depth of flavor and texture that simply is not possible when just using sugar syrup and almond extract.<br /><br />Obviously there were problems. I can't see having to spoon a mixture into a cocktail shaker a practicality at a bar. But this, combined with what I learned from the Art of Drink recipe, gave me a great foundation for attempting to make an orgeat I feel will work in a modern bar but be made in an old-world sensibility, with real, whole ingredients.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-36785751293703055932009-03-06T11:52:00.000-08:002009-03-09T20:31:42.928-07:00Ward 8<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ztWYOmYOM2JcRCNxS14s4rHvG1jusCBo99kkK9VOvzwE8eilOP7WvelHLEDrKwuN3h0FOI5_V0dbTXrxHt1YNLsPrB5mP5TfNLIYONbe33R5z2ZpwoX7zq2XQHkHPUHJW6r4VOv7U-Q/s1600-h/ward+8+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ztWYOmYOM2JcRCNxS14s4rHvG1jusCBo99kkK9VOvzwE8eilOP7WvelHLEDrKwuN3h0FOI5_V0dbTXrxHt1YNLsPrB5mP5TfNLIYONbe33R5z2ZpwoX7zq2XQHkHPUHJW6r4VOv7U-Q/s400/ward+8+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310873831064888386" border="0" /></a><br />This week I had the good fortune of being at work when two bartenders from <a href="http://deathandcompany.com/">Death and Company</a>, Brian Miller and Joaquin Simo, came into town. Joined by <a href="http://www.alcademics.com/">Camper English</a>, a favorite local spirits writer and a blogger-inspiration of mine, they warmed the bar for most of the night. Camper wrote about this Drink Jinx of an evening <a href="http://www.alcademics.com/2009/03/the-drink-jinx.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Of course, we promptly started geeking out on all things bar- and cocktail-related:<br /><br />"Who makes your shaking tins? No, not those ones, the other ones?" "Listen to the sound they make when you shake."<br />"You still have some old Noilly Prat left? Lucky you."<br />"Those are some sexy ice spears. Where do you get your molds?"<br />And there was one reference to a cocktail so delicious one might want to put a part of his anatomy into it.<br /><br />I was referred to, at least once, as the "Queen of Syrup," a moniker that brings me immense delight.<br /><br />Once people learn that I make cocktail ingredients, they are usually interested in having a drink made with some. So Joaquin ordered a Ward 8, purportedly one of his favorite whiskey cocktails.<br /><br />(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_8">wiki</a>)<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:georgia;">The Ward 8 or variably Ward Eight, is a cocktail originating in 1898 in Boston, Massachusetts at the bar of the Gilded Age restaurant Locke-Ober. In 1898 Democratic political czar Martin M. Lomasney hoped to capture a seat in the state's legislature, the General Court of Massachusetts. Lomasney was nicknamed the "Boston Mahatma" and had held considerable power in the city for nearly 50 years. The story goes that the drink was created to honor his election, and the city's Ward 8 which historically delivered him a winning margin. Competing, but unfounded myths abound in print and on the Internet. One story purports that it originated in New York in an area known for political corruption, another that the cocktail is a traditional drink of the Scottish Guards.</span></span><br /><br />I've never been a huge fan of this drink; perhaps this is because I, like many, tend to drink my whiskey straight or in aromatic cocktails like manhattans and old-fashioneds. I often taste a "dirty" quality when mixing citrus into whiskey. I'm not sure where this comes from. I have noticed it is more prevalent with rye than bourbon. But made with a sweeter, richer, less spicy bourbon, the Ward 8 can be a lovely, integrated cocktail that nonetheless showcases the spirit quite well.<br /><br />One note: These proportions are based on <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/">Small Hand Foods</a> <a href="http://smallhandfoods.com/products.cfm">grenadine</a>. If you make your own, or use commercial stuff, you may have to adjust the recipe to taste. I highly recommend making your own, as I have yet to find widely available grenadine that is made primarily of pomegranate juice. A good discussion on homemade product can be found via the lovely folks at egullet <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=70880&hl=grenadine">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ward 8</span><br /><br />2 oz whiskey<br />1/2 oz fresh lemon juice<br />1/2 oz fresh orange juice<br />1/2 oz grenadine<br /><br />Shake vigorously in mixing tins, then double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or orange twist, if desired.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-58205702391206500032009-02-08T13:30:00.000-08:002009-02-23T17:51:42.077-08:00Blog-by-Proxy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3D5Xa_eBLAsVc0_52ydlxrZBtZC_3r2BHUYMJk1IAz7i8JHl0fK7EtsIOaxggzU4yP6D9vdlVORE7hX4eFku_4iLcU8VVKXFy12oVl8aq_lTDko1ImPOBkL2gQqhablX7sUquhQxOJF0/s1600-h/blog+photos+February+008.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300545484510989554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3D5Xa_eBLAsVc0_52ydlxrZBtZC_3r2BHUYMJk1IAz7i8JHl0fK7EtsIOaxggzU4yP6D9vdlVORE7hX4eFku_4iLcU8VVKXFy12oVl8aq_lTDko1ImPOBkL2gQqhablX7sUquhQxOJF0/s400/blog+photos+February+008.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Kozuka Mincho Pro B"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491327 18 0 131077 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Kozuka Mincho Pro B"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491327 18 0 131077 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><br /><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_75_%28cocktail%29">French 75</a> is one of the great classic cocktails. Spirit, citrus and sugar, the makings of a great sour, but topped with Champagne. Awesome. </p></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><p></span></p><pclass="msoplaintext"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">There's significant debate over the origins of this cocktail. The story I heard (and I know it's romantic bullshit) is as follows:</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Some English soldiers were holed up in a lemon orchard in the French countryside during World War I. It being France, there was plenty of cognac to be had, but alas, straight cognac was too strong for the soldiers. So they mixed it with lemon juice from the orchard and sweetened it with sugar from the pantry, then topped it with Champagne. It being France, of course, Champagne is obviously drunk like water. When the soldiers returned to England they made the same drink with their native spirit, gin. </p></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">There are some other stories out there, mostly justifying the use of gin. The truth is, I prefer the cocktail with cognac. The wood-age counteracts the high acidity of the other ingredients, and the Champagne makes a brilliant integrative turn. It both lightens the texture and rounds out the ascorbic acid of the lemon with malic and/or lactic acid, providing a greater range of acidity and hitting your mouth in more places. With gin, the drink is mostly high notes. When you substitute cognac, the charred wood the spirit is aged in adds caramel and sugar, lending a depth and rich earthiness you just don't get with gin. </p></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My friend and co-worker Kent shares my high esteem for the French 75. So much so, in fact, that he has embarked on a "75 French 75s" series. Spirit, sweetener, citrus and sparkling are all interchangeable in this quest. Kent is an outstanding bartender, using a restrained hand and acute sense of balance, and every iteration I have tried has been stellar. He even made one with my <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/12/orchard-syrup.html">Orchard Syrup</a>. (I should probably make some more of that...) </p></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">"75 French 75s" may eventually be a coffee table book. I think Kent should also start a blog (but I'm biased). But as neither of those things exists yet, in the interest of furthering awareness of delicious drinks and the folks who make them, I'm going to post his creations here. So stay tuned.<br /><br />For an initial exploration, here is my basic French 75 recipe:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">French 75</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><br />1 oz cognac<br />1 oz fresh lemon juice<br />3/4 oz 1-to-1 simple syrup<br />Champagne or other dry sparkling wine<br />Stir cognac, lemon and simple over ice in a bucket glass. Top with champers and stir again. Garnish with a lemon peel.<br /><br />And here is one of Kent's versions:</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Italian 75</span><br />1 1/2 oz Jacobo Poli Pinot Noir grappa<br />1 oz fresh lemon juice<br />3/4 oz 1-to-1 simple syrup<br />Billecart Salmon Brut Rose Champagne<br />Shake grappa, lemon and simple in mixing tins. Double-strain into a flute. Top with Champagne.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXakQHshfHL-Bf2BVA1ox-W1B3fmZ4hA30zz_aQvYvgOL4q9NGYies1zqvSRkn4SaDZiiNtgi1qYhmf0u_1nYkokO4s2lLs-iQCblBJylvZXEwhrmzN2tR8-MQ2GYCMMZ-O_ksxr9uF3M/s1600-h/blog+photos+February+020.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300540596824756898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXakQHshfHL-Bf2BVA1ox-W1B3fmZ4hA30zz_aQvYvgOL4q9NGYies1zqvSRkn4SaDZiiNtgi1qYhmf0u_1nYkokO4s2lLs-iQCblBJylvZXEwhrmzN2tR8-MQ2GYCMMZ-O_ksxr9uF3M/s400/blog+photos+February+020.jpg" /></a></span>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-71658665438785371712009-01-13T19:08:00.000-08:002009-01-17T08:19:44.235-08:00Commercial Orgeat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBargRvT-Dn02gUEjA3SgvFzLqr8UvtIu773F91IA8T84RkeHqbRvGuG-p412cwkrn02xf3WGh4GC-arESXlfaIBCAwf4zFZB1Td0hZ3QJZpXWQJpGW61emmQOTicTWUhUDBkHj3L9FbQ/s1600-h/180px-Loucheeffectgreen_23.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBargRvT-Dn02gUEjA3SgvFzLqr8UvtIu773F91IA8T84RkeHqbRvGuG-p412cwkrn02xf3WGh4GC-arESXlfaIBCAwf4zFZB1Td0hZ3QJZpXWQJpGW61emmQOTicTWUhUDBkHj3L9FbQ/s400/180px-Loucheeffectgreen_23.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292012265191075730" border="0" /></a>As <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/12/research-commences.html">I mentioned before</a>, I love the <a href="http://www.artofdrink.com/2006/02/orgeat-syrup.php">orgeat recipe</a> on the <a href="http://www.artofdrink.com/">Art of Drink</a> by Darcy O'Neil. It is light and milky and lush. I could practically drink it by itself. But why is this recipe so vastly different from all the orgeat on the shelves?<br /><br />Commercial orgeat is slightly cloudy, and may or may not louche when added to water. Louching is the process whereby certain oils in an emulsion are destabilized, and come out of solution into suspension. The best-known example of this is adding water to absinthe, although it will occur with any pastis (and any spirit with a certain amount of essential oil in it, like Cointreau or Blue Gin). The oils in the product are soluble in sufficient ethanol, but when the proof is brought down with the addition of water, the oils pull out into suspension, thus giving the liquid a cloudy appearance.<br /><br />What is in commercial orgeat? How does it differ from Mr O'Neil's recipe? Here I've listed brands of orgeat that are common in bars, plus their ingredients:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Torani</span>: Pure cane sugar, water, natural flavors, fractionated coconut oil, ester gum, citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monin</span>: pure cane sugar, water, natural almond flavor<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trader Vic's</span>: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, cloud (water, acacia gum, medium chain triglycerides, glycerol, ester of wood rosin, brominated vegetable oil, citric acid, sodium benzoate), propylene glycol, sodium benzoate (a preservative), natural and artificial flavors<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fee Bros.</span>: corn sweeteners, sugar, water, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid, less than 1/10 of 1% benzoate of soda as a preservative, propylene glycol, xanthan gum, gum acacia & glyceryl abietate<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1883</span>: sugar, water, glucose-fructose syrup, natural aroma including natural almond extract<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sonoma Syrup Co.</span> (called Vanilla Almond syrup): cane sugar, water, vanilla extract, natural almond extract, orange flower water, citric acid<br />(I wouldn't really call Sonoma Syrup Co.'s syrup orgeat, but they are a well-respected locally-based "natural" syrup maker, so I wanted to put them in anyways. It's super vanilla-y, thus taking it out of the realm of typical orgeat.)<br /><br />So, the Torani and Trader Vic’s brands have clouding agents in them: fractionated coconut oil in the Torani and the “cloud” concoction in the Trader Vic’s. None of them have actual almonds in them. Assuming almonds donate fat to an emulsion, this would provide for a louche effect. If you eliminate the almonds but still want the visual, you’re going to have to get some oil in there. Thus the coconut and vegetable oils added. But when mixed with water, the louche is actually pretty subtle, nothing at all like absinthe or other pastis.<br /><br />Call me a purist, or a snob, but I think that I’d rather use actual almonds and the effect that they create rather than try to approximate the effect with ingredients that have no other purpose in the syrup.<br /><br />I feel the need to add that I have had bartenders in bars I greatly respect on both coasts swear up and down that 1883 is amazing, and ostensibly different and superior to other brands. So I ordered a bottle. And I’m sorry to say I was sorely disappointed. It tasted just like thickened sugar syrup with almond extract added, which is exactly what it is. And after tasting every commercial product I could get my hands on, including one from a deli in New York that came highly recommended, I’ve got say that they all pretty much taste the same. Certainly, the brands with artificial ingredients taste more processed than the others. But they all taste kind of forced, in that overwhelming almond extract kind of way. In pastry, almond extract is used to bolster the flavor of an almond confection, like in amaretti or almond cake. But here it's as if we are trying to be convinced that the flavor of almond extract alone is the actual flavor of almonds. And it's not.<br /><br />Now, forced to choose, I’d rather consume something like Monin or 1883, simply because they have fewer ingredients and no artificial preservatives. But really, I’d actually rather consume something from real food.<br /><br />Purist, or snob...jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-12372771441782697032008-12-27T18:14:00.000-08:002008-12-29T14:56:31.557-08:00Orchard Syrup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDi8bSfXmXeZt1jpDvv-OBEIxd6-OE4N-KnMc0nOwQSM-k_rr3_iXknr7ojkNcmXTKlk40oaag5BkJYR-H2hG1ikAVGOHJj-kZQJoYz88lVKPxJOqw-FqWHQOJbjKKTpc0iPdK97anliM/s1600-h/blog+photos+December+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDi8bSfXmXeZt1jpDvv-OBEIxd6-OE4N-KnMc0nOwQSM-k_rr3_iXknr7ojkNcmXTKlk40oaag5BkJYR-H2hG1ikAVGOHJj-kZQJoYz88lVKPxJOqw-FqWHQOJbjKKTpc0iPdK97anliM/s320/blog+photos+December+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284654321542501026" border="0" /></a><br />I came across orchard syrup as a cocktail ingredient for the first time while browsing the <a href="http://www.cocktaildb.com/">CocktailDB </a>application on my co-worker's iphone (it was a slow night). It was in a cocktail called a St. Croix Crusta and is listed in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/content/bartenders-manual">Harry Johnson's Bartenders' Manual</a>, in the crusta as well as several other cocktails. Additional research revealed it also listed in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/HERES-1941-Reprint-Ross-Bolton/dp/143827842X/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229473694&sr=1-9">Here's How</a> by Ross Bolton.<br /><br />Usually when I find an ingredient I'm not familiar with I can find a recipe for it in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/content/the-bartenders-guide-how-mix-drinks-a-bon-vivants-companion">How to Mix Drinks: A Bon Vivant's Companion</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Royal-English-Foreign-Confectioner-Confectionary/dp/143269202X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227633781&sr=8-3"><i>The Royal English and Foreign Confectioner</i></a> or online on a site such as <a href="http://chestofbooks.com/">Chest of Books</a>. But I can't find anything about orchard syrup. It's making me a little crazy.<br /><br />On <a href="http://drinkboy.com/">DrinkBoy</a> there is a <a href="http://groups.msn.com/drinkboy/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=17509">thread</a> speculating on the possibilities of what this ingredient is. One plausible theory is that as orchards in America in the early part of the century tended to be apple orchards, orchard syrup was probably derived from apples.<br /><br />I like this theory. My only question is that there are plenty of recipes from that era for apple syrup, so how would orchard syrup be any different? Erik from <a href="http://underhill-lounge.flannestad.com/">Underhill Lounge</a> sent me <a href="http://dutchfood.about.com/od/saucesgravies/r/AppleSyrup.htm">this recipe</a>. It's for a Dutch apple syrup made by greatly reducing apple syrup with some spices. And here I hope is the difference: while apple syrups tend to be sugar and water syrups cooked with apple pieces, this is only apple juice and sugar, resulting in (I imagine) a far more concentrated flavor.<br /><br />It turned out delicious, really lovely and apple-y but not oxidized or caramelized, which are always risks when reducing fruit juices. And the spices are subtle enough that they add to the cocktail without overtaking it. I've been making St. Croix Crustas for any bar geeks who happen to come in. And I call it orchard syrup. But feel free to correct me (bring research)!<br /><br />One note about recipes containing dashes as ingredient measurements: while a couple dashes of concentrated aromatic ingredients like bitters or absinthe is sufficient to add flavor to a cocktail, I simply cannot taste dashes of more delicate ingredients like citrus juice or syrups. I use a barspoon, or 1/2 tsp.<br /><br />St. Croix Crusta<br /><br />1 dash bitters (Ango works fine; it originally called for Boker's)<br />1 barspoon lemon juice<br />1 barspoon maraschino liqueur<br />1/4 oz orchard syrup<br />1 1/2 oz white St. Croix rum (I used Barbancourt white, as it's what I had available)<br /><br />Using a vegetable peeler, peel a lemon in one long spiral. Run a cut lemon around a pony-style glass fairly far down the edge and dip in sugar. Place the entire lemon peel in the glass, maintaining its shape as best as possible. Shake all ingredients (or stir; I'm not arguing over this one) over ice and strain into the glass.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4-u3qF2xqaCjaO8xYh6pclBXD526n32lSjqCJD95ngsG2qwLTOR79HVVy4KI0a_FwKefd_DUokmCLmVymcMFthHW3UAysp7PFRu8yNNweyqpQtN-5nP1NsQcGK_zhcmXwUj_zfAO8iI/s1600-h/blog+photos+December+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4-u3qF2xqaCjaO8xYh6pclBXD526n32lSjqCJD95ngsG2qwLTOR79HVVy4KI0a_FwKefd_DUokmCLmVymcMFthHW3UAysp7PFRu8yNNweyqpQtN-5nP1NsQcGK_zhcmXwUj_zfAO8iI/s320/blog+photos+December+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284655060976401378" border="0" /></a>My friend Nadia, enjoying the crusta.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-40275648957526275612008-12-15T15:08:00.000-08:002008-12-24T13:05:46.036-08:00research commences<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqtGP_8Cr4KTBHDBO2DlFBzEPI6VqQORzpedLNJcvAAzP_51e6EfHioceLAs46tyMfpNPvsAqBhlx5_OXBa62uC_nhbp5oH9f4pzi3RDqejsjJ08Zb74aMQHhX_0u2oMyDTdXybjhXF4/s1600-h/child+with+almonds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqtGP_8Cr4KTBHDBO2DlFBzEPI6VqQORzpedLNJcvAAzP_51e6EfHioceLAs46tyMfpNPvsAqBhlx5_OXBa62uC_nhbp5oH9f4pzi3RDqejsjJ08Zb74aMQHhX_0u2oMyDTdXybjhXF4/s320/child+with+almonds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280530118881585218" border="0" /></a><br />The most widespread recipe online for orgeat is <a href="http://www.artofdrink.com/2006/02/orgeat-syrup.php">here</a>, on <a href="http://www.artofdrink.com/">The Art of Drink</a> by Darcy O'Neil. I am incredibly indebted to him for starting me on this journey. Plus it is one of the most informative, interesting booze blogs out there. Cheers, Darcy!<br /><br />Orgeat made in this manner is fresh, lush, light and milky. Sugar is dissolved into a rich almond milk without boiling, so the viscosity is low, and the resulting suspension is fairly unstable, so it tends to separate, both in the bottle and in prepared cocktails, which can result in a mottled, curdled appearance. This doesn't affect the flavor or much of the mouthfeel of drinks, just the look. Plus, the mixture is volatile and can spoil readily. But it tastes so milky and lush! Just mixed with seltzer, with maybe a squeeze of lime, it is f'n delicious!<br /><br />So why is this orgeat so vastly different from anything on the shelves?<br /><br />Now, mind you, I like the flavor of commercial orgeat. It tastes like almond extract, like amaretto and marzipan and Italian almond cookies. Yum. But AofD's orgeat tastes nothing like almond extract, and it's made almost entirely of almonds. Where is the discrepancy? And what were bartenders using a hundred years ago? Does what we use do justice to the integrity of their cocktails?<br /><br />Obviously, more research is in order.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-31832305028250822212008-12-10T15:49:00.000-08:002008-12-15T00:46:25.759-08:00Buddha's Hand limoncello<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpJuTnP7VelNWdF1B1GE3D-yBEJ1rDFkIN_kt0rL3ZzKf4Ns50I8DWMf5_mioYhovZmzq9r7YyCRo2jNcFqzzy6U7M5EOk8HZySvFLPB44I2YZsakD1FIyN-W_4QRzWGpm7k91oycOmI/s1600-h/buddhas_hand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpJuTnP7VelNWdF1B1GE3D-yBEJ1rDFkIN_kt0rL3ZzKf4Ns50I8DWMf5_mioYhovZmzq9r7YyCRo2jNcFqzzy6U7M5EOk8HZySvFLPB44I2YZsakD1FIyN-W_4QRzWGpm7k91oycOmI/s400/buddhas_hand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278320112938544850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It seems that every customer I have that wants <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limoncello">limoncello</a> has spent time in Italy. They've usually done something exceedingly romantic, like a honeymoon or anniversary, and want to translate that experience to San Francisco. In November. Uh, yeah, not quite the same thing. But most restaurants in SF have a bottle stashed in a freezer somewhere, for the occasional dreamy dilettante who requests it.<br /><br />I'm not a fan of limoncello in general. Traditionally made from Sorrento lemon zest, vodka and sugar, you get the oils from the zest but no acidity from juice. Every time I've tasted limoncello I find it too sweet, and think it would be better with some lemon juice. And maybe diluted a bit. But then it's basically a lemon drop, which would be okay, except I'm not 23 years old and living in L.A. (anymore).<br /><br />Our outstanding exec sous, Justine, saw a few <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha%27s_hand">Buddha's Hands</a> at the <a href="http://www.cuesa.org/markets/">Ferry Building Farmers' Market</a> one morning. California spoils us for citrus; although imported Persian limes from Mexico killed domestic lime production, we still have many citrus farmers, a few of whom specialize in obscure varietals.<br /><br />Buddha's Hand is an Indian variety of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citron">citron</a> used only for its zest. In fact, there is little or no flesh inside at all, just a knobbly ball of pith with many "fingers" protruding in one direction. Getting all the zest is tedious (a <a href="http://www.surlatable.com/product/zoom.do?productID=124587">microplane</a> works, although I prefer a <a href="http://www.surlatable.com/product/zoom.do?productID=124268">serrated swivel-head peeler</a>), but the aroma is fabulous. It's sweeter and softer than regular lemon zest, with less spice and many more floral notes like bergamot and orange blossom. <a href="http://www.stgeorgespirits.com/">St. George Spirits</a> makes <a href="http://www.hangarone.com/fruit3.html">Hangar One Buddha's Hand vodka</a>, their version of citrus vodka, and it is one of the lovelier flavored vodkas on the market (if you like that sort of thing).<br /><br />I zested them all with only one incident involving my left index finger and a week's worth of finger cots. Now what to make?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub9RwBmi-c-XyzeMKw4Qr1qkWC0RwA_yMCv6RXb696DuXHIU7UPf_CB3ZT8QPVJzBg4g5eS1JSVWT6dH84Ie57vf9uR1VVv7WOxZ7iX43cEEQi0MggtON12ssvA0oYArOWWZIwDctDJU/s1600-h/blog+photos+December+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub9RwBmi-c-XyzeMKw4Qr1qkWC0RwA_yMCv6RXb696DuXHIU7UPf_CB3ZT8QPVJzBg4g5eS1JSVWT6dH84Ie57vf9uR1VVv7WOxZ7iX43cEEQi0MggtON12ssvA0oYArOWWZIwDctDJU/s320/blog+photos+December+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278320916980430466" border="0" /></a><br />I set some aside to turn into a tincture, so I could add a pure essence of Buddha's Hand to cocktails. We have a few of these around the bar (Sorrento lemon, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville_orange">Seville orange</a>) and while I haven't used them extensively, I like the idea. I fantasize about making hundreds of single tinctures of assorted zests, herbs and spices, and blending my own bitters with infinitely more control over the final outcome than by mixing them all and infusing them together. At the rate I'm going, I should have the best bitters ever in about 12 years. Watch out <a href="http://www.the-bitter-truth.com/">Bitter Truth</a>; I'm gonna take you down!!<br /><br />I still had a fair amount of zest, so, really, limoncello is the obvious choice. When I looked up some recipes, however, I found an apparently traditional creamy version made with reduced milk that is rarely seen outside Italy. Since I already know standard limoncello does not suit my palate, this sounded great. As <a href="http://smallhandbartender.blogspot.com/2008/11/italian-lemonade.html">previously stated</a>, I love fat and protein in drinks. And since there is no actual juice used, the milk doesn't curdle, so the preparation is relatively simple.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUMJSMaolBT9z02fo1gbO2h4hoeLYjQvk29TZFPr3Zo1PAkRM084o1M4xF1Sh2CYN2WxmpzJoa_GEUYX18WpyRrrjeMFGOHmfAlFgU0xz4Ts4hH8LuvLZBADTpTUmY1bsdXasz672zao/s1600-h/blog+photos+December+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUMJSMaolBT9z02fo1gbO2h4hoeLYjQvk29TZFPr3Zo1PAkRM084o1M4xF1Sh2CYN2WxmpzJoa_GEUYX18WpyRrrjeMFGOHmfAlFgU0xz4Ts4hH8LuvLZBADTpTUmY1bsdXasz672zao/s320/blog+photos+December+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278320919996518786" border="0" /></a><br />The result? Much more luscious and creamy than you might expect from low fat milk. (And I do recommend you use low fat; I used half nonfat and half whole, and it was on the rich side.) It is still quite strong, and thus benefits from being served ice-cold. Or stir over ice and strain, which reduces the richness a bit but is perhaps more suited for a balmy Northern California winter, if you don't happen to be sitting on a piazza with the love of your life.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddha's Hand Limoncello</span><br /><br />2 Buddha's Hands<br />2 cups decent vodka<br />1/2 gallon low fat milk<br />1 cup sugar<br /><br />Separate the fingers of each Buddha's Hand by cutting them apart. Zest each finger with a microplane or vegetable peeler, avoiding the pith. Place in jar with the vodka and macerate for a week or so, shaking several times. Strain and discard zest.<br /><br />Put milk and sugar into a saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 4 cups. Strain and cool, then mix with vodka infusion. Store in refrigerator.jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-39624566096583789642008-12-01T15:05:00.000-08:002008-12-06T09:36:53.216-08:00Tequila Hot Chocolate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GNJMtQeNdcfeR3JnQ9YSWQlH4rdXZX8sCq4r3zG0iQvzZJ2lKh8Al0v687qNMdBPSbu7mbGnFHyRJTXxYCVHOmQFvOY0RWfTp-hQyJN54NjT9B8VevS4WU-Nw7zuTcrmEgVKG-v7eGk/s1600-h/tequila+hot+chocolate.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274962203485724178" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GNJMtQeNdcfeR3JnQ9YSWQlH4rdXZX8sCq4r3zG0iQvzZJ2lKh8Al0v687qNMdBPSbu7mbGnFHyRJTXxYCVHOmQFvOY0RWfTp-hQyJN54NjT9B8VevS4WU-Nw7zuTcrmEgVKG-v7eGk/s320/tequila+hot+chocolate.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} h1 {mso-style-next:Normal; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; page-break-after:avoid; mso-outline-level:1; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning:0pt; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><br /><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been working on a tequila hot chocolate drink for the winter. The idea was prompted by my boss, who evidently likes to mention drink ideas to me and then stand back as I begin to obsess and experiment. I only latch on to the occasional recipe bait; unlike so many fabulously talented bartenders in San Francisco, inventing new cocktails is pretty hard for me. My skill is in cooking. If you want to get me excited, mention any of the following:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><ul><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>compound</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>syrup</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>suspension</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>solution</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>reduction</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>caramelization</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>crystallization</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>batter</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>temper</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>bain-marie</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-size:0;"></span>double-boiler</div></li><li><div class="MsoNormal">anything involving a mortar and pestle, chinois or tamis</div></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal">So I wasn’t interested at all until he mentioned making a ganache. It may as well have been a taunt; I now had to make the <em>best</em> ganache. This being a tequila drink, I went with cinnamon and chile as seasonings. It’s a bit clichéd, but hot chocolate is nothing if not comfort food, and being a native Californian, Mexican spices are comfort food for me.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwZahQioSnYR2_5uWas8gpAnL49wdjKMeNqSD8Kzkcb5SpXGNro9Hagqjdf2lZ5RSaMFxnLl41fbT04qFnSpJJirDUST1dc4eWWa3Z7hU7PzpWI844fuc4rnLBGLilgHEauzSZeLjhRg/s1600-h/cassia.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274965477174278626" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; cursor: pointer; height: 150px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwZahQioSnYR2_5uWas8gpAnL49wdjKMeNqSD8Kzkcb5SpXGNro9Hagqjdf2lZ5RSaMFxnLl41fbT04qFnSpJJirDUST1dc4eWWa3Z7hU7PzpWI844fuc4rnLBGLilgHEauzSZeLjhRg/s200/cassia.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UqH6kMet4HQ9ZUwZ7M-E_SELPqIdgLP1ewZ-mj3htutuay5jMQyIhybTmJQff3Tq6fpBNI58ypJCAsKnfbGBlkrcHZis6l8Ev_oUdZkCOaMKUseArKewJzmUXtfk9oHhaYntzcMY-7E/s1600-h/ceylon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274965344252687970" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 98px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UqH6kMet4HQ9ZUwZ7M-E_SELPqIdgLP1ewZ-mj3htutuay5jMQyIhybTmJQff3Tq6fpBNI58ypJCAsKnfbGBlkrcHZis6l8Ev_oUdZkCOaMKUseArKewJzmUXtfk9oHhaYntzcMY-7E/s200/ceylon.jpg" border="0" /></a>There are several kinds of cinnamon. I highly recommend <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon">Ceylon cinnamon</a> for this, readily available at Latino markets. It is more floral and citrus-y than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_aromaticum">Cassia cinnamon</a>, which is what is usually carried in American supermarkets and are the hard pencil-like sticks hot glued to craft store Christmas wreathes. Ceylon sticks consist of multiple papery layers easily crumbled by hand. If you can’t find Ceylon ground, you can grind the sticks in a clean coffee grinder or use a mortar and pestle and a bit of muscle. And to provide a greater depth of chocolate flavor, I used both dark chocolate and cocoa powder.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">At the end of the process you’ll have a tub of grainy, chocolatey goodness that you’ll have to scoop with a spoon. At the restaurant I put a scoop of ganache into a mug along with 1½ ounces of tequila, then fill it with milk and steam with the wand of an espresso machine.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">One final note: If you drink slowly, a skin can form on top of the hot chocolate. A marshmallow will prevent this, a solution I heartily endorse.</p><p></p><p><o:p></o:p></p><strong>Tequila Hot Chocolate</strong> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">4 oz dark chocolate</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 c cream</p><p class="MsoNormal">6 tbsp cocoa powder</p><p class="MsoNormal">¾ c sugar</p><p class="MsoNormal">¼ tsp cayenne</p><p class="MsoNormal">½ tsp ground cinnamon</p><p class="MsoNormal">reposado tequila</p><p class="MsoNormal">cinnamon stick, orange peel and/or marshmallow for garnish</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Melt the chocolate into the cream in the top of a double-boiler. Add the cocoa powder and mix thoroughly with an immersion blender. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, I suppose you could heat the cream and whisk the cocoa powder into it, then melt the chocolate into that. I’ve never tried it, though. I’m a whore for fancy kitchen tools.) Add the sugar and spices and stir with a spatula until thoroughly mixed. The sugar won’t dissolve; it’s okay. Keep ganache refrigerated.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} h1 {mso-style-next:Normal; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; page-break-after:avoid; mso-outline-level:1; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning:0pt; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><br /><p class="MsoNormal">To serve, allow 2 tbsp of ganache per cup. Add 1½ oz reposado tequila and enough milk to fill your mug. Steam with the wand of an espresso machine and stir to dissolve chocolate. Alternatively, heat the milk and ganache in a small saucepan until dissolved. Add tequila and pour into mug. Garnish and serve.</p><br /><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --></style>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8234441175661858237.post-66301328919156676092008-11-25T09:15:00.000-08:002009-08-09T15:55:03.980-07:00Capillaire<p class="MsoNormal"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272650278272970370" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; width: 200px; cursor: pointer; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItV50J2t2U5jQHp22ljpjx87zt_yvGGm_wx8cImdkx8BP1EWldVHlU0tq2VS1wo5vNCNDeilw8hlWnkhMw8fKsmNIpuZnzfTSO9cs8t-U7p6mkGvwqgWiwn2fDzUJFdEGoShYzOzeGpI/s200/41m3fg2WWgL._SS500_.jpg" border="0" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I read cookbooks like novels. Cover to cover. You know how a lot of dudes have stacks of books in their bathrooms? My stacks are cookbooks. (And I like to take baths.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Being the diligent bar geek that I am, I love old bar books. Most of us relish finding obscure recipes from out-of-print books that are interesting and delicious, and serving them along with their back stories. When Plymouth released their <a href="http://plymouthgin.com/codefiles/popup.aspx?remember=0&country=US&xml=%2fcodefiles%2fframework.aspx%3fid%3d13&swf=%2fcontent%2fsection%2finternational%2fflash%2fcore.swf&session=undefined&linkname=startlink&linktype=INTERNAL&linkurl=/content/section/international/flash/core.swf&linkpage=&linkresource=&startposter=&year=1975%3E">Sloe gin</a>, Dominic Venegas started serving the San Franciscan at <a href="http://www.bacarsf.com/">Bacar</a>. It’s a cocktail listed in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bartenders-Guide-Trader-Vic/dp/B000HF502G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227633417&sr=8-3"><i>Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide</i></a> from 1947. Delicious. (And beautiful. Dom’s got the sexiest collection of bar tools of anyone I’ve seen. Watching him work is an absolute pleasure.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once I started making cocktail ingredients in earnest, I scoured my old bar books for recipes. But aside from a few notable exceptions (Christian Schultz, the “other” author of Jerry Thomas’ How to Mix Drinks, of course), there isn’t much by way of ingredient recipes beyond fruit and liquor infusions and the like. But then I found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Royal-English-Foreign-Confectioner-Confectionary/dp/143269202X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227633781&sr=8-3"><i>The Royal English and Foreign Confectioner: A Practical Treatise On The Art Of Confectionary In All Its Branches</i></a>. Turns out it was drawn upon heavily for a book called <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/artofconfectiona00lamb"><i>The Art of Confectionary</i></a>, which I had been looking for but was one of those rare, expensive auction types. But <a href="http://www.kessinger.net/">Kessinger Publishing</a> has started reprinting vintage books under its Legacy Reprint series, and now I have a whole chapter on syrups! Including capillaire!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272650459877102114" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 240px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFTutyM6WFrJ7LEbnpMGgPZPeD5v5dGmafmCOOsudWUsYxLrQdlRgzt8Yz_IUTwfs_tyVcWis7n1nT3Zjwr_ZilYYSI0u6X07kVOMWU_9s4wJtnsUfmtIeJ42POFtFm7_dGeo0gyvRKk/s320/MaidenhairFern-2.JPG" border="0" />Capillaire is a gum syrup of sorts seasoned with maidenhair fern and orange flower water. There are many varieties of maidenhair fern, but the one called for in this recipe is Adiantum pedatum, or North American maidenhair. Evidently the plant is mildly toxic when fresh, but neutralized when cooked. (Much like apricot kernels, so I’m in familiar territory here.) Capillaire syrup was originally used to soothe throat and lung ailments. I’ve been looking for maidenhair fern with no success yet. I may have to buy a bunch of plants from an organic nursery and dry them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Although, I have come across several recipes for capillaire that omit the fern altogether, so maybe it doesn’t contribute much by way of flavor. You know I’ve got to try the original though!</p>jennifer colliauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11356021955996699501noreply@blogger.com3