Category: Blog (Page 4 of 30)

Tickle me happy when Emily and I pop into Bitter & Twisted last night and spy a Vesper on the “Top 10” cocktail menu. The drink was beautifully prepared, so I had to have two! The joint was hoppin’, service was oustanding and visions of Daniel Craig are still spinning in my head! The recipe for Bond’s “Vesper” martini, as described in the 1953 book: ‘Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel.

In the movie Casino Royale, when Vesper asks Bond if he named the drink after her “because of the bitter aftertaste”, 007 replies that he named it for her, “because once you have tasted it, you won’t drink anything else.” Oh, to be a Vesper!!

We had so much fun with this one and our new toys!!! Listen in to understand what that means. We be doin’ lots more of these event thingys! Big congrats to Chef Forest Hamrick of La Hacienda – he won the title..Guac Rocker, 2016!

Stick your head outside and take a deep breath! Have the crocus’ begun to peek out from beneath their wintry beds? Did this mornings’ bank of clouds seem a bit less gray or perhaps gone altogether? Have song birds started warbling near your bedroom window? If you live in The Valley of the Sun, you’re probably wishing that some damned clouds and wintry beds were hanging close by and you had a BB gun for the Grackles. Well, at least we didn’t lose an hour of sleep last Sunday.

Regardless of where you reside, the quarter of rebirth, the Vernal Equinox, is upon us. We are welcoming sunrises and sunsets at home instead of in cubicles; snow shovels are in temporary retire and we make our nursery lists for plats of petunias, geraniums and herbs. Welcome Spring!

I’m loving asparagus for nearly nothing per pound; planning early evening dinners on the patio; and, sitting back to ponder those enlightened Chefs who persuade me that stinging nettles and dandelion stems just might deliciously compliment my braised rabbit. God love ‘em!

Speaking of rabbit; can anybody out there stomach the price? The last time I looked (in AZ) there were only two places to purchase rabbit meat at, get this, $13.50/lb. Holy Easter! Does this species not breed and gestate in less than 45 days with litters of 12 or more? Not only that, they have a yield of at least 60%. I’m thinking there’s an untapped market awaiting some bunny breeding entrepreneur. Kick in Kick Start!

Rabbit is a fantastic source of protein. It’s very lean with lots of flavor and much the same versatility as chicken. The only problem is that it’s extremely overpriced and difficult to find. So, why not grow your own? Considering that Elmer Fudds’ nemesis is the international poster child for fertility, should you decide to set up a backyard nursery, you’d better really love these furry little guys, or have an extremely large freezer.

Have I mentioned that I grew up on a farm in a farming community with lots of farms? Needless to say, “Free Rabbit” signs sprouted up, well, every 45 days. My brothers and I snuck a few home in our pockets and hid them in the barn. In a few months’ time, my Dad was hastily building an above ground warren in order to save the garden, teach us kids about waskully wabbits, and force my mom to find new ways to cook it. Oh, and we bought another freezer.

Welcome, Spring!!

St. Patrick’s Day is upon us and I’m going to do what I do every year, dye my hair red and change my name to Molly Malone! Just kidding. I’m going to make a humongous pot of corned beef and stuff myself with Reuben Sandwiches for the next week! With so many topics to choose from with regard to the Irish and this particular holiday, it’s tough to target just one. After much consideration, and the bypass of Whiskey, I’m going with the aforementioned sandwich ~ The Reuben.

Aside from the corned beef, this classic creation isn’t even close to Irish; but, I’m a bit of a tangential thought traveler and it’s more fun that way… I like it when people have to catch up. Just in case you need a little boost, the thought process goes something like this: Irish, Shamrock, twisted little fairies, U-2, Danny Boy, Guinness, Whiskey, Hangover, Cabbage, Corned Beef…..SANDWICH! You with me, yet?

If you think about it, this is actually one hell of an international composition. Irish Corned Beef, German Sauerkraut, Russian Dressing, Swiss Cheese, and Jewish Rye. It’s like a few boys from the UN got together, downed a few pints and went digging through the larder! Here’s a little kicker, the creation of this delicacy came about during Protectionist and Nationalist administrations. Wonders never cease.

The controversy surrounding the birth of the Reuben run old, run deep and are somewhat amusing. I mean really, a one hundred year old debate about the genesis of a lunch menu item? There are as many claims to fame for The Reuben as there are delicatessens in South Florida. Chest thumping origins date from 1914 to 1937; from a few New York City Deli owners to a Lithuanian poker player who owned a grocery store in Omaha, Nebraska.

Arnold Reuben, founder of New York’s Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen claims the creation was inspired in 1914 by an out of work actress who may or may not have been a Charlie Chaplin paramour. In an interview in 1937, Arnold details the ingredients of his “man sized sandwich” but does not include either corned beef or pastrami. He clearly remembers that the thespian in question, Annette Seelos, recommend that he name the sandwich after her. Marjorie Rambeau is turning in her grave.

Another New Yorker, Jacob Reuben, was a bit rebellious and felt that his family’s Jewish Orthodox ways were uncool. (I’m trying to fathom what being uncool looked like in the early 1920’s.) Jacob moved out of the family abode and was one the first Jews in Brooklyn to have just one kitchen – the other he converted into a study. Jake laid down his dibs on around 1925 whilst working the deli he opened in line with his career as a butcher. Corroborating accounts for this “Reuben” don’t rank highly.

Lithuanian born Reuben Kulakofsky hailed from Omaha, Nebraska and his claim appears more widely accepted. At about the same time that the Dagwood and Blondie comic strip came out, Mr. Kulakofsky was a wholesale grocer and co-owner of the Central Market in Omaha. “Kay”, as he was affectionately known, spent quite a bit of time with his poker buddies. They called themselves “The Committee” and liked to create sandwiches that sated them after rigorous hours of bluffing and puffing. One of the regulars at the table, Charles Schimmel, owned The Blackstone Hotel and put the sandwich on his menu; must have been Reuben’s lucky night.

Rather than put my stamp on anyone in particular, I’m going to take the safe route and assume that The Reuben simply evolved. But who cares anyway? Along with the fact that this sandwich is my personal favorite, it has a lot of history. You’ve got to admit that with so many people clamoring for ownership rights there’s just something special about The Reuben…like being Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

If you’ll excuse me, I’ve decided to dig out my “Kiss Me I’m Irish” shirt, pop a Shamrock sticker on my face, dye my hair, and head down to the local Pub for a few pints. If St. Paddy’s Day is as much fun as it was last year, I’ll be making myself a Reuben around 2:00 a.m. Erin go Bragh!!

Emily and I were talking about the art of imbibing and how you (meaning me) just might need to prep yourself prior to a big night. On very special occasions, my dad would stir a few raw eggs into a glass of buttermilk in order to coat the stomach. I believe this not only acts as a barrier for some seriously caustic cocktails, but also thwarts gastronomic guerilla warfare from too much rich food.

From this conversation we moved into discussions about the liver (meaning mine) and Emily painted a very entertaining picture of a Pop Eye-esque character with big guns, a pipe, and the determination of a defensive line backer. Earlier that same day I received an email entitled “What Your Overworked Liver is Dying to Tell You! Undo Years of Damage from Burgers….Booze…and Rx Drugs!”  Yes, I looked over my shoulder AND under my desk.  Here’s where things get even creepier; the article came with the cartoons below.

As interested as I might be in having my offal look much more like the fellow on the right and less awful (sorry) than the loser on the left, I didn’t really feel that a year’s supply of “Liver & Kidney Cleanse” was in my future …..and is that a cigar on the floor?????

Targeted emails freak me out!! It amuses me to imagine what people of other professions and walks of life get surprised with.  Plumbers, for example, may open their Yahoo and see an ad for a new toilet cleaner; “Take the plunge and keep it clean.” Perhaps Cheese Mongers  receive something like, “Break that barrier with Fiber Friends!” Who knows….

Well, anyway you slice it, my liver and I are on very good terms. A large container of Cranberry Juice takes center spot in my frig; I don’t ingest large amounts of caffeine or fast foods; my sleep number is 25 and I drink lots of water!  So, how could I pass up the “Liver & Kidney Cleanse” with the extra special first time offer of gall bladder gun powder? Easy. I just drank a large glass of egg and buttermilk puree – see you at the bar:-)