I didn't really do much alcohol while I was there, truth be told. Especially wine, as I went solo and didn't necessarily have someone to share with. Had a couple of the local Pisco sours and beer a couple times, all of which were pretty decent.
But, yes, there's a few regions of Peru that have pretty good grape-growing climate.
But, yes, there's a few regions of Peru that have pretty good grape-growing climate.
Well it's marmalade season again. The Seville oranges are in the stores, so I picked up enough for two batches, plus a few extra. The extra juice, pulp, pith membrane and seeds will enhance both gatches of marmalade, but the peels are nestled in a mason jar with a bit of sugar and topoed up with Wiser's Deluxe rye whisky. These preserved bitter orange peels will eventually make perfect Old Fashioneds with some Angosture bitters and more whisky. 
You know, while I'm on the subject, let me expound on the Old Fashioned. Let me also apologize in advance for inevitable typos. I am bad at the best of times but I am recovering from cataract durgery and haging a lot of trouble reading. I really shouldn't be using this small tablet.
Anyway, the Old Fashioned is so called because it is one of the oldest recorded cocktail recipee. The oldest version goes something like this:
Put a sugar cube in a glass, saturate it with bitters, muddle together with a few dashes of water, add ice and a measure of whisky, stir, garnish with orange peel.
Niw I can't believe I made it through most of my life without tasting one of these, but let's take a cliser look.
First of alk what kind of whisky? Back in the 18th century that might have meant rye or bourbon ir Irish or even Scotch. These days many make it with bourbon, but I find it too sweet and it overpowers the other ingredients. I think what we call "rye" but others call "Canadian whisky" is deal for mosr whisky covktails, because it is light and fairly dry and lets the other ingredients shine through. Now a sugar cube is about 3/4 teaspoon of dugar, which I think makes the drink too sweet. Also, the original recipe doesn't say what kind of bitters, but we fkearly want something bitter and aromatic, so Angostura is the obvious choice.
So here is Nezbleu's perfect Okd Fasioned recioe:
In an Okd Fashioned glass put 1/2tsp sugar
saturate with 4-5 dashes of Angostura bitters
add a large slice of orange peel (Seville if possible)
use a mudfler to crush the orange perl into the sugar until all the peel is bruised and released its oils
add a small dash if Cointreau and a fouple dashes water
continue to mudfle and stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved
fill the goass with ce. No, really fill it to the brim
add teo measures of good rye whisky +CC, Wisers, Forty Crerk, Gibson's)
Stir like crazy
Enjoy
There is a reason people heve been dtinking these fir over 109 yeas!
Anyway, the Old Fashioned is so called because it is one of the oldest recorded cocktail recipee. The oldest version goes something like this:
Put a sugar cube in a glass, saturate it with bitters, muddle together with a few dashes of water, add ice and a measure of whisky, stir, garnish with orange peel.
Niw I can't believe I made it through most of my life without tasting one of these, but let's take a cliser look.
First of alk what kind of whisky? Back in the 18th century that might have meant rye or bourbon ir Irish or even Scotch. These days many make it with bourbon, but I find it too sweet and it overpowers the other ingredients. I think what we call "rye" but others call "Canadian whisky" is deal for mosr whisky covktails, because it is light and fairly dry and lets the other ingredients shine through. Now a sugar cube is about 3/4 teaspoon of dugar, which I think makes the drink too sweet. Also, the original recipe doesn't say what kind of bitters, but we fkearly want something bitter and aromatic, so Angostura is the obvious choice.
So here is Nezbleu's perfect Okd Fasioned recioe:
In an Okd Fashioned glass put 1/2tsp sugar
saturate with 4-5 dashes of Angostura bitters
add a large slice of orange peel (Seville if possible)
use a mudfler to crush the orange perl into the sugar until all the peel is bruised and released its oils
add a small dash if Cointreau and a fouple dashes water
continue to mudfle and stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved
fill the goass with ce. No, really fill it to the brim
add teo measures of good rye whisky +CC, Wisers, Forty Crerk, Gibson's)
Stir like crazy
Enjoy
There is a reason people heve been dtinking these fir over 109 yeas!
There's nothing wrong with a little Crown Royal...regrettably Canadian whiskies are very ought of fashion in the high end watering spots of NYC.
Over here, I am to make a big load of marmalade with "what kind of cheap oranges I found in the store" mixed with lemons and grapefruits. Trying too keep sugar content down and still get a marmalade that doesn't run away on my sandwiches.
Last year we had free lemons. We did pickle and relish in addition to marmalade. All the fruits were either too big or too small to go through the grading machine and were pushed off a truck complete with pallets and boxes. There was not enough space for all the jars so that is where we stopped. Well over half of them were still good.
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Luther Burbank, famous turn of the 19/20th c botanist, developed a lemon tree which was hearty to -15F. There are specimens in one of the Burbank gardens in Santa Rosa CA. You might be able to grow them in N. Europe -- the only problem is that they are the size of a squash ball and have the hardness of a golf ball. They are more bitter than the grocery store variety. Burbank didn't let failure stop him!
We can occasionally get Meyer lemons in Ohio. These are wonderful fruits but must be used within a week or so as they deteriorate quickly (once one considers that they were trucked from California, etc., etc.)
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When oranges were first brought to Curaçao they reverted to their wild selves but they figured out a good use for them.
When oranges were first brought to Curaçao they reverted to their wild selves but they figured out a good use for them.
probably accounts for some of Jacco's late-night posts.
A rather successful fish pie tonight... sorry no pics but a recipe instead.
- cook some white fish in the oven, just a bit of salt and lemon juice. When cooked, chop it into small pieces and let it soak in the juice of lemons and oranges, with some ginger grated in there too.
- while the fish cooks and soaks, prepare mashed potatoes and a jam of endives (you need a boatload of these). Properly caramelize the endives with a tasty brown sugar. You don't want it too sweet though. Incorporate a bit of fresh coriander (cilantro) in the mashed potatoes.
- in a dish, layer first the compote, then the fish then the potatoes. A final touch of cheese and breadcrumbs on top is a good option. Warm back up in the oven, with a few minutes under the grill if you opt for crumbs/cheese.
- cook some white fish in the oven, just a bit of salt and lemon juice. When cooked, chop it into small pieces and let it soak in the juice of lemons and oranges, with some ginger grated in there too.
- while the fish cooks and soaks, prepare mashed potatoes and a jam of endives (you need a boatload of these). Properly caramelize the endives with a tasty brown sugar. You don't want it too sweet though. Incorporate a bit of fresh coriander (cilantro) in the mashed potatoes.
- in a dish, layer first the compote, then the fish then the potatoes. A final touch of cheese and breadcrumbs on top is a good option. Warm back up in the oven, with a few minutes under the grill if you opt for crumbs/cheese.
Necessity being the mother of invention...
I had first planned a rather plain gratin of cod. It's quite common in Belgium, a layer of cod, a layer of spinach, a layer of mashed potatoes on top.
I didn't have cod in the kitchen but tasteless tilapia. Hence the orange juice/ginger bath.
I didn't have spinach in the kitchen but endives. Too strong in flavor, hence the sugar.
It worked out in the end.
I had first planned a rather plain gratin of cod. It's quite common in Belgium, a layer of cod, a layer of spinach, a layer of mashed potatoes on top.
I didn't have cod in the kitchen but tasteless tilapia. Hence the orange juice/ginger bath.
I didn't have spinach in the kitchen but endives. Too strong in flavor, hence the sugar.
It worked out in the end.
To the horror of our Southern neighbors, Belgian cooking often has a sweet component thrown in.
In my region, the emblematic dish is meatballs with an thick apple syrup based sauce. And fries of course. This recipe isn't too bad but in my family we base the sauce on a red wine reduction.
In my region, the emblematic dish is meatballs with an thick apple syrup based sauce. And fries of course. This recipe isn't too bad but in my family we base the sauce on a red wine reduction.
Some real health food there, I would like to try the chicons au gratin. Where does the eel in green sauce come from? I miss my trips to Antwerp and Brussels from my business travel days.
EDIT - I see I'm speaking of the other half of Belgium, I have not visited there.
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