Sweet Blog O'Mine

Author: Laren

  • Bring on the Bitters!

    Barkeep-sm
    My latest piece on the Tasting Table (this time, National):  Bitter Competition, about BarKeep Bitters.  Many thanks to Marshall Altier, who created the Baked Apple Bitters, for hooking this up.  Here's an additional recipe, just for Sweet Blog o' Mine readers:

    Otoñal Old Fashioned
    Adapted from a recipe by Joaquin Simo, Death & Co. New York

    1.5 ozs Herradura Reposado
    .5 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
    1 teaspoon cinnamon bark syrup* (simple made w/cinnamon bark)
    1 dash Angostura bitters
    2 dashes Baked Apple bitters
    Stir
    Strain over fresh ice in an old fashioned glass. Express the oil of 1 orange peel and discard it. Garnish with 1 cinnamon stick.

    (and P.S. – I've got them all at home in case anyone wants to taste them!)

  • Life Without Love

    Life_Without_LoveCopy_1_1 

    Once again, Hugh from Gaping Void knocks it out of the park.

  • Weekend Wrapup (Three-Day Edition)

    Friday night at Mayahuel; domestic goddess duty on Saturday, including a trip to the Greenmarket, Greenmarket brunch, making pinto bean soup and tomato sauce, Lani Kai and Fatty Johnson's on Saturday night; lazy Sunday with a big nap and an early evening visit to the Rhum Rhum Room followed by a trip to Terroir; Monday I had brunch at El Cobre, did some laundry, and topped off the weekend with a cozy Sunday dinner featuring lasagna.  All in all a wonderful weekend, but given the weather today, I could have used another day to laze about in my pj's.

  • Read My Stuff!

    Meet & Eat: Julian Plyter & Kareem Hamady, Melt Bakery
    Meet & Eat: Rick Field, Rick's Picks
    Meet & Eat: Joel Bukiewicz, Cut Brooklyn
    Meet & Eat: Joanna Cybulski and Ross Hutchison, BaconMarmalade
    Meet & Eat: Noel Cruz, Carmine Club Café
    Meet & Eat: César Ramirez, Brooklyn Fare

    Thanks! 🙂

  • Treats!

    I am not a fan of transcribing interviews.  That said, I do it from time to time.  Last night, one of the things that helped me get through a good chunk of a particularly long interview was this cocktail, recipe (and Firelit) provided by Dave from St. George Spirits.  The pretty new glass was provided by Mom (and the crappy photo was provided by my phone).

    Firelit
    The Antagonist
    1.5 oz Firelit (coffee liqueur)
    1 oz Gin
    .5 oz Green Chartreuse
    2-3 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters

    Stir all ingredients in a pint glass with ice until desired dilution is achieved. Strain into an up glass, squeeze a lemon twist over cocktail and rim the glass. Finally, discard twist, as it'll overpower the nose.

  • Party Time!

    Tonight's theme song for my 40th Bday celebration! Many thanks to Mom, Dad, Joan & Stephen for their generosity, and to my external living room for hosting.

     

  • Travel Dreams

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    Places I am either definitely going or hope to go to in 2011: DC, Vegas, Seattle, Portland, SF, LA, London, Thailand, Maine, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans . . . Time to start saving up! (PS, this photo is from my trip back from Tales of the Cocktail when I was lugging all kinds of boozy swag back to NYC).  Where else should I go?

  • Tradition

    For many years, my friends Augie and Lauren used to have us over on New Year's Day to eat vats of mac & cheese, drink white Russians (a.k.a. Caucasians) and watch the Big Lebowski.  Once they had kids, the tradition slowed down, but last year I watched it up in VT (sans mac & cheese, unfortunately), and this year, I decided to make some mac & cheese, even though I didn't have the movie handy.  Luckily, a friend invited me over and sure enough, he owned the movie.  I toted the mac & cheese over and a tradition was restored.  Next year, I'll make sure I've got all three crucial elements, but this was a good start.

  • Out With the Old

    . . . and in with the new.  Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy new year and hoping that 2011 brings you happiness.  For all those who had kind of a crummy 2010, this one's for you, courtesy of Hugh at Gaping Void.  Always remember what's important in life.

    Smile

  • Scenes from a Blizzardy Birthday

    Tower
    I was looking forward to this all year! The seafood tower at Blue Ribbon, complete with lobster, scallops, oysters, clams, crab, shrimp, caviar, and two shots of Stoli.

    Backyard

    And the view of my backyard on the way home.  Many many thanks to Noel, Sarah, Arlan, Rachel, Kim and Katie for trekking across states and boroughs through the insanity to help me celebrate what might have very well been my most memorable birthday of all time.  Love you all.