Laundry Day or I'm a Nattering Nabob of Nincompoopery

I have observed over time that there are two kinds of people in the world; those that can fold laundry and those that can't. Those that can are almost always women or those few men around who made a career of the military. In the case of women I'm pretty sure it's one of those XY chromosome things. For those men that make a career in the military I've often wondered what came first; the ability to fold laundry or the career in the military?

You may be asking yourself "why is he writing about folding laundry?" Well the answer is that I'm sitting in the laundromat on this damp Superbowl Sunday. I come to the laundromat two or three times a year when I have items too large for the superduty large capacity Maytag at home. I'm washing a comforter that was barfed on by a cat in the middle of the night - something that happens, oddly enough, two or three times a year.

One thing I have discovered about barfing cats; when they start to barf, all you can do is sit back and let it happen and when it's over clean it up. The worst thing you can do is try to grab them. If you make a move towards a cat in the act they dash under the bed or behind the couch. The net result is more work, because now you have to move a piece of furniture to get to the damn mess. The up side to this is that I probably needed to clean under the bed or behind the couch anyway.

Notice the upper right hand corner of the drawing

Back to folding laundry..... I'm formalizing my observations about the two kinds of people after several years of observation and conversation with folks here at the laundromat. Women and retired military types always fold their laundry before they leave and they seem to do it quickly and effortlessly. The rest of us pile it into our baskets and quietly scurry away to fold our laundry, at home, in shame. When I fold my laundry each lumpy item bares little resemblance to the similar item I've just folded. Quickly hidden away in drawers; it's out of sight and out of mind. The only satisfaction I derive from this operation is that I don't have baskets full of wrinkled and unfolded laundry strewn about the house.

It's Super Bowl Sunday and it feels cold and damp. I'm making soup to ward off the chill.

Super Bowl Chicken Stew

Based on a recipe from the Kitchen Parade Blog

• 1 really large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 pounds bone in chicken thighs - skin removed
• 3 carrots sliced into 1/8th inch coins
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1 apple, cored and chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups dry riesling
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon summer savory or sage
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour

Brown the chicken thighs in olive oil until they're cooked through and remove to a platter

Briefly saute' the carrots, celery and onions until they're just softening up a bit.

Add everything else but the flour into the pot and bring to a simmer.

Cook until the sweet potatoes are done.

Fish out the thighs, while they cooling do the step below and then remove the bones and shred into bite size pieces.

Mix the flour with a bit of water and then mix in some of the broth from the stew - stirring constantly to avoid lumps - add the mixture to the stew and cook for another five or ten minutes to thicken and cook out the flour taste.

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and serve.

I'm going to drink a 2007 Bethel Heights Gewurztraminer with this, but you could go with a Riesling or the beer of your choice.

The Cocktail of the Day is the Mythic Wood, which I wrote about here 

A note on the Day after Superbowl - I don't know why I didn't pick the Sazerac as the drink of the day yesterday - it would have been appropriate as it is the national drink of New Orleans!

The Map of the Cats Brain Cartoon was Originally published in MS Magazine, Vol III, #1, July/August 1992

Happy New Year!

It's Friday. It's the weekend. It's time to clean house!

It would have been nice to start the New Year with a clean house.....but let's face it Pig Pen is my idol. The kid made a career out of being a mess; if only I could do the same.

I've been washing dishes; all by hand, no dishwasher but me in this house. Washing and folding laundry. Cleaning out the refrigerator and finding a few buried treasures including some that are usable and the inevitable science experiments.

All of this would be easier if I'd stayed home last night and gone to bed at a reasonable time. But no, I went out, had a wonderful time and finally made it to bed at 0330. Fortunately I passed up on most of the wonderful selection of alcohol and partook modestly of the extravagant bounty of food available last night. So while I'm moving slowly today, I'm not in pain.

It was a wonderful time last night. Ringing in the New Year with a small group of friends. The people and the conversation were eclectic. Solving the worlds problems, a bit of reminiscing and a lot of laughing.

The treasure in the refrigerator were a couple of bags of cranberries. I'd bought them the day before Thanksgiving when I thought I was responsible for making the cranberry relish. They've been hiding in the back of the produce drawer ever since. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade - when life hands you cranberries, make Cranberry Liqueur!

Cranberry Liqueur - Gunther Anderson's recipe with minor variations

Ingredients:

• 2 - 12 oz bags Oregon cranberries
• 2 Satsuma Mandarins - peel and all
  
• 2 1/4 cups vodka - I used 80 proof
  
• 2 1/4 cups sugar (use good organic evaporated cane sugar)
• 1 1/4 cups filtered water
• 4 cloves
• 8 allspice berries
• 1 cinnamon stick
• peel of one small lemon

Method;

1. Process cranberries and mandarins in a food processor until finely chopped - do it in two batches
2. Put all ingredients into a half gallon jar
3. Store in a dark corner of the kitchen for four weeks and give a shake or two daily
4. Line a colander with cheese cloth and strain.
   
5. Squeeze the cheese cloth to extract as much liquid as possible
6. Let it settle for a few days and then pour off the clear liquid and strain through a coffee filter.

According to the recipe this is based on it should make about 6 cups. For more information on making Liqueurs visit Gunther Anderson's liqueur pages

Here's a cocktail that looks like it would be good - I'll report back later!

Gundalow

2 1/2 oz Vodka or Gin
1 oz Cranberry Liqueur
2/3 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 lime slice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and stir. Double strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with lime slice


Happy New Year!

A Day's Labors

A day's labors.....hah! I haven't done much all weekend! Practicing what it will be like to be retired.

Labor Day has noble origins. People risked their lives for a nine hour work day and a six day work week. Sheesh, I struggle to make it through a 40 hour work week these days.

I've been making use of an abundance of local produce from my patch and the bounty of friends.

My tomatoes are all splitting from the rain this weekend. I picked about 15 pounds of splitting tomatoes from my vines. I put a small X on the bottom of each tomato and an popped it in boiling water until the skins started to curl back from the X - about 30 to 60 seconds depending on how ripe the tomatoes were. I cut them in half through the circumference (stem end on top/blossom end on the bottom) and squeezed out the seeds. I diced them up and froze most of them in zip lock bags with a bit of Maldon Salt.

Garden Bounty Stewed Vegetables

One Large Zuchinni or Patty Pan Squash sliced - seeded and peeled if needed
A cup or two of peeled and seeded tomatoes
A Japanese eggplant sliced
4 or 5 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced thinly
Optional - a quarter of a preserved lemon diced
A tablespoon of olive oil

Saute' the garlic until it's fragrant, but not browned.

Dump in the tomatoes and stir for a couple of minutes until they're juicing

Put in the rest of the ingredients and a generous pinch of salt and a big grind of pepper.

Cook over medium low heat until the vegetables are very tender. You don't need to add any liquid - the vegetables will release a lot of liquid.

While I was stewing up some vegetables for my lunch today I came across the following recipe.

John Mariani's Diaquiri Recipe

The diaquiri is a classic Puerto Rican rum creation, perfect for hot summer days.

Here's the recipe from the back of restaurant critic John Mariani's business card. The italics are his.

Recipe

Ingredients
1 freshly squeezed lime
1 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces gold rum

Do this
Shake with ice, strain into Martini glass

I didn't have any gold rum - so here's my take

Calamityville Daquiri

Fill a martini glass or glasses with water and ice to chill

1 1/2 oz white rum - I used Cruzan

1/2 oz demerara rum - I used Lemon Hart 80 proof Demerara Rum is the

1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice (the juice of one lime)

1 teaspoon of Agave syrup - I really like the slightly caramel flavor of agave syrup and it mixes easily.

Shake in a Cocktail Shaker until the outside is frosty and you can't stand to hold the shaker any longer.

Strain in to the chilled glass and enjoy a couple of these!

Note: Demerara Rum is made from mollasses and is the rummiest tasting rum going.

Garnish With A Cherry

A few years ago I picked up a copy of "Villas at Table" at Multnomah County Library's used bookstore; Title Wave Used Bookstore. The book is a collection of Mr. Villas' essays on food and drink.

Most of the essays are entertaining and educational and frankly forgettable. They're articles about restaurants, visits to France, wines of some obscure region or a recipe for Glockenspiels with Horseradish Sauce. You know the type. The article that keeps you interested while you're waiting to be called at the doctor's office. The story you can put down 95% of the way through and not care if you finish it or not. I like books like this, they're kind of like Reader's Digest, good to have when you need a quick read at bedtime or while you're taking care of business.

This book would probably have been donated back to the library system for them to sell again if an unpublished essay called "A Few Choice Words About the Manhattan" hadn't grabbed my attention. The essay outlines Mr. Villas's introduction, at age twelve, to the Manhattan by his father. It continues on with his pursuit of Manhattans in Manhattan prior to the current cocktail renaissance (the book was published in 1988 and doesn't say when the essay was written). One of his biggest obstacles was that during the time period the essay was written many establishments had eschewed the glowing red maraschino cherry in favor of a lemon or orange twist. Mr. Villas took to carrying his own bottle of the bright red gems in order to satisfy his habit.

Villas the Elder's Manhattan
2.5 oz Blended American Whiskey (I'm guessing I used Elijah Craig 12 y.o. Bourbon)
1 oz of Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth
"less than a dash" Angostura Bitters
and a maraschino cherry
Served strained into a 4 oz stemmed cocktail glass

Inspired by fervor of Mr. Villas, I bought a bottle each of marachino cherries, Angostura Bitters and Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth. I don't know what bourbon was in the house when I made that first Manhattan, but I was hooked. Many bottles of bourbon, vermouth and cherries have passed through the doors of my house since I read this article.

James Villas's Perfect Bourbon Manhattan (In his words: "and by "Perfect" I'm by no means referring to the abomination by that name that includes a shot of dry vermouth")
2.5 oz Bonded Whiskey (Bottled in Bond Bourbon is 100 proof)
1.5 oz Cinzano Sweet Vermouth
"a quick dash" Angostura Bitters
A Big Fat maraschino cherry
Served strained into a chilled 6 oz stemmed cocktail glass

Something about the Big Fat Maraschino Cherry has never sat quite right with me. According to the article the Manhattan was invented around 1890 by Supreme Court Judge Charles Henry Truax when he was president of New York's Manhattan Club. The Maraschino as we know it today was invented by an Oregon State University professor named Ernest H. Wiegand. The original Maraschino cherries were made by soaking small sour wild black Maraska cherries, from what is now Croatia, in Maraschino Liqueur. These original cherries were a luxury item and getting one as a garnish was a real treat. I'll deal with my pursuit of the ideal cocktail cherry in a future installment.

Mr. Villas was kind enough to include Judge Truax's recipe for Manhattans in the book. It includes more sweet vermouth than what is common in most of today's recipes. A lot of the older cocktails include a higher proportion of sweet modifiers and I suppose that was a reflection of the tastes of the day.

Judge Truax's Original 1890 Manhattan Club Cocktail
2 oz Rye (or bourbon)
1 oz Sweet Italian Vermouth
A dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish with a stemmed Maraschino Cherry

One of the really good things about the essay was the fact that there were multiple recipes, using different ratios of whiskey to vermouth, different whiskeys and vermouths. Obviously this is a cocktail that can be customized and tweaked to suit your preferences. This is the kind of research I can get behind.

After making my original Manhattans with a variety of bourbons I noticed that the original recipe called for rye. Hmmm....rye? I headed off to Rose City Liquor and was gratified to see that rye was readily affordable and came in a handy multiple choice selection. The rye I came home with that day, Wild Turkey Rye 101, has pretty much become my house pour for Manhattans ever since.

The Manhattan I'm Drinking Now
2.5 oz Wild Turkey Rye 101
1.0 oz Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth
2 big dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 housemade cherry

For further reading on Manhattans see This Article by Gary Regan