Quantum of Solace

You know, the title may be is lame, especially since it was snatched from a short story by Ian Fleming that has nothing to do with the movie, save they both star James Bond.

That said, Daniel Craig has done more for the franchise than anyone save Sean Connery. And this...looks freakin' incredible:

A Couple of Random Internet Musings...

I'm always interested in articles on why gas won't end up at $10/gallon.

Anything can be hacked. These days, that's the only premise that's valid when it comes to technology. It's with that idea in mind that concepts like "Digital Manners Policies" scare the hell out of me.

That's all for today; it's too hot out...

Siete Leguas and My Weekend Cooking Project

There was a time, many, many years ago, when Patron Tequila was good. Really good. This had a lot to do with the fact that Patron was produced for Martin Crowley (the founder of Patron) by a distillery called Siete Leguas. Unfortunately, Siete Leguas was either unable or unwilling to keep up with Patron's growth, and the partnership was dissolved. And Patron was never the same.

Anyway, the point of all this is that after many years of drinking tequila, I've still never has the chance to taste Siete Leguas. Until today. I just snagged two bottles of the blanco, and it's outstanding. Rusticly styled, but not hot at all on the nose. Great texture, classic, rich flavor profile (lots of wet cement). I'm just sitting around, sipping it straight now. Margaritas come later.

As for this weekend, I've made it several times before, but Robert Rodriguez' puerco pibil recipe is a revelation, and an excuse for more, really good tequila.

And remember, "not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to fuck."

Edit: So, this was probably my fourth attempt at puerco pibil. This time, I removed the foil for the last hour. A slight mistake: I was trying to reduce the sauce, not remove it. Next time, 20 minutes. Nevertheless, incredible flavor.

Scattered Thoughts, Finds, Etc...

I know where I'll be on July 7, at 10pm.

There's a great trove of articles by Bob Blumer (the Surreal Gourmet) over at Salon. They're all great recipes, but be sure to check out Blumer's Caesar Salad recipe. Incredible, and the only Caesar Salad recipe I've ever used.

I'm just not sure this is what the world really needs. I'm not surprised at all, just having trouble with the mental images...

Apparently, burnt coffee sells better. At least, at Starbucks. I don't really understand this. Starbucks business is suffering. Burnt coffee sucks. Apparently, though, they can't get it right, so we're stuck with burnt. I end up at Starbucks on a semi-irregular basis, as I need coffee on a semi-regular basis, and there's only one Simon's.

Marketing Wine

I sell wine for a living. Marketing wine, especially to the younger generation, is a constant topic of discussion. How nice to have a solution to present at the next meeting:

Restaurants in Maine

I spent a long weekend recently in Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine. My wife and I ended up at three different restaurants, each twice in four days.

First up, two stops in Portland.

Duck Fat: talk about a name really saying it all. A little bistro-ish restaurant whose primary focus is belgium-style french fries that are fried twice. Once, in duck fat. They also make outstanding poutine, the finest in Canadian comfort food, with duckfat gravy. And, then, there's the paninis: duck confit, meatloaf, tuna melt, the list goes on and on. They get their bread--the crucial ingredient in an incredible panini--from...

Standard Baking Company: Owned by the folks at Fore Street (and situated below the restaurant), this is easily the finest bakery in New England, and one of the best I've ever been to anywhere. Everything is great. Including their custom roast, SBC Dark. Trust me.

And finally, it's a serious drive, but Havana, located in Bar Harbor, might be my best meal of the year so far. Described as, "American fine dining with a Latin flair," Havana definitely embraces the seasonal, local, etc., philosophy. In particular, my two favorites were the pork, marinated in coffee and dark rum, and grilled on sugar cane skewers, and the lobster paella, with Maine sweet shrimp. They also make a mean mojito, and have a in-depth wine list, with lots of interesting values.

Drinking

There's a drink at the B-Side--I think it's called an Agave Blossom--and I think I've recreated it.

1.5oz tequila (I'm using Porfidio silver)
1oz Barenjager
.75oz lemon juice (fresh-squeezed)


Shake with ice and strain.


I guess it could be considered a variation on the Bee's Knees. And it gives me a use for my Barenjager, a critically under-utilized ingredient.

TV on the Computer

I actually really like watching TV on the computer. Never anything to serious, but when you've got two computers, it's often nice to have a distraction while you're working.

iTunes has plenty, but you've gotta pay for it. And that's no fun. CBS has a nice collection, including classics like MacGyver.

Then...I discovered Hulu, an ocean of TV and movies, classic and current. The A-Team, Arrested Development, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Miami Vice, House, Heroes...the list goes on and on. And movies, too: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Usual Suspects, Office Space...

I leave you with the pilot for Burn Notice, my current favorite show. Get up to speed quick; the 2nd season starts in July.

Apple's Latest

Apple spooks me enough that I searched for something other than their logo to put up here. So, anyway, Steve Jobs got up today at the World Wide Developers Conference Monday to announce--among other things--that there was a new iPhone. A little less than a year after the first one, Jobs' new toy is cheaper and faster...than the original iPhone.

So let me get this straight: 8GB iPhone upon release: $599; 8GB iPhone two months after release: $399; 8GB iPhone eleven months after release: $199.

Oh, and the new 3G data capabilities get you on the Internet almost 3x faster. And better battery life. A funny aside: since AT&T sucks, the 3G coverage isn't exactly spectacular initially.

And people applauded. Everyone. Enthusiastically.

But apparently, not everyone. Apple's stock closed down 2.1% Monday, as Jobs gave up a cut of subscription fees.

I don't get Apple. Or the people who buy them. I'll give them the iPod. I own one. Even the iPod creaps me out though. Those little white ear buds are a disturbing little social cocoon.

P.S. Although I own a Blackberry, I'm holding out hope for Android.

Are You Freakin' Kidding Me?

I'm a Steeler fan. Always have been. I don't really like the Patriots at all, for that matter. That said, this asinine crap about Arlen Spector STILL insisting on an independent investigation into "Spygate" has got to stop.

"My strong preference is for the NFL to activate a Mitchell-type investigation," Specter's statement said. "I have been careful not to call for a Congressional hearing because I believe the NFL should step forward and embrace an independent inquiry and Congress is extraordinarily busy on other matters If the NFL continues to leave a vacuum, Congress may be tempted to fill it.

You might be tempted to fill it? You freakin' moron. Well, since there's no war going on, no unemployment in Pennsylvania and they're giving gasoline away on every street corner, why not?

And lest anyone think the Steelers are pushing this:

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said in a statement Tuesday that the team was satisfied with Goodell's conclusions, and coach Mike Tomlin told the Post-Gazette "it's over."

This wasn't good enough for PENNSYLVANIA (don't want anyone to miss the connection here) Senator Arlen Spector:

"They share revenue, they have gigantic economic interests . . . the core of their game is integrity. It's in the interests of every team owner and others . . . to do what they're doing. They're an obvious conflict of interest."

I'm sorry, did you just say Dan Rooney and Mike Tomlin were lying? Can someone please remember this moment in two years when you are up for re-election...in PENNSYLVANIA?

(link)

Dressing Like Bourdain

If you're a fan (I am) of No Reservations, consider shopping at Grill Bitch:



Of course, you'd also need the round sun glasses, tight jeans, etc..

A Couple of Short Stories...

by two of my favorite authors:

"To Have and To Hold," Ken Bruen

"The Enlightenment of Magnus McKay," John Burdett

A great taste of each author.

This Would Have Gotten Him a 3rd Term

So, there's a bit of a shit storm regarding Vanity Fair's insinuation that Bill Clinton banged, "has been seen visiting with the actress Gina Gershon in California."

Actually, Vanity Fair hasn't insinuated anything. When asked about a possible retraction, Vanity Fair spokeswoman Beth Kseniak said in a statement:

"Todd Purdum's article does not indicate that former President Bill Clinton had an improper relationship with Gina Gershon. The story merely examines the concerns of some of Clinton's aides about reports of his behavior."

This is the walking, talking definition of, "Any publicity is good publicity."

A Boozier Notion...

So, I've fallen in love with The Scarlet Ibis, a Trinidad rum that Haus Alpenz blended for Death & Co. It's worth noting that I have about 20 bottles of rum before I purchased this, and I promptly re-ordered, as it's a finite concept.

So, a little bit about the rum, first: It's a blend of three to five year aged Trinidad rums, with each rum in the blend produced in copper pot stills and aged in white oak.Nicely dark gold in color, molasses, spices and caramel on the nose. The heat (Death & Co. wanted a higher proof flavorful rum for their cocktails, so it's 98 proof) is mostly absent on the nose, but comes through on the pallet in a young kind of way (which is to say, expected and not alltogether unpleasant) along with some nice sweet fruit. All in all, really nice for $29, especially given that apparently there's only 19cs to share.

But then, I had to figure out what to do with it. Fortunately the folks at Death & Co. provided a suggestion:

2oz. Scarlet Ibis
.5oz pimento dram
dash of angustora
- Fill glass with ice. Add ingredients. Stir well and strain into rocks glass. Add an ice cube or two and serve.

Originally, the suggestion was for a teaspoon of simple syrup and a twist of orange for a garnish. I just streamlined the drink a bit.

Avec Eric

Eric Ripert, chef (and part owner) of Le Bernardin, has a weakness for good tequila and a blog. It's video-laden and one of the better starts to a cooking blog I think I've ever seen.

I Got Nothing...

"The US military has awarded an $80 million contract to a prominent Saudi financier who has been indicted by the US Justice Department. The contract to supply jet fuel to American bases in Afghanistan was awarded to the Attock Refinery Ltd, a Pakistani-based refinery owned by Gaith Pharaon. Pharaon is wanted in connection with his alleged role at the failed Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), and the CenTrust savings and loan scandal, which cost US tax payers $1.7 billion."

My ABSOLUTE favorite part: "Pharaon was also an investor in President George W. Bush's first business venture, Arbusto Energy."

I can't make this shit up...

Link (via Boing Boing)

W

Oliver Stone has truly outdone himself with this one.

Strange Times at the Food Network

Anthony Bourdain has commented a bit recently on his frustration/amusement with TFN re-running episodes of, "A Cook's Tour."

Then, there's the upcoming, "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef," which I could completely write off it it weren't for the fact that they somehow conned Anne Burrell into starring on it. Don't know if she's long for TFN though, as she recently commented in an interview, "Do you think Rachael Ray could go into a restaurant and cook?"

All of this is to say, as TFN tries to find their new direction, is there an inkling that maybe Paula Deen and 75 bar-b-que shows a week isn't the right direction?

I Never Liked Red Bull Anyway

I'm dating myself a little here, but I remember when Red Bull first came to the States. Moreover, I remember when it was hard to get. And I remember (as do my friends) my first experience with vodka and Red Bull. It brought a whole new meaning to the phrase, "eyes wide shut."

So imagine my excitement when I discovered something more my speed...

P.S. It occurs to me that with a blog entitled, "Acme Cocktail Company," I'd best post something about cocktails soon, especially after admitting I once drank vodka.

The Eight Rules of Carney

1. Never get into something you can't get out of. Every trade you make, look for the exit. Always keep your eye on the exit.

2. Don't take anything at face value - that's the biggest lie of any market. Nothing is ever priced at its true worth. The key is to figure out the real, intrinsic value - and get it for much, much less.

3. One minute, you have your feet on the ground and you're moving forward. The next minute, the ground is gone and you're falling. Never land - keep it in the air as long as you can.

4. You walk into a room with a grenade, and your best-scenario is walking back out still holding that grenade. Your worst case scenario is that grenade explodes, blowing you into bloody pieces. Moral of the story : don't make bets with no upside.

5. Don't overthink. If it's look like a duck and quacks like a duck - it's a duck.

6. Fear is the greatest motivator. Motivation is what it takes to find profit.

7. The first place to look for a solution is within the problem itself.

8. Ends justify means, but there's only one end that really matters. Ending up on a beach with a bottle of champagne.

~Ugly American$, Ben Bezrich

Dr. Thompson

I read Hunter Thompson's oeuvre way before I was old enough to understand it fully. That certainly didn't stop it from making a significant impression.

With that in mind, the new documentary looks phenomenal:

The Onion At Its Absolute Finest

The only reason I know this piece is satirical is that it was on the Onion's website. Put it on CNN, and the joke is lost to everyone.

New Favorite Restaurants...

Well, one is new and one is as old as I am, but a recent discovery:

Four Burgers, 704 Mass. Ave., Cambridge: I'm a little at a loss to explain the lack of a web site, but the name pretty much says it all. Salmon burger, veggie, cheese, can't remember the fourth. They're not open, officially, but they fed me lunch this afternoon, mostly because I went in with one of their wine distributor salesmen. In short, a 5oz. burger, perfectly cooked (medium-rare); the meat is from Brandt, i.e., sustainable, only steer that's corn fed, antibiotic free. The bun is very briochey, the french fries are hand-cut shoe string. Take something simple and do a stupid good job with it. Beer and wine license.

Boston Speed's: There's no website. It's in Newmarket Square. It's 32 years old. It's a hot dog stand. Pearl hot dogs, marinated in cider vinegar and brown sugar overnight. And The Wall Street Journal thinks what everyone else does...have fun finding the place.

He was talking about the restaurant business...

"Just because someone you work with is a miserable, treacherous, self-serving, capricious and corrupt asshole shouldn't prevent you from enjoying their company, working with them or finding them entertaining. This business grows assholes: it's our principle export. I'm an asshole. You should probably be an asshole too." ~Anthony Bourdain

...but it's amazing how relevant the statement is to most jobs.