The one I can't blame for ordering bulbs. The bouquet is from our garden. The picture is from my cellphone.
Pomegranate mojito
1.5 oz. rum (I used Pampero Aniversario)
.75 oz pomegranate simple syrup (heat 1 cup pomegranate juice, stir in 1 cup sugar, cool, store in fridge)
Juice of half a lime
7-8 mint leaves
Fizzy water
In a tall glass, muddle the rum, lime and mint, add the simple syrup and fill the glass with ice, then add fizzy water and stir. Enjoy it after a long, hard day. Order some flower bulbs. Then go to bed.
If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know I like mojitos. They're so refreshing and tasty, and I like to see how different places make them. They're also quite easy to make at home. You need:
1 to 2 oz. rum
1 oz. simple syrup (mint-infused is best)
Juice of half a lime
5-6 mint leaves
Fizzy water (club soda, Perrier, San Pellegrino, whatever)
Muddle (i.e. gently mash) the mint leaves in the first three ingredients, add ice, top with fizzy water and stir to mix.
Traditionally, white rum is used, but dark rum is quite tasty, too. What really makes this drink, for me, is the minty simple syrup. Boil a cup of water, stir in a cup of sugar and then add several springs of mint and let the whole thing cool. Strain out the mint and store in the fridge.
When your mint is buried under winter snow, go to the Asian grocery and get a big bunch for $1.50. Put the stems in a cup of water in the fridge and a plastic bag over the top and it will last a while.
A few weeks back, a friend suggested we check out the classes at Stir Cooking School. He'd enjoyed a sauces class there. In particular, he said, "the bar/classroom setup is brilliant. How civilized to be able to grab another glass of a Spanish white midway through the course."
While the food classes intrigued me, the Cocktails 101 class looked like something the Sergeant could enjoy, too. We have a lot of booze at home but not a strong grasp of what to do with it beyond, say, scotch on the rocks or gin and tonic.
The class was taught by Mike Henderson, currently bartender at Lou's Food Bar, a new Frank Bonanno place. Mike is formerly of Colt & Gray, TAG, Beatrice and Woodsley and more, and well-regarded (as well as closely watched by Westword).
He began with an overview of bar tools, then moved on to the subject of ice. You can shake a drink with ice or stir it, depending on the drink. We tried a little gin chilled both ways and found it's true: your martini will be smoother if it's stirred, not shaken.
When you're stirring a drink, you don't need to agitate the ice, just spin it around in the glass with a spoon. Then you strain the drink into a chilled glass.
We all practiced our stirring technique with glasses of water.
Mike went over the many varieties of liquor you can put in cocktails and suggested some of his favorites. We are already set with the basic spirits, but it was good to have some idea of what to look for in vermouth, liqueurs and bitters.
The four drinks we made – Martini, Sidecar, Old Fashioned and Mojito – encompassed the main categories and styles of drinks. The Old Fashioned, shown here, was made with rye, simple syrup and bitters. And it was darn tasty, with a little snap of orange peel.
The mojito was different from my usual; it was a cucumber ginger mojito.
The Sergeant and I started with that one when we moved to the work stations (don't you wish all work stations looked like this?). You muddle cucumber, mint, lime and ginger liqueur, then add rum and ice, shake, pour, top with soda and garnish. Voilà!
I would suggest, though, that you taste the cuke before you use it. Some of them have a very bitter skin, so you may need to peel it.
We also got to try out the most awesome ice "cube" maker ever.
You start out with a big cube of ice (freeze a pan of water and cut it up, or use a silicone mold). You end up with a perfect sphere, with zero effort and no power tools.
How? Through the magic of thermal conductivity. Copper is so conducive that it can suck the cold right out of ice. With gravity helping, a heavy copper mold turns a cube into a sphere in seconds flat.
A big sphere of ice is ideal for chilling your expensive scotch, because you get the maximum surface area with minimal dilution. This novelty item, a Japanese invention, isn't cheap. The Macallan scotch folks got a bunch to use for promotion (very effective, I'd say), but if you want to buy your own, it'll cost you about $1,000. Here's a video I took of it in action:
Only silver and gold have higher conductivity, so there's no real cheap way to make your own device. Still, I covet! Stir has lots of interesting food classes: "All About Fish," "Not Your Everyday Chicken," "Pies and Tarts," "Moroccan Cooking," to list a few. And other drinks classes: "Martinis and More," "Perfect Valentine's Cocktails," "Cocktails from Your Fridge," etc.
The classes are not limited to weeknights (always a plus for us swing-shifters) and you'll get a lunch if you're studying drinks (really good pizza, in our case).
As our friend said, the layout is quite civilized, with the bar in front and a comfortable kitchen classroom behind a glass wall.
So even if you're not taking a class, you can stop in and enjoy a well-made drink and watch the fun.
Or you can swing by our place, where the Sergeant will be happy to serve you up an awesome Old Fashioned, a tasty Tequila Daisy or a sublime Sidecar.
Stir Cooking School www.stirtolearn.com 3215 Zuni Street Denver, CO 80211 720-287-4823
It's been a while since I posted about a mojito. This one is from Steuben's, where we ended up after the galleries. We wanted to get green chile at Brewery Bar II, but they close the kitchen at 8:45 and the bar at 9:30. On a Friday night! That's just wrong.
But the mojito was right. Lots and lots of mint, as it should be. And the green chile burger took care of my burger jones for a while.
It was quite the tall burger, as a dining companion shows (he ordered one, too). Nicely done on the rare side of medium-rare, as requested.
I've been considering trying SmashBurger and Old School Burgers, but it'll be a while now. My burger cravings are mercifully far apart.
Tonight was a different craving, for mac 'n' cheese. I had a bunch of grated Mexican four-cheese mix, and some leftover ham. I was too lazy to go look in cookbooks for a recipe, but a blog-search turned up Jeni who posted one from Joy that suited my ingredients (e.g. I only had milk handy, not cream). Nom nom.
A three-hour nap is a very good thing. I didn't accomplish much else today, beyond the obligatory daily weeding (it never ends). And a nice walk at sunset with Sophie, when it had cooled off a bit.
I did get one thing fixed, or rather, Frank did. That's Frank on the left, tracking down the source of my phone troubles. Not too hard: The neighbors cross the alley had some work done on their house, and someone left all the wires exposed, covered only by an orange plastic bag. It's been that way for months, but I didn't realize that was my phone line running through there, too.
Just in the last couple of weeks my landline started going out, but intermittently. Of course when the repair guy would check it, it would be working fine. (And no one noticed the orange bag.) Today it was out for good, and Frank fixed it. I hope for good.
That calls for a drink! A mojito, natch. This was at Brandon's Pub, where I met some cow-orkers late this evening. I hadn't been there before. It's a little loud, but the seating is comfy (we were gathered around a low table, with leather armchairs, ottomans and a banquette). They have really BIG TVS, too, if you like that.
There was some weird drama with the staff, though. It took about a half-hour to get my drink, first because the waitress didn't see me come in, then because she had some screaming argument with her boyfriend and stormed out and the bartender took off, too. Huh? Not that the place was very busy, but the poor waitress who had just finished her shift got dragged back in, and a customer stepped behind the bar to mix the drinks.
Frankly, this mojito was terrible. I don't know what went into it. But because no one knew how to work the register, it was free. Woohoo! We left the waitress a big tip.
Made it back to Havana restaurant in Alameda this trip to see if they'd ironed out some of the wrinkles we experienced last time. I don't know if they have resolved the server problems in the bar area, as we were seated immediately (it was still early-ish).
I do love the giant photos they have on their walls. The decor and seating are otherwise fairly spartan, with banquettes along the walls and two rows of tables.
They have an extensive mojito list, a big plus for me. I had the mojito de colada: Bacardi "Coco," mint, sugar, pineapple juice, splash of soda.
We started with the garlic boniato fries that we enjoyed so much last time. Boniato is a kind of sweet potato. This batch was super-garlicky and good, and I love that chimichurri sauce. (Kevin at Closet Cooking made some to go with steak; I'll have to try his recipe. I wonder if I can find boniato here.) The Sergeant got the ropa vieja or "old clothes," which is shredded beef, onions, peppers and tomato with sofrito rice and black beans. While I enjoyed the garlic-studded pork tenderloin with Mojo sauce, boniato mash and black beans.
(I asked the server if I should get the pork or the marinated steak over rice and beans with grilled pineapple. He thought for a minute and said, "You're having the pork. They're both good, so I'm just making an executive decision." Fine with me!) The food was quite tasty, and very filling. I do wish, though, that they could change up their menu a little for summer. All the entrees are so heavy and hearty for a day that topped 100 degrees. I could have gotten a salad, I guess, or some ceviche, so it's not really their fault I couldn't clean my plate. I'll know better next time, or just go in the winter.
This is my last review from the Bay Area. From my most recent trip, that is. There will be more in the future.
On Monday night we dined at Asena, which offers "Cal-Med" cuisine. The atmosphere is pleasant, the service efficient and friendly, and the food: Yum.
I got the mojito I'd wanted a couple of nights before. Lots of mint!
We started with a selection of olives with tomatoes and mozarella. Entrees included dry-seared Sterling salmon fillet with salsa verde: House-made scallion fettuccine with wild Gulf prawns, braised cabbage and seafood fumé: And I had the fresh fava bean ravioli with mascarpone and sweet butter: I had been torn between that and one of the specials and got an enthusiastic vote for the ravioli from our server. It being the height of fava season, that was a good choice.
For dessert there was tiramisu and cheesecake. My pictures of those didn't turn out, alas.
Asena has been there for 12 years, and it's easy to see how they have lasted so long while other places have come and gone. Another thumbs up for an Alameda eatery!
Speaking of pigs, I had some very nice meals this weekend in Alameda. On Friday we checked out Havana, which is newly opened in what used to be a Vietnamese noodle place. (Warning: Their website has embedded music. Obnoxious. There's a controller on the upper right to turn it off.)
They've done up the place very attractively, with a bar at the front window (I wonder if the daylight is really good for the booze on those shelves, though). We had about a 15 minute wait for a table, and I had a basic mojito from their long list of them. The service in the waiting area (which could use some gussying up, too; it's a bit sterile) was spotty; we had to ask twice to order drinks, and then a third server came up and asked us what we wanted after we'd already ordered. We also had to settle the bar tab before going to our table. The mojito was good, if a little overly sweet. Needed more mint, too. The way mint grows, they could just requisition someone's back yard and have buckets of the stuff within weeks.
The main dining room is cozy and comfortable, with really fabulous large prints of Cuban photos on the walls. The service was attentive and our food arrived promptly. We started with garlic boniato fries that came with a barbecue sauce and chimichurri sauce. The fries were really yummy, and I adored the chimichurri. Great combo!
We ordered the paella and the halibut, though the latter turned out to be "blue striped sea bass" if I remember correctly (they were out of halibut or weren't able to get it). It was "plantain-crusted with tomatillo-avocado sauce." I would've liked more sauce, but it was good fish. I didn't try the paella. Afterward we hopped across the street for ice cream at Tucker's.
The next night we were at Tomatina, where I had lasagna and another mojito, this time made with soju, which is a rice liquor like vodka, but about 25 percent alcohol (as opposed to vodka's 37% minimum). A little on the sour side, and again, not enough mint, but I actually liked the lower alcohol content. Afterwards, Tucker's for more ice cream! No food pics from Havana, as the light was too dim, and I forgot to shoot the lasagna (which looked as you would imagine, so you're not missing anything). I'd eat at Havana again, and hope they could work out some of their server issues. Tomatina is a good Italian standby.
Last Sunday we enjoyed a very fine dinner at Lalime's in Berkeley, which I found thanks to the Internet. If you're ever at a loss for a place to try, Google, say, "Berkeley restaurants," and check out assorted listings. Then pick a few places that look interesting and Google their names specifically, using the Blog Search function. Lalime's had quite a few raves, and conveniently had a table for available at a good time, which I was able to discern and book via OpenTable.
We started with drinks (a mojito for me, natch!) and some lovely lemon and herb olives (nice and meaty), as well as some garlicky braised kale (forgot to shoot it) and hearty bread which one of my companions recognized came from Acme Bread Company (now that's a sign of a foodie!). I opted for rack of lamb with a lemony gremolata, braised chard and polenta. I was not familiar with the term gremolata, which is a mixture of minced parsley, garlic and lemon peel. It's wonderfully tangy and really livened up the tender lamb (which was a perfectly done medium rare). I had no compunction about gnawing those bones clean! The chard was also very nice, but the polenta was disappointing. It was very greasy on the outside, and overcooked, so it failed to provide the right mild, smooth counterpoint to the rest of the dish. But the bread was a fine alternative. Two of my companions opted for the petrale sole with brussels sprouts and buerre rouge. They said they liked the way it was prepared. The fourth chose the pork chop with spaetzle and chard. Dessert was a banana crepe with vanilla ice cream and pralines ... ... and an artfully presented fruit panna cotta with a chocolate macaroon and nougat.
The atmosphere was convivial, and we were tucked away in a corner of the upper level where we could converse without effort (though it was a titch cramped between our table and the next). The service was friendly, if a little flaky (I shouldn't have had to remind the waiter to bring more coffee at dessert time, or to use the credit card I'd handed him earlier in the evening). We didn't feel rushed though we were the last to leave.
Overall, Lalime's turned out to be a good choice for a delicious meal in pleasant surroundings with good company.
Last night went to see José González at the Bluebird Theatre. He's Swedish, born of Argentine parents, and his dad is a classical guitarist. He's played in variety of bands (including a Black Flag-inspired combo), but has since developed his own sound. (Which I found reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot at times.) There was a good-sized crowd, which got a little rambunctious after a 45-minute delay, but was rapt once he started playing. (Blurry photo from doing a long exposure with the camera held high.) It's just him and his guitar, but he makes it sound like there are a couple of other players up there. Impressive and lovely.
I didn't mind waiting because it gave me a chance to talk to my friends, and meet Maura, who has a really pretty tattoo, a Celtic symbol she got at 30. It symbolizes looking back and knowing where you've been, and using that knowledge to move forward in your life. Very nice.
Afterward, we hopped across the street to Mezcal for the obligatory mojito, plus tacos and posole. Very good food for a reasonable price. I came in starving and left sated.
Here's José González's website. It's all Flash, and plays music as soon as you launch it (you can turn it off at the bottom of the page). And it's hard to read. His music is great. His choice of Web design, not so much.
The one I can't blame for ordering bulbs.
If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know I like mojitos. They're so refreshing and tasty, and I like to see how different places make them. They're also quite easy to make at home.
A few weeks back, a friend suggested we check out the classes at Stir Cooking School. He'd enjoyed a sauces class there. In particular, he said, "the bar/classroom setup is brilliant. How civilized to be able to grab another glass of a Spanish white midway through the course."
Mike went over the many varieties of liquor you can put in cocktails and suggested some of his favorites. 
We are already set with the basic spirits, but it was good to have some idea of what to look for in vermouth, liqueurs and bitters.
Stir has lots of interesting food classes: "All About Fish," "Not Your Everyday Chicken," "Pies and Tarts," "Moroccan Cooking," to list a few. And other drinks classes: "Martinis and More," "Perfect Valentine's Cocktails," "Cocktails from Your Fridge," etc.
It's been a while since I posted about a mojito. This one is from Steuben's, where we ended up after the galleries. We wanted to get green chile at Brewery Bar II, but they close the kitchen at 8:45 and the bar at 9:30. On a Friday night! That's just wrong.
It was quite the tall burger, as a dining companion shows (he ordered one, too). Nicely done on the rare side of medium-rare, as requested. 
Nom nom.
I did get one thing fixed, or rather, Frank did. That's Frank on the left, tracking down the source of my phone troubles. Not too hard: The neighbors cross the alley had some work done on their house, and someone left all the wires exposed, covered only by an orange plastic bag. It's been that way for months, but I didn't realize that was my phone line running through there, too.
This was at Brandon's Pub, where I met some cow-orkers late this evening. I hadn't been there before. It's a little loud, but the seating is comfy (we were gathered around a low table, with leather armchairs, ottomans and a banquette). They have really BIG TVS, too, if you like that.
Not that the place was very busy, but the poor waitress who had just finished her shift got dragged back in, and a customer stepped behind the bar to mix the drinks.
I do love the giant photos they have on their walls. The decor and seating are otherwise fairly spartan, with banquettes along the walls and two rows of tables.
The Sergeant got the ropa vieja or "old clothes," which is shredded beef, onions, peppers and tomato with sofrito rice and black beans.
While I enjoyed the garlic-studded pork tenderloin with Mojo sauce, boniato mash and black beans. 
The food was quite tasty, and very filling. I do wish, though, that they could change up their menu a little for summer. All the entrees are so heavy and hearty for a day that topped 100 degrees. I could have gotten a salad, I guess, or some ceviche, so it's not really their fault I couldn't clean my plate. I'll know better next time, or just go in the winter.
This is my last review from the Bay Area. From my most recent trip, that is. There will be more in the future.
Entrees included dry-seared Sterling salmon fillet with salsa verde:
House-made scallion fettuccine with wild Gulf prawns, braised cabbage and seafood fumé:
And I had the fresh fava bean ravioli with mascarpone and sweet butter:
I had been torn between that and one of the specials and got an enthusiastic vote for the ravioli from our server. It being the height of fava season, that was a good choice. 
We had about a 15 minute wait for a table, and I had a basic mojito from their long list of them. The service in the waiting area (which could use some gussying up, too; it's a bit sterile) was spotty; we had to ask twice to order drinks, and then a third server came up and asked us what we wanted after we'd already ordered. We also had to settle the bar tab before going to our table.
The mojito was good, if a little overly sweet. Needed more mint, too. The way mint grows, they could just requisition someone's back yard and have buckets of the stuff within weeks.
No food pics from Havana, as the light was too dim, and I forgot to shoot the lasagna (which looked as you would imagine, so you're not missing anything). I'd eat at Havana again, and hope they could work out some of their server issues. Tomatina is a good Italian standby.
Last Sunday we enjoyed a very fine dinner at Lalime's in Berkeley, which I found thanks to the Internet. If you're ever at a loss for a place to try, Google, say, "Berkeley restaurants," and check out assorted listings. Then pick a few places that look interesting and Google their names specifically, using the Blog Search function. Lalime's had quite a few raves, and conveniently had a table for available at a good time, which I was able to discern and book via OpenTable.
I opted for rack of lamb with a lemony gremolata, braised chard and polenta. I was not familiar with the term gremolata, which is a mixture of minced parsley, garlic and lemon peel. It's wonderfully tangy and really livened up the tender lamb (which was a perfectly done medium rare). I had no compunction about gnawing those bones clean! The chard was also very nice, but the polenta was disappointing. It was very greasy on the outside, and overcooked, so it failed to provide the right mild, smooth counterpoint to the rest of the dish. But the bread was a fine alternative.
Two of my companions opted for the petrale sole with brussels sprouts and buerre rouge. They said they liked the way it was prepared.
The fourth chose the pork chop with spaetzle and chard.
Dessert was a banana crepe with vanilla ice cream and pralines ...
... and an artfully presented fruit panna cotta with a chocolate macaroon and nougat.
Last night went to see José González at the Bluebird Theatre. He's Swedish, born of Argentine parents, and his dad is a classical guitarist. He's played in variety of bands (including a Black Flag-inspired combo), but has since developed his own sound. (Which I found reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot at times.)
There was a good-sized crowd, which got a little rambunctious after a 45-minute delay, but was rapt once he started playing. (Blurry photo from doing a long exposure with the camera held high.)
It's just him and his guitar, but he makes it sound like there are a couple of other players up there. Impressive and lovely.
