caused by Olestra products.

They still allow that stuff in the US? It's been banned in Canada.

They allow the stuff, though it's not very common
any more. I didn't, though, mean to imply that this
particular embarrassment came from Olestra but rather
that whatever it was in the snack simulated its effects.

Recent tastes up here:
Wild duck and lentil soup with fresh sage: the duck meat and broth
which came out of the freezer was from the bird I mentioned earlier.
Lentils are a natural pairing with wild game birds and the sage was

Sounds good, lentils being a sort of flavor sponge.

from Andrea's contraption. Some of the rivers are breaking up in
places and the migrating birds are back, Matthew and his grandson
shot 18 ducks recently so it's possible I'll get another one soon.

After their exertions, the birds are kind of
scrawny and lean, are they not - I'd imagine they
were fatter and yummier after having gorged on
seeds for a couple months.

Weird but good ratatouille: you'd like this version ,,, it had
mushrooms in it and no zucchini. The Japanese eggplant coins ended
up tasting mushroomy and the sliced brown Creminis tasted eggplanty,
both in a good way.

Lovely, mushrooms being about as umamiful a food
as one can get without fungal ... oh, wait ... .

Problem: good Eau de Vie is horribly expensive and cheap "fruit
brandy" is actually just neutral grain sprits adulterated with nasty artificial flavours. Solution: 4 parts Spanish brandy to 1 part Creme

Question. How about neutral spirit with decent
flavorants? Won't be as nice as something made
with aged characterful liquor, but also a fraction
of the cost to make.

de Cassis in a snifter. Swirl to mix and enjoy.

I've made something like that but with Cognac.

Another brandy drink; decades ago in a James Bond novel something
called The Drunkard's Drink was mentioned in passing. It was a
brandy and ginger ale highball. Ginger ale mixes well with other
brown liquors such as dark rum (the Dark and Stormy) while rye and
ginger is the Canadian redneck's drink of choice so it makes sense.

Canadian rednecks have sense. Today I'm sipping on
the American redneck's tipple - rough bourbon on the
rocks. Pretty nice for the price.

Since I had the brandy on hand I tried one. It's better than it
sounds. And a dash of bitters made it better yet.

It didn't really sound bad to begin with. Maybe a
citrus or other fruit garnish?

Found and made ... the Metropole Cocktail. My version: 2 oz Brandy,
1 oz dry Vermouth, 1 dash orange liqueur and 2 dashes bitters. Stir everything in a mixing glass full of ice, strain into a chilled
cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Use blue curacao and you could call it a
Purple Martin.

The Metropole was the house cocktail of the Metropole Hotel on
Broadway in Manhattan back in 1890, fell out of fashion and is
enjoying a revival in hipster cocktail bars.

Does it dismay you to think you have something in
common with hipsters?

... Food math at its best-the whole much greater than the sum of its parts

Algebra with wild cards - onions, sherry, butter, ... .

Caramelized sherry onions
categories: side
servings: 8

1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb butter
2 lb vertically sliced yellow onions
1/3 c dry sherry
3/4 ts kosher salt
1/2 ta black pepper

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over
medium heat. Add onions; cook 8 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until
light amber-colored, about 45 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Stir in sherry, salt, and pepper.
Increase heat to medium; cook until liquid is
absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light 12/2016
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