Text 23704, 120 rader
Skriven 2012-04-14 23:09:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av MICHAEL LOO
Ärende: percentages 531
=======================
-=> Quoting Michael Loo to Jim Weller <=-

 ML> There's a public bus I take semi-regularly whose timetable
 ML> states that the drivers are required to help passengers with
 ML> their bags, on request. Recently, I saw some people tipping
 ML> the driver. A peculiar thing even to me, where public servants
 ML> are public servants, if you will.

And generally unionized and very well paid for what they do. Back in
the day when I was involved with vehicle leasing and financing I
heard plenty of truckers I knew say, "If I could get on with OCT
(Ottawa City Transit)  I'd give up long haul trucking in a
heartbeat."

 ML> The yankee swap thing

 ML> And there would be the interesting sidelight of determining who
 ML> packaged stuff to be deceiving, and the direction of the deception.
 ML> I'd guess 25-25-50, in order of cheaper than expected, no deception,
 ML> and better than expected (I think most people do like to see other
 ML> people gratified, none of this schadenfreude stuff).

With our crew just about everything was worthwhile, desirable (well
I wasn't into gift packages of scented candles and soaps but others
were) and just ever so slightly over the $50 limit we had set.

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: Diy Orange Bitters
Categories: Alcohol, Info
  Servings: 1 1/2 cups

      4    oranges (zest only)
      1 c  151-proof neutral grain
    spirit, divided
      1 ts gentian root
      1 ts quassia chips
  1 1/2 c  101-proof bourbon
    1/2 ts caraway seeds
    1/2 ts cloves
      1    star anise pod
    1/2 ts anise seed

Homemade bitters require a couple of obscure ingredients and a sense
of adventure. If you're game, you'll be rewarded with a unique,
versatile cocktail ingredient that lasts for years. All you need is
something to make your bitters taste bitter (usually an herb or tree
bark), plus spices and other sources of flavor, and alcohol to steep
them all in.

The beauty of DIY bitters is unleashing your creativity and crafting
bitters that you can't find anywhere else. I emphasized anise in the
recipe I've provided here, but you could just as easily play up the
cloves or add cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, or ginger for a whole
new flavor profile.

You'll need to get your hands on some gentian root, which is what
makes bitters taste, well, bitter. I also used quassia chips,
another bitter ingredient that adds a woodsy, tea-like quality to
the mix. However, if you have some leftover cinchona bark from
making your own tonic or wormwood leaves from making sweet vermouth,
those are other bittering options.

Notes: Gentian root and quassia chips can usually be found at
specialty herb stores. You can also order them from Lhasa Karnak.

I used Wild Turkey 101 and Everclear 151 for my spirits base. If you
cannot find these, you can substitute another bourbon and use the
highest proof vodka available to you.

Special equipment: Orange zester or peeler, fine-mesh sieve, cookie
sheet, coffee filter

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups, active time 15 minutes, total time 3
weeks

Procedure: Zest the oranges using a vegetable peeler and place the
peel on the cookie sheet. Bake at 100 degrees until dried but not
burned, about 40 minutes. Check regularly to ensure peels have not
burned.

Once the zests are cool, place them in a sealable glass jar with 1/2
cup of the 151 neutral grain spirit. Be sure this jar is large
enough to later hold an additional 1 cup of liquid. Shake. This is
your orange flavoring.

Place the caraway seeds, cloves, star anise, and anise seed in a
different sealable glass jar with 1/2 cup of the 151 neutral grain
spirit. Shake. This is your spice mix.

Place the gentian root and quassia chips in a sealable glass jar
with the bourbon. Shake. This is your bittering mix.

After 10 days, strain the spice mix and bittering mix through a
fine-mesh sieve to remove the solids. Strain again through a coffee
filter into the orange flavoring jar. Do not remove the orange zest.
Shake. You now have one jar that contains the strained spice mix and
bittering mix along with the steeping orange zest and alcohol. Let
this steep for an additional 11 days.

Strain out the orange zest through a fine-mesh sieve, and then
strain the rest through a coffee filter into your desired container.

Posted by: Marcia Simmons

  From: Serious Eats

MMMMM-------------------------------------------------


Cheers

YK Jim


... I buy enough for them to consider building a brewery in my basement.

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Fidonet Since 1991 And Still Here. Join Us: www.DocsPl (1:123/140)