Comments for The Tasting Room - Food Blog for the Capital Region and Beyond

Comment on Try This Cocktail on Labor Day! by: Samantha Parker by biomedtalk

biomedtalk — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:42:30 +0000

My opinion is a bit another how it is possible to talk to the author, for example on an e-mail?

Comment on Meet our Chefs by Cheryl Busino

Cheryl Busino — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:32:35 +0000

Devin, we enjoyed a delicious dinner Wednesday evening prior to a Proctors show and had the opportunity to meet you at our table.(Thanks to a wonderful waitress) The four of us had just devoured your panko encrusted ahi tuna and wondered if you would give out the recipe. I also hope to see it on the regular menu as compared to one of your specials,so we can enjoy it on another visit to Aperitivo Bistro. The dressing on the mixed green and arugala salad was also wonderful. Thanks for a memorable meal! Cheryl Busino

Comment on Albany Chefs for Haiti by Oscar

Oscar — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:44:20 +0000

It’s a cool website, I like it very much!
I am from china, hope we can make friends.

Comment on Try This Cocktail on Labor Day! by: Samantha Parker by Daniel B.

Daniel B. — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:01:58 +0000

Sorry for the seriously delayed response.

When I first read the recipe, it called for fresh cracked pepper. Clearly pepper that has been finely-ground would be easier to swallow.

I also agree that the froth and ice crystals from shaking are lovely. They are delightful on a classic daiquiri in the summer. But I strongly believe that Martinis and Manhattans are better when they are silky and not frothy.

I also believe that you are on the front lines of educating people about cocktails. I’ll put money on the fact that people ask for their Martinis shaken as a result of that James Bond fellow, and not because they prefer the taste to the stirred version.

I also believe that people have moved to asking for their Martinis extra cold because the drinks have just gotten so damn large. When the drink was 3-4 ounces, it would stay cold until it was done. With some cocktail glasses weighing in at 7-8 ounces, drinks wilt before they are completed.

There are several solutions to this that don’t involve sacrificing the integrity of the cocktail within.

And as to the most recent post, I assume you are using Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters. I think they can be used as an interesting mixer, but bitters they are not.

Comment on Submit your VOTE! by Amy Gerling

Amy Gerling — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:51:58 +0000

Sounds delicious….and healthy!! Prime is the best…..

Comment on Organic or Not? by: Samantha Parker by Allison

Allison — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:48:52 +0000

Hello! I am the owner of Square One Organic Spirits and just want to say thank you for supporting independent and organic spirits! Other than our regular organic vodka and our organic cucumber vodka, we also have a unique organic botanical spirit (almost like a light gin, but with no juniper and more floral botanicals than gins) that you can ask your distributor sales rep to show you. It recently received 5 stars from Paul Pacult in the Spirit Journal. We have recipes on our website.

Cheers!
Allison

Comment on Try This Recipe At Home – 7 Hour Cherry Pepper Pork by chezjake

chezjake — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:36:02 +0000

I’m a bit confused with the Demi Glaze recipe. It looks like the first five ingredients add up to slightly less than 1 3/4 cups, so how can they be “reduced” to 2 cups?

Comment on Try This Cocktail on Labor Day! by: Samantha Parker by collin

collin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:56:12 +0000

I must thank you Daniel for your comments and curiosity. I agree that black pepper syrup may be easier to swallow and use in other drinks. Using flavored syrup may not give that crisp peppery punch that fresh cracked pepper would. I can see how the peppercorn bits could be a little off-putting, especially if you don’t have an extra fine grinding mill like the one we use. However you have to admit, using the peppermill is great for showmanship!
I understand what it means to use the proper techniques that different drinks call for. Bartending is an art, though many of the tried and true rules have been broken over and over again in the name of creating new drinks, service speed and efficiency. Although I generally respect the old rules, every once in a while I will break one due to preference. For example, I love tequila gimlets shaken straight up, and people say you shouldn’t shake tequila. I do agree that too many places default to a shake for any drink, and a weak one at that. We pay close attention to the technique a given drink merits but there is a flip side to that. Our guests dictate the majority of what and how we serve it. At 677, we do in fact shake our martini’s and pretty hard I might add, even though the original martini is stirred. We use stainless steel shakers which give a “little ice on the pond” as I like to call it to the martini. This is what I refer to as those beautiful ice chips with a little froth on top. Not many people come in asking for a stirred martini straight up, but it isn’t unheard of. I must say, I do hear the following request more and more… “I want an extra dry, extra cold, shaken really hard martini”.
We do stir our manhattan’s unless they ask for them shaken. You would be surprised, we have had requests for shaken manhattan’s!! Though that is a request, not something we do automatically. I do ask the guest if a manhattan is ordered if they would bitters and if they would like it stirred.
We take several liberties in the way we interpret classic drinks. One thing is for sure, just doing something to a drink without any thought is a shame. But I believe that as long as some good mixology reasoning is put to good use with each and every drink the possibilities are limitless.
In addition, I would like to add that our mojito’s are prepared in the tall glass it is served in, so no shaking necessary if the contents are “stirred up” from the bottom. This is to get all that muddled mint and its oil, syrup, lime and rum with the soda throughout the whole drink so that the first sip is consistent with the last. The same is done with champagne cocktails. Collins drinks, champagne topped martini’s, and any other cocktail that is “topped” with carbonation is shaken first then “topped”. I hope this helped with your inquiry and please, don’t hesitate to contact me at samanthap@677prime.com
Thanks,

Sam

Comment on What is All Natural Never Ever Steak? by John Pettinelli

John Pettinelli — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:30:32 +0000

I will agree with you about growth hormones. The word Natural is a marketing word. As for antibiotics , it is impossible for any grower, no matter cattle, poultry or whatever, not to give them some kind of antibiotic to fight disease. Show me a feed statement from any grower, to prove me wrong. Number one, a grower will not produce that statement, and number two, if they did, you would see that the animals are given some type of antibiotic to fight disease.

Comment on Try This Cocktail on Labor Day! by: Samantha Parker by Daniel B.

Daniel B. — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 04:27:28 +0000

Brava on combining black pepper and strawberries. Fruit and peppercorns really provide a great contrast of flavors. I fondly think back to those vanilla and black pepper poached pears I made that were filled with an orange muscat mascarpone.

However, in my drink I don’t think I’d like all those crushed peppercorn bits. Instead, I’d probably try this with a black pepper simple syrup. It’s so easy to do, and can be used to spice up a variety of cocktails.

I am curious about your method of preparation. The rule I always go by is that if the drink uses citrus or eggs, I shake. Stirring is generally reserved for drinks that use a combination of spirits and liqueurs. And if there is citrus AND seltzer, it’s shake, top with seltzer and then stir gently.

Still it’s great to see someone behind the bar advocating for stirring at all. Most bartenders seem to default to shaking even the most delicate of cocktails. There is nothing worse than a frothy Manhattan.