John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Feb 8, 2012, 4:31 pm
Posted by johngl After doing some yard work, I felt like having a snack. And, since I didn’t quite finish out my MicroChip experiments, it seemed like a likely union. If you’re too lazy to read the earlier post, I’ll just say that I was working on a BBQ version of the chipset and certain org...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Feb 4, 2012, 5:27 pm
Posted by johngl It was about noon today and I’d just finished my weekend dose of Health and Relaxation in a Glass™ when I ran across a facebook link posted by a good friend of mine whom I shall refer to as Brittany. If it weren’t for her, I would miss out on all sorts of stuff out there on t...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jan 28, 2012, 5:50 pm
Posted by johngl One of my secret “guilty” pleasures is reading through my annual compendiums (1993-2011) of Cook’s Illustrated magazines put out by the good folks at America’s Test Kitchen. What attracts me to these folks’ publications is the total lack of advertizing. And, more importan...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jan 28, 2012, 11:52 am
Posted by johngl I didn’t think much of grapefruit until I moved to Florida back in the late 70′s and lived on a small acreage near the town of McIntosh. The post office there had a huge grapefruit tree in the parking lot and, at the time, postal patrons were encouraged to pick the ripe fruit. ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jan 22, 2012, 1:52 pm
Posted by johngl The other morning, I found myself standing in front of the open fridge wondering what the hell to make for dinner. In and amongst the food clutter — there is no shortage of things to eat in there — I noticed a pound of sous vide pork sirloin — part of my “ham making” expe...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jan 16, 2012, 12:26 pm
Posted by johngl Inspired by a trip to IKEA, a company founded in 1943 by a then 17 year old Swede named Ingvar Kamprad, I was (strongly) encouraged by most glorious spousal unit to make some “Swedish Meatballs.” She wanted them over duck egg noodles rather than the traditional boiled potatoes,...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jan 8, 2012, 1:48 pm
Posted by johngl I’ll admit it: when I began this adventure, I didn’t know a whole lot about sirloin. I never paid much attention to it since my favorite cuts of beef were ribeye and porterhouse steaks, in that order. These “favorite” steaks come from primal cuts located mid-cow.  Sirloins...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jan 7, 2012, 1:37 pm
Posted by JohnGL It was a week ago today. Cloudless sky. Blindingly bright. A perfect day to be alive. We met up with Doc and The Redhead at the Farmers’ Market downtown. They brought friends. It was a regular party. This time, I brought the package: some of that Ragù of Wild Pig. I hoped they�...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jan 2, 2012, 1:24 pm
Posted by johngl I lied. In The Gift I stated that I was going to use the jowls of that wild pig on bruschetta. As it turned out, I did an 8-hour slow-cooker braise and ladled it over some pappardelle pasta instead. There, that’s all you get. I have better things to do. Happy New Year! Okay, so...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Dec 26, 2011, 7:27 pm
It was Christmas Eve. Dark. Grey. Gloomy. Cold. Rain spit from the sky like bullets from a Tommy gun. Garish neon reflected off the wet tarmac. Droplets pooled, cascading off the brim of my hat. I was cold and damp standing in a lot next to a joint called Lick. You can guess what goes on in there. I...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Dec 24, 2011, 9:40 am
Posted by johngl Back in the day, I used a variant of my decadent vanilla frozen custard recipe to make homemade eggnog.  The only modification was I included the egg whites after they’d been whipped. Oh what a frothy mass of yummy goodness that is. Its great for a party, but doesn’t store par...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Dec 18, 2011, 1:14 pm
Posted by johngl In last weekend’s post, I touched on my “new” BaaS methodology. To be clear, I didn’t invent BaaS, I simply applied a name to it in hopes that it would give rise to a new buzzword — like we need more of those. A conversation could go something like this: Person: So, yo...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Dec 11, 2011, 1:59 pm
... ’ll start with the dough ingredients: 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1 cup King Arthur Bread Flour 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons corn starch 3/4 cup 110° F water ... protein, in the 11-12% range. Adding corn starch drops it farther (and no, I ... already been dusted. I used t...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Dec 4, 2011, 1:46 pm
Posted by johngl I’m gonna warn you ahead of time: this post contains digressions. If you are looking for a recipe for smoked rack of pork, you may want to go elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are more into real life adventures, you may just want to hang out and stay a while. Firstly, the cel...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Nov 27, 2011, 11:42 am
Posted by johngl There I was, perusing the latest acquisition to my cookbook collection, Jacques Pépin’s Essential Pepin, when I stumbled upon a little blurb called simply “Homemade Orange Liqueur.” Since it is literally orange season here in Texas (yes, even with the drought, the hard-work...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Nov 19, 2011, 11:34 pm
Posted by johngl About a week ago, the most glorious spousal unit and I enjoyed a great afternoon around Austin: We first hit the brand new Penzey’s Spice store just south of 45th on Lamar, then cruised over to Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Hyde Park, then popped into Asti Trattoria for a glorious...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Nov 18, 2011, 11:55 am
Posted by johngl This photo is from the Original Pig Opening a very short year ago Regular readers know that I am a huge fan of the Noble Pig. Well, they’ve had a really great first year and, due to high demand for their decidedly hand-made fare, they are getting piggish and assimilated the spac...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 23, 2011, 11:52 pm
Posted by johngl As many of you know, we’re in the middle of a very long drought here in Central Texas. What that translates to is no open burning outdoors (you can open burn indoors if you want I guess) and no charcoal grilling. I DO NOT want to be the guy that set South Austin on fire because ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 23, 2011, 9:45 pm
Posted by johngl Fellow cooking enthusiast, budding photographer, philosopher, world traveler, travel guide, serious  wine guy, and friend — it’s difficult to pigeon-hole this guy — began blogging about his adventures several months back. He’s also working on a book. His name is Michael ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 22, 2011, 11:26 pm
Posted by johngl I had my weekend blog posts planned. Really, I did, but every once in a great while one must set aside even the best laid plans and make room for the unexpected magnificence of a profound dining experience. Such was the case last evening at barley SWINE. Here, it is all about th...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 18, 2011, 12:19 pm
Posted by johngl I’m calling this a Public Service Announcement*: The Carillon is offering an unbeatable $29 deal for early-evening diners for the rest of the month. Get in now before they run out of duck! * I don’t get paid to post this kind of stuff. This deal is just too good to not pass a...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 18, 2011, 11:23 am
Chef Harold Wong of Azuma Sushi & Robata Bar brings home the bread and a trip to Los Cabos AUSTIN, TX – The kitchen at the AT&T Conference Center & Hotel filled with the heat of battle this past Sunday as three chefs were determined to bring the best dish to the table. Only one chef could snag th...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 15, 2011, 12:34 pm
Posted by johngl Contrary to what I said in a recent post, most glorious spousal unit actually answered the “What would you like for dinner?” type question specifically and succinctly yesterday morning. I even got the idea that she really does read my posts, though, perhaps, it was simply coinc...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 9, 2011, 1:20 pm
Posted by johngl I can’t tell you how often I find myself staring into an open refrigerator, hand on top of the right side door, moving stuff around with my left, just to see what we have in there. Usually, there is some really good food in there, leftover from some fresh-made dinner we had a few...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 8, 2011, 12:29 pm
Posted by johngl I’ve had some really good luck with crêpes lately, so I went for it again, this time with slow-roasted pork. Oh woe is me. I’ve grown quite fond of these things. For the crêpes, I went with exactly the same formula I used last time: Ingredients: 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup al...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 3, 2011, 3:22 pm
Posted by johngl I had a hankerin’ for a roast pork sandwich. You know, something like this… English muffin, whole-grain mustard, aged cheddar, roast pork, avocado, and dill pickle. Damn good sandwich. Getting to this point though involves a bit more activity… and involves a slow cooker. ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Oct 1, 2011, 12:46 pm
Posted by johngl When you say it in French, it just sounds like some fancy-pants dish, doesn’t it? Crêpes avec du Poulet de Rôtisserie just rolls right off the tongue. The name alone jazzes up that leftover grocery-store rotisserie chicken. The chicken part of this assemblage is a snap.  Stop...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Sep 30, 2011, 5:41 pm
Chefs Kevin Martinez, Daniel Valenzuela and Harold Wong go head-to-head in a battle for the winning title and Grand Prize After much anticipation, three Texas chefs will compete in the Chefs Under Fire Final Competition.  Chefs Kevin Martinez of Tokyo Café (representing Dallas/Fort Worth), Daniel...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Sep 28, 2011, 10:36 am
Chef Harold Wong of Azuma Sushi & Robata Bar declared Regional Winner by Celebrity Chefs David Grossman, Hugo Ortega, and Monica Pope The last Chefs Under Fire Regional Competition took place this past Sunday at Rice University Dining – East Servery, where the third Finalist was chosen to advance...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Sep 25, 2011, 4:08 pm
Posted by johngl Yeah, I know, it has been a long while since I’ve posted anything let alone something that really had some substance to it.  You see, my most glorious spousal unit and I have recently returned from a two-week stint in the archipelago of Hawai’i. We extensively covered four isl...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Sep 3, 2011, 3:23 pm
Posted by johngl Skipping down the Irish road to Tipperary would certainly be a bit more interesting with a couple of these in you! Starting out with Irish whiskey, adding in a little Chartreuse (courtesy of France’s Carthusian monks), and popping in a splash of white vermouth, and you’ll be ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 27, 2011, 6:03 pm
Posted by johngl I love cherries.  All kinds of them.  Rainiers are some of my favorites and they came and went about a month or so ago. We picked up five pounds of them and every one of them got eaten ‘cept those I’m curing in Bourbon, Cherry Heering, or Luxardo as cocktail garnishes. A few ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 27, 2011, 2:58 pm
Posted by johngl Here’s another oldie, with some variants: The Pimm’s Number 19. Reminiscent of an original concoction of Pimm’s Number 1 and English lemonade (clear and bubbly), my version of the “19″ uses Maine Root Ginger Brew instead of the lemonade. But allow me to step back for jus...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 23, 2011, 10:19 pm
Posted by johngl I’m normally not real big on contests, but I was inspired by a friend and former co-worker (a guy named John) when he posted a comment on facebook. So, here’s the offer:  I will send the winner of this contest $25 in cold, hard cash. Second place gets $10.  Third gets nothin...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 21, 2011, 4:44 pm
Posted by johngl According to The Ultimate Guide to Spirits & Cocktails, the Sazerac dates back to 1859 and was first served at the grand opening of the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans.  Apparently, the Sazerac derived it’s name from the Sazerac de Forge et Fils Cognac that was its earliest ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 20, 2011, 7:37 pm
Posted by johngl Several weeks of hundred-degree weather ago, a good friend brought over some quail and, after a brief bit of deliberation, we decided to have some paella as well. Quail, as you probably know, are pretty little bite-sized birds and sometimes I wonder why we bother eating them at al...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 20, 2011, 3:03 pm
Posted by johngl Continuing with my “it’s too hot to cook, let’s drink instead” philosophy, I explored the interwebs for classic cocktails I’ve never tried.  For shame!  There are lots of them.  I’d never even heard of the Deauville Cocktail, let alone actually consumed one. It soun...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 14, 2011, 10:56 pm
Posted by johngl It’s been hot.  I mean really, really hot, at least for Austin. I dare say, it’s just been too hot to cook, be it indoors or out. Consequently, I’ve been drinking a lot and, hence, the number of classic cocktail posts emanating from the Alcoholian as of late. However, this ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 14, 2011, 5:32 pm
Posted by johngl The history of classic cocktails is always a bit fuzzy and numerous people and places lay claim to the original Planter’s Punch.  They are all wrong. The published history of Planter’s Punch dates all the way back to the late 1800′s in the West Indies. In case your history ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 7, 2011, 12:11 pm
Posted by johngl Though I’m not sure calling this a cocktail is really quite fair, this, nonetheless, is a famously notorious drink imbibed by very high people in very low places. Vincent Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway and others living a fantastically B...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Aug 6, 2011, 11:54 am
Potted by johngl As with many alcoholic beverages, the history surrounding the creation of the Kamikaze is pretty hazy, but many say the drink’s name originated with some American GIs going into the officer’s club at the post-war Yokusuba military base.  Apparently, these soldiers drank copiou...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 31, 2011, 9:46 pm
Posted by johngl Late in the day on Friday, when things were winding down at work, a friend/coworker asked me a question regarding the recipe I turn to when I have a need for good food coupled with speed. This is a dish I created many years ago as a pork version of a still-famous Steak deBurgo as ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 30, 2011, 6:36 pm
Posted by johngl What I really really wanted for lunch today was a BLT sandwich.  I had a couple of fresh tomatoes fresh off the vine, some applewood-smoked bacon that my friend BigDMcC left here after our Venison-sausage-stuffed-quail paella efforts (a future post), and some fresh baby arugula th...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 24, 2011, 11:03 pm
Posted by johngl In another of my enthusiastic explorations into classic cocktails, I discovered that the Sidecar has a bit of an identity crisis. It may have been invented during World War 1. It may have been created by Pat MacGarry from Buck’s Club in London. It also may have been created by H...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 23, 2011, 11:20 pm
Posted by johngl Last weekend, most glorious spousal unit and I split a big hunk of ribeye roast into two super-thick steaks. We ate one of them. The other went into my dry-aging fridge for a week. Oh my, what a difference a week makes. I grabbed the steak out of the dry-aging fridge and it had ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 17, 2011, 8:42 pm
Posted by johngl Giving my new grill grate a test drive was of prime importance to me this weekend, so most glorious spousal unit and I headed out to Costco early to pick up some steaks for lunch. I like steak for lunch on weekends.  I also like steak for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was a great s...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 16, 2011, 6:21 pm
Posted by johngl The other day I got a call from my new friend Lane, an independent metal fabricator that can be found at bobbercut.com. Lane got right to the point: the grate for my Big Green Egg was done! I was so excited, I stepped out of my office to spread the word to my long-time friend and ...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 10, 2011, 5:15 pm
Posted by johngl When you’ve got some rabbit confit just sitting in the fridge not doing anything, you know it’s time to get that bunny in gear. Couple that with Spanish chorizo, caramelized onion, roasted garlic, hand made sausage, and most glorious pressure-cooked cannellini beans and you’v...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 9, 2011, 7:48 pm
Posted by johngl Sometimes I like to explore the classics.  I’ve driven (very fast) classic cars: a ’71 Ferrari 365 GTB, a ’73 Maserati Bora, a ’69 Jag E-Type,  and, lest I forget, a ’68 Lamborghini Islero . On a different tack, I’ve read Atlas Shrugged numerous times and the Bible on...
Comment - Like

John GL posted an article on The Alcoholian - Jul 9, 2011, 10:34 am
Posted by johngl I was having so much fun cooking last weekend, I neglected writing about it.  I guess I must enjoy cooking more than writing. Perhaps I enjoy eating more than cooking. I’ll have to think on that one some more… Anyway, it’s always about 100°F (or hotter) here in Austin arou...
Comment - Like