Bebop-A-Reebop

Last year we enjoyed — and used — all the rhubarb we got from the CSA. And since my understanding of rhubarb begins and ends with strawberry-rhubarb pie, that meant we had many strawberry-rhubarb pies. We got backlogged with rhubarb, and eventually we froze the filling. Several large ziplocs of filling. Many, many pies’ worth of filling. It’s all still in the freezer, actually. Which is why I was a little discouraged to see four lovely stalks of 2015 rhubarb in the CSA share this past week.

Since we also got three quarts of strawberries, it seemed sort of obvious to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie. We didn’t do that. Instead, I remembered — or thought I remembered — seeing a cocktail recipe of some sort in one of the books that used a rhubarb syrup. I found this recipe for rhubarb simple syrup. This is a good way to use rhubarb. It almost — almost — makes me want to get more rhubarb.

In part this is because this Rhubarb Gimlet cocktail is really good: two parts gin, two parts rhubarb syrup, one part lime juice. I was hesitant to use that much sugar in a cocktail, but it actually tastes really good.

Like Fucking Robert Palmer Or Something

Jen’s been on a rum kick — last night we didn’t have cocktails at the Tiki-themed Chinese restaurant, so we resolved to have them at home. Now I don’t know the first thing about festive tikiness, and I much prefer the tang of bourbon to the treacle of rum, but I’m assuming I just haven’t had the right cocktail. Last night it was the time capsule cocktail the Unisphere. Not very tiki. Tonight it was the Irresistible (Mr. Boston, page 117): Six parts white rum (I was told this rum was probably not white), two parts sweet vermouth, one part Benedictine and one part lemon juice. It was complex tasting — the secondary ingredients melted into each other in a pleasant way.

As sweet as this tasted, it was surprising there wasn’t any sugar. Must be the the rum. I mean, I guess? I’m determined to make a month’s worth of rum cocktails, just as a challenge.

Here’s A Cocktail Named After A 1960s-Era Sculpture In Flushing Meadows Corona Park

So Jen wanted a rum cocktail this evening and I was flipping through the Jones’ Complete Barguide, going back and forth between the index and names of things that didn’t sound too ridiculous (you assume “Goat’s Delight” will be heinous but it’s actually much less bizarre than the “Mae West,” which is brandy, sugar, cayenne pepper and an egg folk — no, seriously) and I stumbled — not “literally” but out of nowhere just alighted on it — on the Unisphere cocktail: six parts rum, one part grenadine, two parts lime juice, one part Benedictine and one part Pernod (I used a pastis substitute, full disclosure). As you might expect, the anise flavor is present, though it kind of recedes after a while. Why it’s the Unisphere, I have no earthly idea: that said, they made them during a ’64-’65 World’s Fair commemoration in 2008.

We both thought the taste seemed a little thin, and wondered if a little simple syrup would help sort of fill out the texture. It’s a strange combination but even so, we both liked it . . . maybe tweak, who knows.

This Is Just To Say: Ghee On Toasted Bagels

Just that, I had some bagels frozen in the, uh, freezer and instead of butter I used ghee. It was good, especially on the onion one that I usually try to avoid.

This Is Just To Say: Garam Masala And Slow-Cooked Pork Butt

I wanted to try just one spice (or whatever, you know what I mean) to so what’d be like. I slathered a three- or four-pound butt with garam masala, and slow cooked it for about five hours at 300 degrees in a cast iron thing. So if you’d like an introduction, I’m happy to do it!