Definition: Schnapps vs. Liqueur

I noticed that we have both peach schnapps and peach liqueur in our home bar, and they taste pretty different.  What's the difference between schnapps and liqueur?  I was still a little confused by the Wikipedia definitions below so found this answer on a couple of websites.

Schnapps are fermented and distilled; liqueurs are simply fruits steeped in an alcohol which has already been fermented and distilled.

From Wikipedia:

Schnapps
In general, it refers to any kind of strong alcoholic beverage.

American schnapps are alcoholic beverages that are produced by mixing neutral grain spirit with fruit flavors or with other flavors. This mixture is then bottled with added sugar and (usually) glycerine, producing a smooth, syrup-like drink. Their alcohol content can be between 15% and 50% ABV (30–100 proof).  These drinks technically fall into the category of liqueurs because of their added sugar content.

Liqueur
It's an alcoholic beverage made from distilled alcohol that has been flavored with fruit, cream, herbs, spices, flowers or nuts and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.

In the United States and Canada, where spirits are often called "liquor", there is often confusion over liqueurs and liquors, especially as many spirits today are available in flavored form (e.g. flavored vodka). The most reliable rule of thumb is that liqueurs are quite sweet and often syrupy in consistency, while liquors are not.  In parts of the United States, liqueurs may also be called cordials or schnapps.

Definition: Mirepoix

Mirepoix

Pronounced meer-PWAH. 

A culinary preparation created in the 18th century by the cook of the Duc de Levis-Mirepoix, a French field marshal and ambassador of Louis XV.  It consists of a mixture of diced vegetables (carrot, onion, celery);  raw ham or lean bacon is added when the preparation is au gras (with meat).

A mirepoix is used to enhance the flavors of meat, game and fish, in the preparation of sauces, and as a garnish for dishes.

When a mirepoix is used in braised or pot-roasted dishes, it should be simmered gently in a covered pan until all the vegetables are very tender and can impart their flavor to the dish.

Source:  Larousse Gastronomique

Bon Appetit's 20 Most Important Restaurants in America

Bon Appetit has announced it's 20 Most Important Restaurants in America.

Here, Andrew Knowlton (Bon Appetit's The Foodist columnist) explains it all.

The 20 Most Important Restaurants in America

1. Momofuku, multiple locations
2. The Restaurant at Meadowood, Napa, CA
3. Husk, Charleston, SC
4. Alinea, Chicago, IL
5. Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
6. Roberta's, Brooklyn, NY
7. Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY
8. Pok Pok, Brooklyn, NY and Portland, OR
9. Mission Chinese Food, New York, NY and San Francisco, CA
10. Uchi/Uchiko, Austin, TX
11. Animal, Los Angeles, CA
12. Avec, Chicago, IL
13. Le Bernardin, New York, NY
14. Cochon, New Orleans, LA
15. The Walrus and the Carpenter, Seattle, WA
16. Shake Shack, multiple locations
17. Franklin Barbecue, Austin, TX
18. Balthazar, New York, NY
19. Primo, Rockland, ME
20. Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco, CA 

He mentions these as Hall of Famers:

• Daniel, NYC
• Jean-Georges, NYC
• WD~50, NYC
• The Spotted Pig, NYC
• Zuni Café, SF
• Chez Panisse, Berkeley, CA
• Frontera Grill, Chicago
• The French Laundry, Yountville, CA
• Canlis, Seattle
• Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY
• Craft, NYC
• Spago, Los Angeles
• Babbo, NYC

 

Do you think his list is missing any restaurants?

 

 

 

Chipotle testing a new vegetarian menu item "Sofritas"

Chiptole plans to test a new vegetarian menu item called "Sofritas" in seven San Francisco Bay Area restaurants starting today:

• 525 Market in San Francisco
• 121 Fourth St. in San Francisco
• 126 New Montgomery in San Francisco
• 2019 Chess Drive in San Mateo
• 251 East 3^rd Ave. in San Mateo
• 180 El Camino Real in Palo Alto
• 135 El Camino Real in Millbrae.

What are Sofritas?  They're shredded tofu braised with chipotle chilis, roasted poblanos and a blend of aromatic spices made with organic, non-GMO tofu from Oakland's Hodo Soy.

Sofritas will be available in burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and salads and can be combined with other signature ingredients, including white or brown cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans or vegetarian black beans, house-made salsas and guacamole, and cheese or sour cream.

The test may be expanded to additional markets in the future.

I'm curious to taste these so-called Sofritas.

Definition: Bisque vs. Chowder

I think I'm going to have Mondays become "Definition Days" here on the blog.

Today's words are:  BISQUE and CHOWDER.

What is the difference between a bisque and a chowder? 

bisque
A seasoned shellfish puree flavored with white wine, Cognac and fresh cream, used as the basis of a soup.  The flesh of the main ingredient (crayfish, lobster, crab, etc.) is diced as for salpicon and used as a garnish.  The shells are also used to make the initial puree. 

It is thought the name is derived from Biscay, as in Bay of Biscay, but the crustaceans are certainly bis cuites "twice cooked" (by analogy to a biscuit) for they are first sautéed lightly in their shells, then simmered in wine and aromatic ingredients, before being strained, followed by the addition of cream.

In case you were wondering what "salpicon" is:
salpicon
Ingredients that are diced (often very finely), then bound with sauce (in the case of vegetables, meat, poultry, game, shellfish, fish or eggs) or with syrup or cream (for a fruit salpicon).  The word comes from Spanish sal (salt) and picar (cut).

So. . . Tomato Bisque is probably a misnomer unless there's shellfish in it.  It likely should be called a Tomato Soup or Tomato Cream Soup.  I guess "bisque" just sounds fancier.

chowder
A seafood or vegetable stew (or thickened soup), often served with milk or cream and mostly eaten with saltine crackers. Chowder is usually thickened with broken up crackers, but some varieties are traditionally thickened with crushed ship biscuit. New England clam chowder, perhaps the best known chowder, is typically made with chopped clams and diced potatoes, in a mixed cream and milk base, often with a small amount of butter. Other common chowders include Manhattan clam chowder, which substitutes tomatoes for the milk and cream and typically omits potatoes; corn chowder, which uses corn instead of clams; a wide variety of fish chowders; and potato chowder, which is often made with cheese.

The origin of the term chowder is obscure. One possible source is the French word chaudière, the type of pot in which the first chowders were probably cooked. (This, if true, would be similar to the origin of casserole, a generic name for a set of main courses originally prepared in a dish called a casserole.)

Source: Larousse Gastronomique, Wikipedia.com

The World's Most Expensive Cocktail

The Guinness Book of World Records has a new "World's Most Expensive Cocktail."  The cocktail cost $12,916, and the anonymous buyer apparently only took a few sips, paid for it and left!

The cocktail has 2 shots of 154-year Croizet cognac as well as Grand Marnier Quintessence, Chartreuse Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé and a dash of Angostura Bitters.

A bottle of the cognac has a $157,000 value and it goes for $6,000 per shot.  (That makes Louis XIV look cheap!)

Here's the article from the Wall Street Journal:  A $13,000 Cocktail Goes to Waste

Recipe: Arugula, Grape and Almond Salad with Saba Vinaigrette

We made the Arugula, Grape and Almond Salad with Saba Vinaigrette recipe in the Nov 2012 issue of Bon Appetit (p.108) this past week.  This is now my FAVORITE salad ever.  So easy to make, and the flavors just meld and complement each other so nicely.

Tips:

• Make sure the grapes are seedless and sweet.
• We used a spring mix of lettuce that included arugula.
• Since we didn't have saba which is a "cooked grape juice,' we used aged balzamic vinegar as the recipe suggested.
• Manchego and sliced almonds worked quite nicely.

You must try this recipe!!!

Make room for Champagne!

I was reading an article in Food and Wine Magazine by Ray Isle "A Wine-Buying Strategy for Every Personality" (Jan 2013, p. 70).  I love how he ends the article:

And one final note:  No matter what kind of life you lead, leave room in your fridge for at least one bottle of Champagne.  Bottles of Champagne are like umbrellas:  The day you don't have one on you is always the day that you absolutely, positively need one.

I second that! 

Send your loved one a chocolate heart for V-Day. . . or maybe not

This is just weird and a little creepy.

Dude, Sweet Chocolate, a chocolatier in Dallas is taking orders for a chocolate (anatomically correct?) heart.

2 lbs. of South American Chocolate Love... Studded with Cocoa Puff Marshmallows, Crack in The Box & Crumbled Waffle Cone.
$45.00

They are taking pre-orders now if this floats your (or your significant other's) boat.

http://dudesweetchocolate.com/main.sc