And the winner is...

Congratulations to Leah Houghtaling, owner of Felicia’s Atomic Lounge, for placing 3rd in Imbibe’s Metaxa Cocktail Competition. Check out the recipe for her drink, the Greek Awake, at Imbibe’s website.

What is Metaxa anyway?

The Greek spirit Metaxa, invented in 1888, is a combination of brandy and wine derived from three different grape varieties (Savatiano, Sultana, Black Corinth). It’s blended with Muscat wine and then aged in oak casks, before it’s infused with a secret mixture of herbs.

You should also check out this month’s issue of Imbibe, which features a great guide to setting up the ultimate home bar.

Griddle Me This

This morning I found myself in the company of some pancakes left over from Sunday’s brunch. Just two lonely pancakes with no plans. Now, I may have mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the McGriddle from that-which-shall-not-be-named. Its tasty, cheesy, hot, melty, bad-for-you deliciousness makes my mouth water. So it didn’t take me long to figure out what to do with those pancakes. Ten minutes later I had a homemade McGriddle-style breakfast sammy, a perfect combination of sweet and salty. For those of you who don’t like your food to mix…look away.

Pancake Sandwich

2 pancakes
2 slices bacon
1 egg, beaten
1 slice cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp maple syrup
salt and pepper

1. Cook the bacon in a small omelets pan until crisp, drain most of the grease, return pan to heat and cook egg omelets style, adding cheese to the center, and folding in half.
2. Layer one pancake with mini cheese omelet, bacon, salt and pepper.
3. Pour over maple syrup and top with the other pancake.

SF Cocktail Week

Mark your calendars for the week of May 11-16 for San Francisco’s Cocktail Week. Events start Monday, May 11 with opening festivities at Le Colonial and end Saturday with a closing party at Jardiniere. One of the many awesome events that caught my eye: a series of mixology classes on a variety of subjects including Distillation 101 and Understand Latin American Spirits. I already have a ticket to the House-made Ingredients class taught by Jeff Hollinger of Absinthe. Check out the full class schedule here.

A few other interesting events to check out:

UNITED STATES BARTENDERS’ GUILD NATIONAL COMPETITION

Tuesday, MAY 12, 2009

San Francisco Local Competition starts at 11:00 am

National Competition starts at 5:00 pm

Harry Denton’s Starlight Room, at the top of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel

450 Powell Street @ Sutter

Admission is free, but all attendees must be 21 or over.

Come cheer on USBG bartender favorites from across the United States as they battle for the coveted National Champion Title. The San Francisco Local Competition starts at 11 am, and the winner will then compete in a National Competition, which begins at 5 pm.

CANE-BASED SPIRITS AND FARMERS’ MARKET COCKTAILS

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 5:30 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.

$30.00 per person

CUESA Kitchen at the San Francisco Ferry Building

The non-profit operator of the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), and San Francisco Cocktail Week will host an evening of Farmers’ market inspired cocktails at the CUESA kitchen in front of the San Francisco Ferry Building. During the evening, guests will sample cane-based cocktails created by renowned Bay Area bartenders using the freshest of farmers’ market ingredients, as well as passed appetizers prepared by some of the Bay Area’s top Chef’s. Cost per entry includes tastes of all demonstrated cocktails, two signature drinks and appetizers.

BAY TO BREAKERS

Sunday Evening,

May 17, 2009 Early until as late as you can handle

Join Erik Ellestad and Daniel Hayatt as they host ”Stomping Through The Savoy,” at The Alembic on Haight Street. The Alembic will do away with their regular cocktail menu and replace it with The Savoy Cocktail Book, written by Harry Craddock, 1930. Always wanted to try the original recipe of the Damn-The-Weather Cocktail? Or how about a properly made Apparent Cocktail? Well, here is your chance. Eric will be on hand from 6 pm until late making cocktails and providing recommendations.Admission is free, but there will be a charge for cocktails.

For a full list of events and to buy tickets, go to the official site.

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Letter C

That’s right, C is for Costco, and Costco is for me. Not just because they are currently carrying one of my favorite cheeses (Delice de Bourgogne) or because you can buy good scotch there, but also because I can get a giant bag of garlic that will ensure that no vampire ever gives this house a second look. We’re talking a food-service sized bag of garlic. And I have plans to use it in a reasonable amount of time too. I am not embarrassed. (Where it calls for 3-4 cloves in a recipe, I use double or triple that amount.)

Anyway, let’s get to the recipe, whose three main ingredients—pasta, cheese, and garlic—can be purchased at Costco and will provide you with many a meal. Yes, you will end up with about 10 pounds of spaghetti, but it’s a worthy investment.

The Costco Shopping List

Christopher Ranch garlic (3lbs)
Garofalo Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti (like, a lot)
Galbani Fresh Mozzarella (3 individually wrapped 1 pound balls, in water)

Garlicky Spaghetti with Broccoli and Cheese

½ pckg whole wheat pasta
½ Tbsp olive oil
5-6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium head of broccoli
2/3 of fresh mozzarella ball, cubed
1 tbsp salted butter (I used Kerrygold)
hard Italian cheese for grating

1. Boil pasta according to instructions.
2. Meanwhile, sauté garlic in olive oil in a large pot (big enough to add pasta later) until tender; steam broccoli until tender, as well.
3. When garlic is soft, add broccoli and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Drain pasta, and add to the pan. Add butter and cheese cubes, toss on low heat.

Serve with grated cheese on top.

All the hype is true

Last Friday evening my friend called me to ask a “big favor.” Her car had broken down and she needed someone to come and pick her up…in San Jose. Because I am such a good friend, and because I had absolutely nothing better to do on a Friday night, the wife and I took a little trip to San Jose, a pretty straight shot on the highway from Emeryville, where the exits were peppered with signs for In-N-Out Burger restaurants. Our friend and her partner had raved many a time about the deliciousness of this place, so on the way back we stopped to get them some dinner. Despite having already had a huge meal, I found room to sample a burger. Some people have a “dessert stomach;” I, apparently, have a cheeseburger stomach. And so began a new-found obsession with In-N-Out. We went back the next day, had another cheeseburger, some fries with cheese, and split a chocolate milkshake. I think I would eat there every day if I thought it wouldn’t kill me.

Why is In-N-Out so truly magical?

In-N-Out Burger, located only in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, has had it’s virtues extolled by many a burger lover, but I am suspicious of everyone’s tastebuds, so I wasn’t expecting anything life-changing.

The menu is simple: burgers, fries, shakes, and soft drinks. Their meat is never frozen and handled by their own butchers before being sent out to stores. The lettuce is “hand-leafed” and burger buns are baked in-house using slow-rising dough. The buns are awesome. Kind of crispy and grilled on the outside, and soft and chewy in the middle. Sigh. And then of course they have a “special” sauce. And a secret menu.

That’s right, you can order a grilled cheese even though it's not up there. Same with the cheese fries. If they have all the stuff to make it, you can probably ask for it. (I’m sure there are some limitations here.) I also recommend getting grilled onions on your burger (or grilled cheese.) So there you have it kids—all the hype, it’s for real.

Mixology Monday: Superior Twists

This month’s Mixology Monday is hosted by Tristan over at The Wild Drink Blog. The theme: Superior twists. That is, he wanted us to alter, or put a twist, on a classic cocktail in such a way that it improved upon the original version.

My favorite cocktail of all time is — without a second thought — the Old Fashioned. So the decision to put a twist on this drink was made with gravity—you just don’t f*&# with this beverage. I was ready to abandon the endeavor at the first sign of trouble. I even had a back-up plan ready for when it didn’t work out—I had no expectations.

Substituting vanilla cognac for bourbon, I was worried the drink would end up tasting too sweet, and that the consistency would be syrupy and unpleasant. But the resulting drink was light and even somewhat refreshing. And though I won’t go so far as to say it’s better than the original, it certainly gets the job done. I present to you the Old Fashioned, with a twist.

The Twisted Old Fashioned

Leaving out the sugar cube and adding orange bitters, rather than Angostura, helps to balance out this drink.

2 oz vanilla cognac (I used Hardy Vanille)
1 thick slice of orange, halved
1 brandied cherry
3-4 dashes Fee Brothers orange bitters
club soda (I used Stirrings)

1. Muddle first four ingredients in a double rocks glass.
2. Fill glass with ice.
3. Top with club soda (or seltzer), stir and serve.

Garnish with a cherry and/or orange slice.

I didn’t have the forethought to infuse my own vanilla cognac, which I will definitely do next time, or to brandy my own cherries ahead of time. So of course, I had to improvise and whipped up a small batch of “brandied” cherries on the fly.

Quick Brandied Cherries
for the lazy and/or unprepared

½ cup frozen sweet cherries, still frozen
1 Tbsp American Honey liqueur, by Wild Turkey
¼ cup brandy
2 Tbsp white sugar
dash of vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and turn on low heat until the cherries have thawed and the sugar has dissolved. Let rest for 15 minutes.


To find out more about Mixology Monday, and to check out next month’s theme, go to http://mixologymonday.com/. Remember to check in at The Wild Drink Blog for the MXMO roundup later this week.

Cooking For One

wrapping the burrito...fails

Beta Wife had to go out of town unexpectedly for a few days—a whole week actually—leaving me to forage in the wilderness of our kitchen until Sunday. There’s a running joke we have that whenever she travels, the animals are fine, but I need regular feeding and watering. For the most part this means I have been known to revert back to bachelor eating habits and cannot be trusted to make sound nutritional decisions.

So maybe it will come as no surprise to some when I say I am fully prepared to finish out the rest of the week eating meals inspired by a giant bag of flour tortillas. This is not to say I don’t have any exciting ideas for cooking with this week’s CSA box; it’s just that when the wife leaves, I get a little bit lazy. Uhm, lazier than usual, that is. So here are some effortless recipes for the lone diner.

Quesadillas with Greens and “Lazy” Salsa

salsa verde (recipe below)
2 large flour tortillas
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
1 cup misc. greens (I used chard and spinach)
vegetable oil

1. Sauté greens in a tsp of olive oil, adding the tougher greens first for longer cooking time. For example, chard or kale would cook longer, spinach need only be wilted.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet on low, coating with a little cooking oil or butter. Put on tortilla in the pan, spinning it in the skillet a few times to spread the oil. Top with cheese
and sautéed greens and heat on very low heat until bottom is crisp and cheese is melted.
3. Coat second tortilla with oil and place on top, flip over, and cook until crisp.
4. Cut into four pieces and serve with sour cream and salsa.

But hey, wait a minute. This is a bachelor meal. You don’t even need to put those greens in there if you don’t want to. You can just eat a big honkin’ pile of greasy, cheese-filled tortilla if you want. While playing video games. In your underwear.

Don’t forget the Corona.

Lazy Salsa

Named for the lack of effort—pre-made salsa with a few improvements.

1 can 7 oz salsa verde (I prefer Herdez brand)
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of ½ lime

1. Mix together and serve.


So after last night’s meal I realized I still had a ways to go with the leftover tortillas and salsa. After taking stock of dry goods in the pantry I found a box of Rice-a-Roni Spanish rice mix and a can of beans.

Bachelor Burrito

1 box Spanish rice
1 can diced tomatoes

1 can beans of your choice (I used red kidney beans), rinsed and drained
¼ cup onion, chopped
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp oregano
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp green onion

1 large tortilla
handful of lettuce, chopped
salsa verde
sour cream
sprinkling of cheese (I used Monterey jack)

1. Cook rice according to directions. Add tomatoes half way through cooking.
2. Put a little olive oil on a small pot, and heat the onion for about minute. Then add beans, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano. Cook on medium low heat until beans are warm. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and green onion.
3. Warm up the tortilla in the microwave or a skillet. Add the all the fixin’s, then put in a scoop of beans and one of rice.
4. Fold it up. Or don’t, and eat it like a giant messy taco. Let the salsa run down your chin. You can do whatever you want, no one’s watching.

I won’t tell you what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow, but it rhymes with huevos.

More Green Ideas

Today in Emeryville it’s one of those special trash pick-up days where you can put out as much junk as you want and the trash people will take it. The sidewalks yesterday and this morning were covered with people’s odd-sized, random crap that looks like someone had a yard sale ten years ago and abandoned it. Dining room chairs and couches, wet suits and typewriters - all of this stuff not found to be a treasure by someone passing by will head off to the landfill. And that’s a lot of trash.

I have a pretty good idea of what constitutes “a lot of trash,” because back in the day I used to help clean up the UNC football stadium after games on Sunday. It was how my ROTC unit made money for activities throughout the year. Normally this was just a moderately disgusting task, but when things really got hairy was when it rained the night before or during cleanup. Nothing like scooping up a few thousand pounds of soggy, wet, stinking refuse. Which is why I especially feel bad for the trash guys today, who are hauling away people’s unwanted, already somewhat nastified stuff, in the rain. And yes, there is a point to all of this…I’m getting there, don’t rush me. The point is, people, don’t make so much trash!

-Compost-

Admittedly this is not easy for everyone. I’m fortunate enough to live in an area where composting is just a part of everyday life. You put your yard waste and food scraps and anything else that can be broken down (dirty newspaper, napkins, etc) in the big green bin and the rest is taken care of for you. In fact, the resulting compost in SF and the East Bay is highly sought after “black gold” for gardens when spring rolls around. However, if you don’t have a local composting program and you do have some yard space, trying doing a little home composting. Your egg shells and grass clippings never need to see the trash bin.

Don’t forget that commercially processed compost can handle a lot of different items, such as cups and straws made from corn, pizza boxes, and bone. To make things easy we have a trashcan, a compost bin lined with a bio-degradable trash bag, and a recycling bin. It’s rare that we have more than one bag of trash in 10 days.

-Use Tupperware Instead of Ziploc-

I love a Ziploc baggy, especially the seasonal ones. And the ones with Spiderman. But I try not to use them if I can use something in their place. It’s easy to throw some chips in a bag to take to lunch or wrap up leftover onion in plastic wrap. But after investing in a nice set of Tupperware, I’ve found pretty much everything can just go in there instead. I’ve even started marinating meats and veggies in there. Of course I still use those little bags, but I just try to use them less, and extend their life. Occasionally I’ll wash them out for reuse, or have a few gallon bags designated to hold freezer items. Saves you some coin too in the long run.

-Waste Less. Eat More-

A few years ago, the Beta Wife and I realized we had a problem—we would go to the grocery store with our dinner plans stored in our head and end up with far too many leftovers for the week. On top of the failure of the mental menu were the items we picked up on impulse. Next thing you know, you’re pulling out mysterious containers of moldy food, and throwing out spoiled veggies and forgotten bits of cheese. Then comes the guilt over the waste, and yet despite good intentions, the cycle continued. But we’ve reformed our wasteful ways when we started planning weekly menus. On paper this time. We’d page through recipes in magazines, account for how many days we’d be eating off of the dishes we made, and then wrote a grocery list.

We also stopped shopping so far in advance for perishable items. I think it’s a good idea to pick up groceries for no more than three meals at a time, especially if you’re buying meat. Then you can leave room for “I don’t have time to cook tonight lets go out”, or, “that meal made more leftovers than I thought, is that beef turning a funny color?” And then there is my personal favorite, “we just drank a whole bottle of wine on an empty stomach, can we order pizza?” You’ll save money on food by wasting less, and cut down on the amount of stuff you have to toss out.
Cooking Light Magazine makes for a great weekday meal resource, and picking up a whiteboard to stick on the fridge is an excellent way to keep up with your weekly menu.

Make Great Coffee At Home

My ideal cup of coffee is poured from a French press and is brewed from freshly ground beans that were roasted within the week. And since we’re talking about ideal, it would also be delivered to me on a tray, in bed, and accompanied by a chocolate cookie. I like to think I make the world’s best cup of coffee; in fact in my barista days, I’m fairly certain I created the world’s best cappuccinos too, though I’ve had a few that have come close. Too bad for you I’m in barista retirement. Anyway, I felt that I should share my “recipe” for making a great cup of coffee at home so you can start the morning properly caffeinated. Your co-workers will appreciate it too.

But first, if you don’t already have one, run out and buy a burr grinder. It’s a good investment. You’ll thank me later. If you’re just sticking with drip coffee, I recommend the Krups GVX1 burr grinder. (If you’re looking for a grinder for your home espresso endeavors, this one is not for you.) It’s a good size, not too bulky or noisy, and you can probably find an excuse to fit it into the budget if coffee is important to you.

The French Press Method

1. Grind coffee no earlier than several minutes before brewing.
2. Heat water, preferably filtered, on the stove or in an electric kettle.
3. Grind coffee on French press setting—this is a coarse grind.
4. Use 2-3 rounded Tbsp of coffee per 6oz of water. (I think 3 tastes best.)
5. Let the water cool slightly before pouring over the coffee. You don’t want it to be “boiling.” This will affect the taste of the coffee.
6. Let steep 3-5 minutes. You may want to adjust the time depending on the coffee that you use. 7. Give in a good stir, then put on the top and press down.
Oh look, it’s the best coffee ever and you made it!
8. Pat self on back, enjoy delicious coffee.

-or-

If you don’t fancy the French press, or you think the murkiness of the finished product is not for you, try making your coffee with a manual pour over brewing device. They cost about five bucks and you can pack them up and take them anywhere. You’ll just need some coffee filters and you’re good to go.

The Pour Over Method

1. Grind coffee no earlier than several minutes before brewing.
2. Heat water, preferably filtered, on the stove or in an electric kettle.
3. Use the grinder setting for a cone shaped filter (the result is a finer grind)
4. Put your 3 Tbsp of coffee in and pout the water over slowly. You may need to give it a quick stir to make sure all the coffee is getting saturated.
5. Compost the filter (coffee is acidic and good for the garden).
6. Enjoy coffee while patting oneself on the back.

A few basic rules about beans:

1. Try not to buy more coffee than you’ll use in a week.
2. Store your coffee in a cool dark place, such as canister.
3. Never freeze your coffee! I don’t care what anyone tells you, unless you’re stocking up because you live in a remote bunker and only leave the compound once a month for supplies, no, no, no.
4. Grind only as much as you need.

If you want to learn more about coffee and prefer to do so through a book, I suggest you get a copy of Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying by Kenneth Davids. This book was recommended to me by my old boss, the roaster and owner of Cup A Joe in Chapel Hill, NC, and it’s the best I’ve come across. Davids takes you through the history, legend, harvest, roasting, and brewing of coffee. After reading it, the next time you go in to your favorite café/roaster, you won’t point to the unroasted greens and ask, “are those, like, dried peas or something?” I just saved you some embarrassment. You’re welcome.

You can get a cheap used copy at abebooks.com. The cheapest “new” Krups grinder I can find on the net from a non-sketchy site is here. Krups also has one for $50, but currently lists them as “out of stock.” Suuure they are.

Gimme! Coffee

I got a nice surprise in the mail last week. A pound of coffee showed up at my doorstep courtesy of my good buddy, a roaster for Gimme! Coffee, based out of Ithaca, NY. Colleen Anunu, who was recently featured in Roast Magazine (May/June ’08), is the roasting manager for Gimme!, where she’s in charge of roasting operations and buying greens, and sometimes gets to travel to cool places.

The coffee I received was the Panama (Hartmann Honey), a medium roast that I’ve been drinking every morning for the past week. Kind of toasted and nutty, I know already I’m going to be very sad when it’s gone. Perhaps this gift was secretly a ploy to get me hooked again? If so, it’s sort of working. Now I’m craving all of my old favorites…Damn you Colleen, I’m trying to forget my past!
To order some of this amazing coffee you can go to www.gimmecoffee.com, where you can also check out Colleen the Roaster’s blog for coffee updates and insight. To have a cup of coffee expertly prepared for you, grab a cup at one of these locations in NY.

Alpha Cook Turns One!

Today is officially the one year anniversary of your all-time favorite food blog, Alpha Cook. This is also post #100 in case you are counting. (I personally think sloth can be a virtue.) Finally I have found an activity that can hold my flea-sized attention span for more than a few months! Of course, the occasional pestering from a certain spouse and friends never hurts either. I have “big plans” for the upcoming year: more booze, book reviews, local interest, a lot more sarcasm and maybe even a little gardening. Over the summer you can look forward to plenty of grilling, cold beer, and homemade condiments. In the next few months I’ll be working my way through a few old reprinted cocktail books and trying out some (many?) of the recipes. Aren’t you excited? Just nod your head and keep going for this year’s highlights.

A few fun facts

Age of Alpha Cook: 1

No. of subscribers (after subtracting parents and spouse): 26

No. of visits to blog for the month of August 'o8: 191
No. of visits to blog for the month of March '09: 1, 202

Times I cursed Blogger for ruining my day: somewhere in the thousands

Topic of my first post: whiskey

Most interesting keyword search leading to Alpha Cook (this was a tie): shelf life of an unopened bottle of thousand island AND how much does it cost to produce a sandwich

Most popular keyword search leading to Alpha Cook: homemade pop tarts

Most amusing keyword search leading to Alpha Cook: what holidays are celebrated with drinking
(uhm, like all of them--do these people not have family?)

Amount of whiskey consumed during my “creative time”: details fuzzy

Thanks for reading, now let’s go have some celebratory whiskey.

Who, Me?

A conversation that will take place sometime in the very near future:

Beta Wife: Hey, what happened to that bag of Cadbury chocolate eggs?
Alpha Cook: Huh?
Beta Wife: I said, what happened to the bag of chocolate eggs?
Alpha Cook: Oh, you mean the ones with the crispy sugared shell and delicious milk chocolate?
Beta Wife: (with hands on hips) Uh-huh.
Alpha Cook: (with sincere puzzled look) I have no idea.