Comestiblog

The Lillet-tini, Lillet Martini, Ohranj Martini, etc.

A number of years ago, my friend Darrin Siegfried of Brooklyn's Red White & Bubbly introduced me to a delightful—albeit potent—cocktail.  As he put it, "the people from Lillet came up with it to help promote their apéritif, but they gave it the improbable name of the Lillet-tini.  Now, seriously: who is going to order that?"  Perhaps it wasn't the best choice of names, but it remains an undeniably delicious drink.  It was my late wife's favorite.

The Lillet-tini (Jennifer's drink):

• 1 part Lillet Blonde (also known as Lillet Blanc)
• 1 part Stolichnaya Ohranj

Pour over ice in a rocks glass, garnish with an orange slice.

or

Stir over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange slice.

A Memorial Day toast to you, Jennifer.

Bánh Mì Comes to Amherst!

This Memorial Day weekend coincides with commencement activities at the University of Massachusetts, my alma mater.  Not much has changed since the time of my studies there last century.  Bars, pubs, and other banal food purveyors continue to dominate Amherst's restaurant scene.  How much beer, pizza, and ice cream does the average student require?  The recent opening of Miss Saigon, however, changed that somewhat by introducing the Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich to this college town.

Having been spoiled by the marvelous sandwiches of Sunset Park's Ba Xuyên (as well as those of several others in Brooklyn and Manhattan), I was quite disappointed with the mediocrity of Boston's putative best.  Thus, I was highly skeptical of what Amherst's Miss Saigon had to offer.  That skepticism was quickly dispelled with the first bite, however.

Miss Saigon's version of the bánh mì sandwich is quite tasty.  A crusty baguette, pâté schmear, meat, cilantro, julienned carrots and daikon, onions, jalapeños, and sliced cucumber are collated expertly to produce a successful flavor alliance.  Eliminating even one of the foregoing ingredients would result in a lesser sandwich.  Though the meat choices—classic pork, BBQ beef, and BBQ chicken—seem somewhat limited, they afford a satisfactory variety.  Better to have a few good selections than a lot of bad ones.  The $3.95 price represents a relative bargain when compared with Quiznos' $4 bomb it calls the Toasty Torpedo (a foot-long breadstick disguised as a sandwich).

While a bit pricey at $4.50, the milkshakes are delicious. Their lack of sweetness makes them particularly refreshing compared with the average shake.  The durian, with its clean taste, is rapidly becoming a favorite.  (In an earlier post, I had described the flavor as a combination of egg salad and papaya.)  Also available are the increasingly popular pearl boba drinks (bubble tea), priced at $3.

In addition to its bánh mì sandwiches, Miss Saigon offers an extensive selection of Vietnamese dishes.  Meals are available in the dining room or for takeout.

Miss Saigon

96 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA   01002

(413) 253-9988

http://www.amherstpho.com/

Foodbuzz Extravaganza at David Burke Townhouse

To celebrate its millionth post, Foodbuzz threw a bash fit for a millionaire on Tuesday, 12 May 2009, at davidburke townhouse on Manhattan's East Side.  Even this old fresser was not prepared for the unending barrage of delights with which I was besieged.  Never has my appetite been so helplessly overpowered.

If David Burke, one of this year's inductees into the James Beard Foundation's Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America and 2009 chef/innovator honoree by the Nation's Restaurant News MenuMasters was out to impress a bunch of foodists, he surely succeeded.  Chef Sylvain Delpique's variety of gustatory masterpieces—highlighted by mouthwatering hors d'œuvre—provided a culinary version of Plato's Retreat.  Needless to say, it was a marvelous evening of merrymaking with my fellow food bloggers.  Thanks a million, Foodbuzz!

How's this for openers?

Assorted dumplings

Scallop ceviche

Lobster flan in an eggshell

The Lobster Scramble was one of my favorites

Foie gras

Chicken Satay

The tuna tartare was my overall favorite

The sliders were cooked and seasoned to perfection

The Carving Station:

The salmon was moist, tender, and seasoned perfectly

Medium-rare: Just the way I like it!

Succulent roasted turkey

The sauce complemented the bird well

Prime rib of beef au jus—need I say more?

The Desserts:

Apple tartlets

Butterscotch panna cotta

Chocolate bouchons

Doughnut-like creme-filled beignets—Beighnuts?

The signature Cheesecake Lollipop Tree

Some of the people who made it possible:

David Burke

Sylvain Delpique, chef de cuisine

Ben Dehan, Foodbuzz CEO and founder

Foodbuzzers Ryan Stern, managing editor (left),
Devon O'Donell, director of partnerships (right)

davidburke townhouse

133 East 61^st Street (between Park & Lexington Avs), East Side, Manhattan

(212) 813-2121

http://www.davidburketownhouse.com/

By train: F,N,R,W to Lexington Av; 4,5,6 to 59 St
By bus: M1, M2, M3, M4 (uptown); M101, M102, M103 (downtown), Q32

A Margarita for Cinco de Mayo

One needn't wait till Cinco de Mayo to enjoy a Margarita—any warm day would be just fine.  Contrary to popular belief, the Fifth of May is not Mexico's Independence Day.  Rather, it is a somewhat minor, regional holiday—observed mainly in the state of Puebla—commemorating the Mexican army's improbable victory over superior French forces in the 1862 Battle of Puebla.  Curiously, the holiday is celebrated chiefly north of the border.  (Mexico's actual Independence Day falls on 16 September:  dieciséis de septiembre).

Enough about history—how does one make a great Margarita?  To begin, it's best to avoid mixes.  While they may taste insidiously good, they contain ingredients that sound as though they'd be best avoided.  For example, Jose Cuervo's Margarita Mix—admittedly one of the tastiest of the genre—contains "water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (to preserve flavor), cellulose gum, polysorbate 60, gum Arabic, glycerol Abietate, and FD&C Yellow No. 5."

Instead of mixing with all those chemicals, why not simplify the drink to include just three components?  The best Margaritas are made with tequila, triple sec, and fresh lime juice.  Using premium ingredients may cost a little more, but the results are worth every penny.  Begin with a superior tequila—never settle for anything made with less than 100% blue agave (Mexican law mandates at least 51% agave; no such minimum exists for domestic "tequilas").  Cointreau, a liqueur from Angers (pronounced ahn·ZHAY), France—produced from curaçao oranges—ranks as the crème de la crème of triple sec.  Its orange peel flavor is an essential part of a great Margarita.  Not to be overlooked is the fruit juice: fresh squeezed limes are a must.  Again, a mix tastes all right; fresh lime juice, however, tastes far better.

While optional, the final ingredient is Kosher salt.  Use it to salt the rim of the glass, if you so desire.  Now that we have all the ingredients, is there anything else we need?  Yes!  Never underestimate the importance of proper glassware.  Genuine Margarita glasses add that little extra appeal to the drink.  Avoid water goblets or anything of that ilk.

Ready to mix?  Here, then, is my recipe for the perfect Margarita:

The ideal tequila-to-Cointreau ratio is 4:π (or roughly 4:3.1416).

In terms of measure for one drink:

• 2 ounces 100% blue agave tequila
• 1½ ounces (+ a drop or 2) Cointreau
• Juice of 1 to 1½ limes

Your interpretation of perfection may vary, however.  It's easy to adjust the ingredients to your taste.

Shake well, serve with a slice of lime, and enjoy!