RebeccaChapa.com

Yes, granted, my job is kinda weird.  I do all sorts of random things but even I concede that the weirdest of them all is the Vegas Bar Show.  The Show is run by Nightclub and Bar Magazine in Las Vegas annually in conjunction with the Restaurant Show and Hotel Show.  The Vegas Bar Show is to my knowledge the largest in the United States.  I have not been to any of the other shows, but this show is really unique.

At this show you not only find great spirits producers, interesting innovations but also craziness, craziness to put other spiritous events to shame.  The event is fun of course as you get to run around and taste new spirits but at the same time there are a slew of wristband vendors, glassware vendors, disc jockey suppliers, urinal cake vendors, exterminators, etc.  So if you are in fact a bar or restaurant owner this show has some very real merit to you.  Add to that energy drinks, costume salespeople (do you remember that CSI about Las Vegas’ Furries that dress up in animal costumes?  They had these there in case you need them), and stripper pole salespeople.  Spirits companies have realized that the majority of attendees are male and as a result have numerous “models” on hand to promote their products, dancing, sliding down plastic slides into pools of energy drinks and the like.  Ironically the show has a disclaimer that says “Attendees would avoid wearing any clothing that may be interpreted as promiscuous, provacative or overly suggestive.”  but no one seemed to be cited.

The bar show is not all about fun and games and “micro” wrestling, it also offers many seminars, mix offs, parties and event that make it educational.  While the scene was very crazy I was able to glean some interesting information about new trends and some interesting products!

Great Products (REALLY!)

Amarula Cream

This was an exciting spirit from Africa made from the Marula tree.  Technically known as teh “Sclerocarya Birrea” this tree produces a fruit with white flesh around a large stone.  Elephants are known to be drawn to the fragrant ripening fruit and come from miles away to eat from the tree, so it’s also known as the “Elephant Tree”.    This liqueur is made from this Marula fruit and has a really unique flavor.  Texturally it is of course creamy, but it is not as sweet as you would expect.  I can think of some really interesting applications for it and have to say I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it as I am not usually a fan of cream liqueurs!  Imported by A.V. Brands, Columbia, MD.

Mekhong The Spirit of Thailand www.thespiritofthailand.com 

Mekhong was something I had never tried and I really liked it.  It comes from Thailand and is really unique, like nothing I have ever tasted.  It is distilled from cane and about 5% rice.  They have created a recipe book with the team at Employees Only in Manhattan and I expect that once tasted by more bartenders this will be a bit hit across the country.  Somewhat spiced, strong yet not overly so and very mixable with citrus or tropical fruits it was exotic and intriguing.  I can’t wait to get a bottle in my hands to see what else it’s capable of!

Mejor Tequila www.mejortequila.com

Mejor offers some really flavorful and correct tequilas.  They had a silver, Reposado and Anejo but I have to say I was also intrigued by the appearance and packaging of their pink tequila.  I guess I am a girl after all.  What I liked about it was that it was a pretty shade of pink but was pure and agave flavored like the silver.  No added energy enhancements, supplements, bitterness, flavoring etc., just pink!

Firestarter Vodka www.firestarter-vodka.com

Although it was late in the day and I had no desire to taste another vodka, the package for this product was truly exceptional.  The vodka is made of wheat and comes from Moldova which is interesting, but the draw is that it resembles an actual fire extinguisher and has a really cool box that houses it.  The only thing I would worry about is that if I got too drunk and there was a fire, I might grab the bottle and make the fire worse.  That’s just me though I guess.

Questionable products, but perhaps useful:

Urine Off by Bio-Pro Research www.urineoff.com 

I took notice of this due to the very fancy rolling “briefcases” they were doling out and did some research.  The catalog says “Urine Off uses green technology to permanently remove the toughest urine odors and stains, even old stains.”  “Urine Off also works on other body fluids such as semen, blood, etc. and many organic deposits…an effective weapon to solve the toughest hospitality issues.”  This product makes me never want to stay in a hotel again.  Did you know that the remote control is the dirtiest thing in the hotel room?  Think about it. 

The Booze Belly by P&P Imports www.pandpimports.com

This handy plastic “belly” holds your favorite beverage against your belly so that you can sneak it into a sporting event.  I was surprised that they didn’t have booze boobies, and a bit disappointed.  I would think that most folks that are desparate to smuggle their beer into a game against their belly where it gets all warm and steamy may not have that much extra room for the Booze Belly, but the boobies would be useful don’t you think?  Except that whether or not your team wins at the end of the game you’d be feeling a bit deflated.  They also sell floating beer pong holders.  Can someone tell me how you play beer pong in the pool?

VingCard www.vingcard.com

You know this company for their very useful cards that work (sometimes) on hotel room doors allowing you access to your room.  That is unless you happen to be like me who shorts the magnetic cards out all the time.  The good news is that they have exciting new technology that should allow you to use what usually shorts those cards out, your PHONE to get into your room.  I didn’t get a chance to check it out but it sounded convenient to me.  On a side note, I stayed at the Flamingo, one of the Harrah’s casino chain and was dismayed that my room key card looked exactly like my Harrah’s Casino players card, whose brilliant idea was that?  I was giving my room key to the pit boss and trying to open my door with points.

Noah’s Ark Resort 801 785 3680

Seems that this company sells the right for sale for 300 lovely animal motif rooms that look like Noah’s Ark.  “All features are Noah and the Flood related.”  Computer generated rainstorms and rainbow in the Rainbow Restaurant and best of all Mt Ararat ballroom.  I think if you have a hankering to open a business franchise screw Dunkin’ Donuts, this is what you’ve been waiting for.

And the winners for NOT such a good idea:

Agwa de Bolivia Coca Leaf Liquor www.agwabuzz.com 

Sorry, but anything that says “Warning No More Than 3!” is not for me, but perhaps you would really enjoy it.  This liqueur contains 40 grams of coca leaf extract per liter and is made, where else, Amsterdam.  It happens to be 100% Natural and also contains Guarana and Ginseng, talk about a buzz.  They suggest serving with a bite of fresh lime before which “activates the alkaloids of the coca leaf to produce a powerful oxygen buzz.”  I opted to skip this one. 

Smokeless Cigarettes (multiple booths)

Pure nicotine straight to your lungs!  You don’t even need matches!  Apparently it’s better for you since you don’t have to get all the carbon monoxide, just pure nicotine.  YUM!

The DraftMaster by ESS Ellickson Software Systems 866 503-0578

“The 21st century pitcher!”  “Allow your customers to pour their own draft beer AT THEIR TABLE while you control How much they consume… Get paid for every drop!”  How in the world is this legal?  Does this tap card them too?  Although I think I see a place for this in airport bars where it seems the waitresses don’t realize that EVERYONE in there has places to go.  Except them.  Ok, now I see.

Off the strip

Laura Herbert, my good friend from grammar school who happens to now be on the Board of Trustees of the Burlesque Hall of Fame www.burlesquehall.com has shown me that there is more to Vegas than the strip.  First, Frankie’s Tiki Bar is a great place, not too far from the strip, to indulge in your inner tiki.  Be aware that it tends to be pretty smoky but the cocktails are great and the new owner has created a crazy tiki vibe.  The way Vegas should be!

Forever locals have been telling me about the infamous Lotus of Siam restaurant, 953 E Sahara Ave #A-5, 702 735-3033  Hard to get into but worth it and their Tom Ka Gai might just burn a hole in your stomach or make you cry, so be CAREFUL!  But it’s well worth the pain.  The food is incredible and the wine list is something Riesling and Gruner Veltliner afficionados would die for, and well priced.  I am sure that after saying this that my Vegas friends will give me the “what for” for telling you about it and this may need to come off my site soon, so take down the info and GO!

Laura and I hit a party for Hendrick’s Gin at the Artisan Hotel, (1501 W Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89102 www.theartisanhotel.com) one of the nicer properties off the strip.  Comfortable bar, cozy atmosphere and apparently a great place to stay.  Maybe I was swayed by the Hendrick’s cocktails?  But I had a great time.  Sometimes you just need to get away, even in Vegas.  Try also the Green Valley Ranch and the Red Rock Hotel, two nice off strip casino hotels that let you escape the strip mania.

TIPS

I was able to get a $56 rate at the Flamingo Hotel, very decent accomodations, because I am a gamber.  If you gamble at all please be sure to get a players card at each location at which you spend money because you can get great discounts!

Almost weekly I get a call or email asking what it takes to be in the wine business.  For awhile I even got calls saying, ok, so I just got in the wine business last quarter and I have taken a few classes, so I was wondering how I can do what you do?!

I respond, “Well, it’s a long road!”  And I explain my path… College education in food & beverage, great connections,  lucky chances, bartending, retail experience, waiting tables, inventory, stocking, intensive study for the MW, money spent on travel, humility, etc. and then they say, “Well, I want to do what you do but in 3 years, not 10.” 

WOW!  Do they realize how insulting that sounds?  I think to myself, ”So do you really mean to say that I wasted all that time stocking and serving drinks and such, and that you could just take a class and be a professional.  Really?”  Sure if I had just had that bright idea of calling up a professional in the industry and asking for an informational interview I’d be Jancis Robinson today.  NOT!   

I was fortunate enough to be trained by the best in the business, those that were at the top of their game and I believe that if you ask most of them they will tell you that there are no short cuts into the wine business.

 Of course there will be those that say, “But I have a fantastic resume!”  And sadly a lot of those folks do get very impressive sounding jobs.  I’ve been seeing a lot of this lately.  Now that anyone can blog, who needs real world experience?  Ironically many publications will hire someone just on a resume (lucky you!) and allow you to write a column or feature or whatever because they think you have great credentials.  But the truth is do they fact check?  Do they know that your last five “gigs” were incredibly unhappy with your performance?  Do they realize that REAL educators actually then have to step in and perform crisis control?  Do they understand that you are actually a fraud?  All too soon they will realize that not only is their new hire not qualified, but they are not respected in the industry. 

I may sound overly critical, but I just really don’t want you to fall into the same trap.  Credentials may help get you to the top, but you won’t be able to stay there and it certainly won’t make you any friends. It reminds me of one of the greatest management concepts I learned at Cornell, the Peter principle, “In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence.”   This happens more often than you can imagine and it’s a recipe for a quick rise in the industry and a quick fall from grace. 

Believe me, I understand the desire to take the fast track, but when you guys who want the fast track ask me for my advice and then tell me that you are not willing to put in the time and effort to get there, I immediately lose respect.  Ask any MW/MS and they will tell you that achieving success in the wine industry is not a short term proposition.  It takes years, even a lifetime or generations.  You are dealing with a product that is many years in the making.  Patience in the wine industry is more than a virtue, it’s a necessity.

So here are my top 10 suggestions for becoming successful in the wine business (not to imply that I am a success by the way.)

10.  Be OPEN to ideas.  There is no one right way, no one credential or degree that can buy you a spot at the top of the business.  There is no perfect job to launch your career.  Don’t forget that it’s not the destination but your path that is what makes you an asset to the wine industry.  I never did achieve the Master of Wine title but if I did not devote so much time and energy to it I would not have made it to where I am today.  I would not trade those years for any initials after my name.

9.  Be INQUISITIVE.  Ask questions, get opinions, do research, find out as many possible explanations as possible and then search for the answers.  

8.  Be PROACTIVE.  No one, not even the very best educators out there, will be able to teach you what you need to know to become an expert.  You must always be learning, searching, enriching yourself.  This is not a static business but requires constant research.  Take what resonates with you from each mentor and find your own truth by combining all these lessons.

7.  Be SOCIAL.  Your best possible asset is the network you create.  Getting to know the major players can be helpful, but do not discount your peers or those you would think are “behind you.”  You never know where these people are going to pop up.

6.  Be GENUINE.  It’s all too obvious when someone is out there trying to gain momentum by stepping on the shoulders of others rather than taking the time to chart a course all their own. 

5.  Be RESPECTFUL.  Do not assume the business owes you anything.  We are very fortunate to have opportunities to taste, experience, dine, and travel.  Take these for granted and you will have lost an incredible lesson. 

4.  Be KIND.  Don’t forget that you are not in the business alone.  There are plenty of support staff that help you do what you do.  A busser or dishwasher in a restaurant, a delivery person, vineyard workers, these people all incorporate their work and effort into making you look good and making you a success.  The way you treat them ultimately reflects on your reputation.  I am amazed at how I have seen people treated.  You would be surprised to find that it does not go unnoticed and immediately reflects on your character.

3.  Be PROFESSIONAL.  It seems so simple, but the wine business is still a business.  You are expected to conduct yourself in a manner that is comparable to other businesses.  For example, that does not mean that you do not return phone calls, emails, etc. (I am definitely email/voice mail “challenged” but I never DELETE an email or voicemail without EVENTUALLY following up).  It also seems like second nature, but even at times when the business becomes social you should still be a consummate professional, ie you should not be getting drunk at tastings, driving under the influence, etc.  The benefits of this business are great but the pressures that alcohol consumption can place on you are also great, so be aware that your behavior always reflects upon your reputation whether at a tasting, event or party.  It’s a balancing game between being a fun addition to a party while still maintaining respectability.  (There are of course times I have slipped off that balance beam, I’m no Mary Lou you know.)

2.  Be GENEROUS.  With your time, your passion.  And hopefully your wine.

1.  Be HUMBLE.  Humility is an essential tenet of the industry, there is always more to learn, another vintage, another region, another paradigm shift.  Don’t ever be cocky, and don’t forget where you started, try to inspire those just starting on the same path.

When I was younger and my father became a golf fanatic we traveled to any and every golf destination and waited while he played.  We would usually find something to occupy our time, save for that one day he decided to play 36 holes.  It is always a good idea to find a resort that offers more than just the greens.

Santa Barbara Sidesaddle

Alisal Guest Ranch Resort in the Santa Ynez Valley offers much more than two 18-hole championship golf courses. Golfers can enjoy The Ranch Course designed by William Bell Jr., a par 72 course that spans 6,500 yards surrounded by sycamores that give the Alisal its name. There are also 10, 000 plus acres of this working cattle ranch to enjoy. While there are no TVs or phones (and limited cellular phone service), guests can enjoy tennis, hiking, a petting zoo, and riding the 50 miles of trails on horseback. When the morning’s activities have worked up a big thirst guest can jaunt over the bridge to the quaint Danish town of Solvang with wine tasting rooms galore. Try Mandolina (www.mandolinawines.com), Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards (Malbec and Viognier are especially good) www.llwine.com and Stolpman www.stolpmanvineyards.com. There are also many area wineries that offer tours and tastings, most by appointment. The resort offers winemaker dinners, winery tours, boot camps, team building and golf events. For heavy hitters the Alisal even offers “Rent the Ranch Buy Out” programs where for a price you can take over all 73 rooms and the ranch. www.alisal.com 800 688-6411 www.sbcountywines.com

Alisal Trail Ride

Livermore Links

A close jaunt from San Francisco, Livermore wine country beckons with multiple wine tasting opportunities. The Course at Wente, a Greg Norman-designed course offers unique opportunities to play and taste. Wente Vineyards offers a Golf Stay & Play package in conjunction with The Lafayette Park Hotel (www.wentevineyards.com). This winery, founded in 1883, is now managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. Other local tasting rooms abound, Murrieta’s Well, their White Meritage a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc is especially refreshing after a round (www.murrietaswell.com) , Tamas Estates (www.tamasestates.com) , Concannon Vineyard (www.concannonvineyard.com), Steven Kent Winery www.stevenkent.com) and La Rochelle (www.LRwine.com). Touring information for the area can also be found at www.livermorewine.com.

Karl Wente at Murrieta's Well

Monterey and Carmel

Golfers and foodies alike will find mecca at Pebble Beach Food & Wine to be held April 16-19, 2009. The Lodge at Pebble Beach as well as the Inn at Spanish Bay offer luxurious lodging amidst some of the best and most scenic golf courses in the world, The Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spanish Bay, and Spyglass Hill Golf Course, considered one of the toughest in the world. (www.pebblebeach.com) During the event numerous wine tastings and culinary opportunities abound as star chefs and wine professionals lead tastings and seminars. If you cannot make it to this premiere event, consider the Monterey County Vintners Great Wine Escape Weekend each November (www.montereywines.org) a weekend of food and wine seminars and dinners at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa (www.montereyplazahotel.com) and sneak away for some golf during the afternoon. Or head inland to the Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club (www.quaillodge.com) in Carmel Valley and take off on your own to area wineries and tasting rooms. Bernardus, Galante and Morgan even have tasting rooms in the town of Carmel, in walking distance of each other and local galleries and restaurants. (www.carmelcalifornia.org) While wineries across the state of California use the delicious Monterey fruit to produce wine, there are some fantastic local tasting rooms a short drive from Monterey or Carmel. (www.montereywines.org)

Tales of the Cocktail is coming!  I may be a bit premature in getting excited about Tales of the Cocktail, but realistically it is time to start spring training to prepare!  The 7th anniversary Tales of the Cocktail will be held July 8-12, 2009 in New Orleans so save the date!  You can get tickets at www.talesofthecocktail.com in early Spring.  This is truly one of the most fun events of the year, attended by mixologists, bartenders, writers, spirits professionals and more the eventcelebrates spirits of all types with seminars, tastings, parties and more. 

I attended in 2008 and the best news is that, well, I survived!

I am more recent spirits professional, my background has been primarily wine.   I embarked into the spirits industry, due to a love of Tequila.  I even survived multiple trips to Jalisco, Mexico with Julio Bermejo’s of Tommy’s Mexican restaurant.  So, I thought, cool, no problem, I can totally handle this, but I was in for a bit of a surprise…

I set out way early on Wednesday for a 5:45 am flight.  I mean, seriously, this was just cruel torture.  But I had to head through Denver and onto NOLA.  I had barely enough time to grab a pretzel and crawl on board my second flight when I ran into my friend Greg Lindgren of Rosewood and Rye bar in San Francisco, so the flight went really quickly as we discussed my tips for the best food and beverage in the city.  Upon arriving in New Orleans I checked into the Monteleone Hotel, one of the greatest places to stay in the French Quarter.  www.hotelmonteleone.com.  This historic hotel was purchased by Antonio Monteleone in 1886 and over the years has become larger as other properties were added on.  Located in the quarter it is close enough to walk over to the casino and close to where you can pick up a streetcar.  It is also the home of the amazing Carousel Bar, a bar where the center REVOLVES, talk about getting a buzz.  Despite the seemingly “kitschy” atmosphere they make an amazing Pimm’s Cup, a must on your cocktail tour of the quarter.  This trip I had no chance getting a seat at the 25 seat rotating bar as each and every moment it was PACKED.  The hotel is also said to be haunted, but other than the weird twists and turns and subfloors and weird staircases, I didn’t notice any spirits other than the ones I was imbibing.

At any rate, soon I was ensconced in a beautiful corner room with a sitting room, two baths and a bedroom complete with fruit plate and bottled water.  I was in heaven, but who spends time in the room.  I set off almost immediately to hit the Andy Warhol party at the W Hotel hosted by Martini and Rossi.  Martini and Rossi vermouth may at first strike you as something your grandma may drink, but they have really delicious products that make a big impact in cocktails.  I recently met up with pro-football star Jimmy Cefalo and tried his favorite simple drink, a splash of Martini & Rossi red vermouth on ice with some orange juice, actually a really refreshing aperitif.  At the Warhol event they served variations on classics like the Warhol Manhattan (2 parts Martini & Rossi Rosso vermouth, 2 parts Dewar’s White Label, and three cherrries on the rocks.)  For a less potent beverage I preferred the Celebrity Crush (1 & 1/2 parts Martini & Rossi Rosso, 2 parts cranberry juice, 3/4 part simple syrup, 6 fresh raspberries and 12 fresh rosemary needles muddled.)  Afterwards it was quickly off to the Absinthe party promoting the new Absinthe Museum where absinthe relics now live.  It is great to see Absinthe culture embraced in the US, Absinthe is now legal and available to us all.  Then through the sweaty late afternoon heat it was off to a Welcome Reception at the Palace Cafe for Beefeater where I enjoyed an amazing Gin Gin Mule made by Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club in NYC.  Headed over to Emeril’s to see Charlie Brown, great bartender, and my buddy and Saint’s fanatic Steve Russett.  Then the Save the Daiquiri party at Arnaud’s (visit Chris Hannah for a classic French 75), an after party with Jacques Bezuidenhout and bartenders from around the world, and wow, suddenly there I was sneaking away.  This has never happened to me before… I am usually the last to leave!  I slunk back to my room at the Monteleone like an amateur.

Thursday was the first day I hit the seminars.  I’ve been to wine conferences, like the Society of Wine Educators conference http://www.societyofwineeducators.org/public/conference/index.aspx, so I expected this would be much of the same, seminars, information, lots of spitting, but I underestimated my stamina.  Still, I was impressed that I was able to attend four seminars while staying relatively sober.  My only issue with the event was the mere 30 minutes between sessions which kept both attendees and presenters alike scrambling.  I was able to sneak out at about 2pm to hit the Acme Oyster House and grab a debris sandwich.  Debris is the local term for the drippings that come off the roast beef, and it is a 10 napkin job as Acme suggests.  Messy but delicious.  I learned about Molecular Mixology at a seminar where they served us Ramos Marshmallows and Sazerac Gummi Bears, learned How to Taste Like a Pro from Paul Pacult, tasted Cognac and Armagnac, and enjoyed the British Invasion of the American Cocktail Hour, a very creative seminar run by Charlotte Voisey of Hendrick’s Gin.  After all this tasting I found myself once again slinking off to my room where I took a brief rest.  I pondered calling some of the SF Cocktailians, but decided I would be safer just having a peaceful meal by myself at Cochon, my favorite restaurant in NOLA where my former co-worker Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski pay homage to the pig by using just about every conceivable part and actually making it all taste incredible.  I was about to sit at the bar when another Tales attendee, Bill Owens of American Distilling Institute http://www.distilling.com/ invited me to join him and a group of journalists for dinner.  It was fantastic as we tried almost all the items on the menu and ended with some spirits tasting, a tobacco infused something or other.  Then it was off to Muriel’s for a toast to Desmond Payne and once again at the after party I stealthily crept out and away while the cocktail crew partied until the wee hours.

When my alarm went off at 8:30 am I was laying diagonally across the bed fully clothed with all the lights on.  A quick shower and it was off to the Brennan’s http://www.brennansneworleans.com/ media breakfast, no hangover was going to keep me from dining at Brennan’s, plus the hangover didn’t have a chance to arrive.  I was both relieved but slightly scared to see the U’Luvka Bloody Mary waiting for me (made with Trinchero Red Wine http://www.tfewines.com/ and Clamato).  The breakfast included a baked apple served in a rich double cream sauce with cinnamon toast, Eggs Hussarde (an egg poached on a Holland rusk with Canadian bacon) and Eggs Sardou (poached eggs over an artichoke heart on a bed of creamed spinach) both smothered in Hollandaise, and of course their famous Bananas Foster for dessert, all served with Louis Latour Grand Ardeche.  It was incredible.  I tried, I really did, to go to a seminar after, but it just didn’t happen.  Instead I invested in a nap and then crept off to my favorite sandwich shop in the quarter, Verti Marte, where I got the shrimp po’ boy undressed with butter and pickles and my favorite Zapp’s Crawtators (crawfish flavored potato chips).  I nearly raced over to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop bar and with my Abita (a local brew) in hand devoured my sandwich finally felt human again.  A rum seminar, a liqueur seminar and then it was off to the Bloody Mary Competition at the House of Blues, where sadly the SF contingent didn’t win, despite what I thought were the best bloody marys there.  We headed to the casino for some craps (I won!). 

Bloody Mary Competition: Greg Lindgren and David Nepove, The SF Contingent

By Saturday I had about given up.  I went on the streetcar to take in the sights.  It had rained a bit and was a moist but cooler day as I strolled back down Magazine Street where there are some great shops.  I ended up walking all the way back to the casino sweating out the booze.  By early evening I was ready to get some food at Harrah’s Besh Steakhouse (I used my casino points too!) and enjoyed some steak tartare, an iceberg wedge and a bottle of Austrian Riesling.  Although I was trying to hide, I found myself back at the casino almost immediately as most were gathering for the Spirits Awards.  I ended up eating a second meal just a few hours later at Mother’s, played some roulette and then it was off to the Bartender’s Midnight Breakfast at Cafe Giovanni.  Somehow in New Orleans time morphs and you don’t quite know where the hours really go, this was how I felt when we were traipsing around the quarter to quickly brightening blue skies wading in muck and being splashed by the street cleaners as they tried to sweep the night’s mayhem under the rug.  I found myself ordering a beer at 7:30 am and decided to call it a night and said goodbye to my co-conspirators in the bright sunlight.

Dawn on Bourbon, the Street that is...

If you decide to go:

2009 Tales of the Cocktail Spring Training List

Practice carrying martini glasses filled to the brim (I am used to walking around with wine glasses, so carrying martini glasses around is not my thing, they spill so much more easily!)

Work on stamina (these attendees are super stars, they can surely hold their liquor, so I need to work on sipping spirits slowly so I can hang with the big dogs)

Plan out meals better (There is so much to eat in New Orleans and I just scratched the surface, make plans and reservations now!)

Invest in some cute closed-toe shoes for the late night walks home through the muck of Bourbon Street (sandals just didn’t cut it and I had to santize my feet and shoes afterwards)

Some great cocktails:

 Jamboozle (Charlotte Voisey)

2 oz Hendrick’s Gin

2 bar spoons blackberry jam

1/4 oz Chambord or creme de mure

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

Assemble and shake well, strain over crushed ice and garnish with a lemon wheel and blackberry.

Sun and Moon

2 oz U’Luvka Vodka

1 oz Pineapple Puree

2 tsp Simple syrup

1/2 oz lime juice

sage leaves

Club soda

Muddle the sage with simple syrup, add the rest of the ingredients with a scoop of crushed ice, mix then top with club soda.  Garnish with a wheel of pineapple or a sage leaf.

Italian Olives

My friend Laura recently asked me what to do with all the olives she’s got lying around and it made me think back to a book that a colleague I met at the CIA, Lynn Alley, wrote, “Lost Arts: A Celebration of Culinary Traditions.”  Lynn says that there are many opinions regarding olive curing but three main methods are out there.  Dry Salt Curing, Lye Curing and Brining.

The Dry Salt Cure

These are those olives that you find that are wrinkly, smaller and black.  Lynn says to use a fabric bag with a drawstring top, add the same weight of noniodized table salt as the amount of olives you have.  Pour them into the bag covering them with salt evenly and then completely with more salt.  Hang the bag where the liquid can drain and mix weekly for four weeks or until they are not bitter.  Rinse and let dry then pack in oil.

Lye Cured

Lye is highly caustic and can burn you, but it removes the bitter glucosides from the olives fast.  Seems weird to me that such a dangerous substance would be used to make food, but…  Lynn suggests letting professionals do this method for canned olives.

Brining

Lynn suggests placing the olives in cold water and using a plate to keep them down, change the water daily for ten days.  Then add 1 cup of uniodized salt per gallon of water and brine them for four weeks, changing the solution weekly.  After the inside flesh is brown you can keep them in a weaker brine, with 1/2 cup salt per gallon of water.  It may take 2-3 months for them to be edible, taste to see but don’t eat the mushy ones.  Rinse them well before eating.

I highly recommend getting Lynn’s book as it has great olive recipes, more detailed information about olive curing as well as great chapters on how to make mustard, vinegar, cheese and preserves at home.  Lost Arts: A Celebration of Culinary Traditions, Ten Speed Press, 2000 by Lynn Alley

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1580081762?tag=odetoolives-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=1580081762&creative=373489&camp=211189