kochleffel

Not to worry. Today was the last day on the list you gave me, and I wasn't sure whether you'd be able to post.

I didn't realize that cows could fly airplanes (misread the text). Will cooperate with Drink Wine Day, and I need to buy batteries. No clam anything for me, but a slow-cooker sounds like an unnecessarily complicated way to make it. I'd accept the drink if it were being served, but wouldn't order one. A Tempranillo won a gold last year at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, but it was from Texas. I'll substitute the 2018 Merlot from Sheldrake Point. I haven't been to Marmaris.

Salty Dog Today's drink derives from the Greyhound, a cocktail that has been around for at least 100 years and is documented in the Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930. It's simply gin and grapefruit juice, and the Salty Dog just adds a salted rim. The salt harmonizes the ingredients and makes the drink taste less sour; it will also be a bit less sour when made with pink or red grapefruit, or you can add simple syrup. 1 1/2 ounces gin or vodka 3 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed Garnish: salt rim Garnish: grapefruit slice Rub a lemon or lime wedge around the rim of a Collins glass, then roll it in a shallow dish of coarse salt. I suppose you could use a bit of the grapefruit instead. Fill the glass with ice, then add the gin (or vodka) and grapefruit juice and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.

No on the Pasta Alfredo. Maybe on the drink if someone else makes it for me. The Finger Lakes wine industry began with sparkling wines but today only a minority of the wineries make them. I'll suggest Sheldrake Point 2021 Cuvée Brut even though it's $45. I haven't been to Otaru.

Ward Eight Today's drink dates to just before or after 1900. The name refers to Ward 8 in Boston, and while there are conflicting attributions, all accounts agree that it was created to honor (or roast) a candidate named Martin Lomasney who was, however, a teetotaler. 2 oz rye whiskey (100 proof/50% ABV) 3/4 oz lemon juice 3/4 oz orange juice 1/2 oz grenadine Shake ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. Garnish (optional): orange slice and maraschino cherry.

I have a reputation for being grumpy, not grouchy. No favors for me today, and also no fish fry. I grew up in the Middle West, in a predominantly Catholic city, and I thought that it was a Jewish custom to eat fish on Friday. That was the only day that fresh ocean fish was available. Chicken ragout would be OK with me but dinner is actually an aperitif with cheese, vegetable medley, and cacio e pepe. I would try the first version of the cocktail but wouldn't buy the St-Germain to make it at home. I haven't been a fan of Chilean Malbec but never had this one. It's not a variety I expected to find from a Finger Lakes winery, but Thirsty Owl has one, at $33.95, so I probably won't be trying it, either. I've been to Bar Harbor on a cruise ship and Portland, Maine, in a land trip, but never Rockland. I have been to Rockland County in New York. It is possible that I'm finished with my income-tax return, but I won't file it for several more weeks. Every time that I have filed this early, I've received a corrected document the next day.

Vivian Or Vivians, because there are two different cocktails called Vivian and the sources I'd consider definitive, such as Difford's, don't know about any such drink. I'll start with the one that seems more likely, because it's made with ingredients a well-stocked bar would have. St-Germain is the leading, perhaps only, brand of elderflower liqueur. 2 dashes angostura bitters .25 oz simple syrup ¾ oz elderflower liqueur 2 oz bourbon whiskey orange twist (optional) In a mixing glass with ice cubes pour in the bourbon whiskey, elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. Stir gently for about 20-30 seconds to thoroughly chill and dilute the cocktail. Strain the mixture into a chilled martini or rock glass. Express the oils from an orange twist over the cocktail by giving it a gentle twist over the surface, then garnish (optional). The second requires Lychee Reàl, a puree of lychee fruit. 0.5 oz Lychee Reàl 1.5 oz Gin 1 Strawberry, muddled 3 edible rose petals (for garnish) Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

I didn't know anything about Squidward and I think I would have been just fine without learning. I had to look up Angelman syndrome--it's a severe genetic disorder. We need to do more about childhood cancer than just being aware. A crudité platter is not a meal in my book, but if you are running for public office, you should probably just call it a veggie tray. Pass on the cocktail, which I think is too complicated for the result. For a Sauvignon Blanc, Three Brothers 2022, which won a gold award at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition last year. Lisbon was in the itinerary for the Spanish Farewell last fall, but we ended up at Gran Canaria. Acupuncture right after lunch, and class at 4:00. I want to get to Aldi at some point.

Penicillin If you think that Scotch tastes medicinal, you understand the concept of the Penicillin cocktail. It's attributed to Sam Ross at the Milk & Honey bar in NYC and has existed for about two decades. It's a variation of the Gold Rush, itself a variation of the Whiskey Sour, that we had on February 2. Instead of bourbon, it uses blended Scotch, and instead of honey, Ross uses a homemade honey-ginger syrup. The final touch is a float of an Islay malt, which to many people tastes even more medicinal than other Scotch. Ross served it without a straw to ensure that the Islay malt was the first flavor. 2 ounces blended Scotch whisky (Famous Grouse works well) 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice 3/4 ounce honey syrup (see notes) 3 slices fresh ginger 1/4 ounce Islay single malt Scotch (such as Laphroaig) Add the blended scotch, lemon juice and syrup into a shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Top with the Islay single malt scotch. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger. Note: Honey-ginger syrup: Combine 1 cup honey, 1 6-inch piece of peeled and thinly sliced ginger and 1 cup water in a saucepan over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to steep overnight. Strain through cheesecloth.

I could have mentioned earlier that Frederick Douglass spoke here in 1840, and it led to the founding of a church that is now called the Frederick Douglass Memorial AME Zion Church. On the medical side, my nose doesn't look too bad at all. I've made an appointment to donate blood next week since the only requirement after basal cell carcinoma is that the surgical site has healed. OTOH, I am still coughing.

A couple of churches here are offering drive-through ashes or "Ashes to Go." On another subject: the county north of here has some Amish residents. Yesterday there was a buggy-truck collision in which four young people were injured. It appears that their horse spooked and ran out into traffic.

Frederick Douglass lived for many years in Rochester and is buried there (in the same cemetery as Susan B. Anthony). The Rochester airport is named for him. I like lentils but I'm not sure about curry with them. No on the cocktail and I don't even want to be around people who are drinking it. For a Cabernet Sauvignon, Fulkerson's. I haven't been to Barra Norte.

Jäger Bomb "The Jäger bomb is the answer to the question: 'What happens when two of the most notorious college beverages collide?' This drink does what it is meant to do, and to be honest, is tastier than it has any right to be. Go forth, young people." —Tom Macy Today's drink is a variation of the Depth Charge, which is a shot glass of vodka that is dropped (still in the shot glass) into beer. This version uses an energy drink, which is supposed to offset the depressant effect of the alcohol, and Jägermeister, a German digestif introduced in 1934 that contains 56 herbs and spices and is 35% ABV. The two ingredients for the drink are readily available; finding a pint glass to hold it might be the difficult part. You may also need a kitchen towel. 1 1/2 ounces Jägermeister Liqueur 1/2 (8.4-ounce) can Red Bull energy drink Gather the ingredients. Fill a shot glass with Jägermeister. Pour half a can of Red Bull into a pint glass. Drop the shot glass into the taller glass. When drinking, be careful not to chip a tooth on the shot glass.

Free Paxlovid For a considerable time, the U.S. government provided Paxlovid at no charge for anyone who had a prescription for it. That's no longer the case, and you may find that even with insurance there's a large co-pay. Pfizer has a program called Paxcess that makes it free for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees and for people with no insurance. It can also reduce the cost for those who have commercial insurance that doesn't cover it in full. It takes only a few minutes to sign up, and you can't sign up until you have a prescription. If the prescription went straight to the pharmacy, the pharmacist should pause filling it and call you, but you can't count on that. Once you've sign up, you get a voucher that you can take or send to the pharmacy. Description of the program: https://wapo.st/3uwSZix Link to sign up: https://paxlovid.iassist.com/

The paper today reports that Bob Edwards, who was the host of "Morning Edition" for just short of 25 years, has died. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/12/business/media/bob-edwards-dead.html

I'm willing to do it. It will overlap with bartending duty, but only for the first two days. Have emailed you.

This is paczki territory, but I probably won't be having any. It's also pierogi territory and the Ukrainian Catholic Church nearby is famous for its pierogi sales, but I probably won't be having those, either. I would like the suggested meal, although to make it at home I'd need to make the dumplings non-dairy. Would try the drink if I had any of the ingredients beyond lime. For a Pinot Noir, Nathan K from Seneca Lake. I haven't been to Abu Dhabi. Last night "they" changed the weather forecast and said that the snow would be mostly to the south of us, in Pennsylvania. So far we haven't seen any. I have a Zoom conference with my Hartford professor this afternoon, and in the evening I teach a class on the Song of Songs. The same thing happened at a fire station across the state line! I remember that other departments provided loaner equipment, but they also had to rebuild the firehouse. I visited Bar Harbor on the Norwegian Gem in 2018 and liked it, even though the weather was awful, cold and rainy all day. It was also cold and rainy in Halifax and Saint John.

Kentucky Mule The Kentucky Mule is simply a Moscow Mule made with bourbon instead of vodka. Both, along with the Dark 'n Stormy that we had recently, are in the "buck" category: ginger beer, lime, and spirits. Because bourbon contributes a dominant flavor, rather than just alcohol, use a spicy ginger beer. The suggested garnish, a mint sprig, recalls the mint julep, but there is no mint in the cocktail. 2 ounces bourbon 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed Ginger beer, to top Garnish: mint sprig Add the bourbon and lime juice to a copper mug or a highball glass. Fill the mug or glass with ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a mint sprig.

I grew up in a state where Lincoln's Birthday was a legal holiday. To be clear, the Federal holiday later this month is not President's Day: the legislation calls it the Birthday of George Washington. The weekend nearest Charles Darwin's birthday is Religion and Science weekend in houses of worship; until a year or two ago it was called Evolution Weekend. I organized it here for 15 years, but this year there was nothing. No on the soup. OK on the drink but I don't have vermouth on hand. For a Riesling, 2021 Davis Vineyard from Damiani Wine Cellers on the east shore of Seneca Lake. I haven't been to Cherbourg. I need to organize myself for more shopping, because we're expecting a lot of snow tonight and tomorrow.

Classic Martini Today's drink is not a pseudotini -- it's the real thing! But what constitutes a "classic" martini is open to discussion. Drinks of that name were known in the 19th century, but were sweet drinks. Why the name "martini" is used is disputed: maybe it came from Martini & Rossi, maker of vermouth, or maybe it originated in the San Francisco Bay Area and is named for the town of Martinez. The modern formulation was stabilized by about 1920 and what I'm accepting as a classic martini is the recipe from that time. The martini grew in popularity in the United States during Prohibition because of the availability of bathtub gin. After the repeal of Prohibition, when better gin was available, the preferred martini grew drier and drier, that is, less vermouth. In the Roaring 20s it was two parts gin to one part dry vermouth; the dry martini is typically five parts gin to one part vermouth. I associate the dry martini with the Mad Men era and people who demanded it so dry that it was essentially straight gin. In 1966 the American Standards Association published "Safety Code and Requirements for Dry Martinis." The last revision, published by its successsor ANSI, was in 1974. 2 ounces dry gin 1 ounce dry vermouth 1 dash orange bitters (optional, but highly recommended) Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir well* to chill and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink and use as garnish, or, if you must, toss in an olive. *James Bond was wrong.

This is the regular day for a Zoom meeting of an organization that I participate in. The chapter leaders are so high-minded that they are going ahead with the meeting, at 6:30 p.m.

I never get the opportunity to cry over spilled milk. I have cats. I wasn't even sure what the suggested meal was. Pass on the drink. For a Sauvignon Blanc, Long Point 2022. I still haven't been to Taormina. Shopping on the horizon, but my shopping list requires visiting four separate stores and I don't have the mental energy for that.

Irish Paradise If Ireland were in the tropics, this might be its national cocktail. ½ oz lime juice 3 oz pineapple juice 1 oz coconut cream 1½ oz Irish whiskey In a shaker with ice cubes pour in the Irish whiskey, coconut cream, pineapple juice, and freshly squeezed lime juice. Shake vigorously for about 10-15 seconds to chill the cocktail and blend the flavors. Strain the mixture into a glass filled with fresh ice cubes and garnish the Irish Paradise cocktail with a pineapple wedge or a cherry. Note: the photograph shows a hue that cannot be achieved with the listed ingredients. Some other fantasy cocktails with "Irish" in their names call for green food coloring.

The WaPo has a feature on 10 pink drinks for Valentine's Day. Our drink of the day is not among them. https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/02/14/pink-drink-recipes-valentines-day/

On SpaceHook: So it's the year of the dragon from today, I can guarantee I'll still write rabbit on at least a couple of cheques. I'm 63 you know.