Solitude

This week was a solitary week. I’ve spent eleven years in customer service and seven in restaurants. When you live this lifestyle, people surround you at all times from the clientele to your co-workers. Some interactions can be unpleasant, maddening, and appalling. Some can leave you smiling and can even change your perspective on life. Maybe sometimes if you’re lucky, you can return the favor and blow their minds with dry sherry.

I miss it. I’ve been craving social interaction more than I have chocolate ice cream this week. Not that I’ve been hibernating, I’ve been taking walks with my best and her babe, seeing old friends at the coffee shop, and meeting some of my favorite professional colleagues for cocktails but it is surely not the same.

Now I spend a lot of time writing, reading, cold-calling, tasting with strangers, driving my car, running, planning, budgeting, brainstorming, guitar-picking, book-browsing, and sleeping. I know this sounds fantastic and idealistic but it is comforting going to the same space five days a week and seeing your co-workers who you spend more time with than you do your own family. Then you leave the lifestyle and your friends who are in the restaurant industry work... when you don’t.

As I transition to this new life of solitude which I’m sure I will love in a week or so, I’ve had to find comforts in other things. One of them has been getting back into the kitchen and rather than snacking on cheese, marcona almonds, and the quick hamburger, I’ve been varying things up and mainly with a little help from my friends:

White Bean and Chicken Chili

Scallops and Chorizo

Lamb Chops & Winter Greek Salad

Nostalgia

I was looking for the right word recently to describe how nostalgic I can be. Nostalgia isn’t quite the word as I don’t yearn to be somewhere in the past, I just tend to be sentimental about my position in time and space. For instance, I love when a couple years down the road in a relationship, lovers are finally able to talk about the agonizing first dates or the previous unrequited love. Or realizing that someone you know well now was having a conversation with your best friend’s husband halfway across the country before you even knew them. I tend to over-think things but I recently went through my old blog and was reading some posts I wrote over a year ago when I first moved to Austin. I wrote this one after I bought my first book on classic cocktails:

http://rachelsotherthings.tumblr.com/post/1354404564/the-cocktail

After this past week, I can’t help but laugh after reading that post not having any idea I would have a job representing the most interesting and unique liquor portfolio in Texas. I also laugh at the last line not having any idea what I would actually mean when I said I was beginning my foray into heavy drinking. Although I did have a hard time transitioning, this past week, the work and the perks made me realize how lucky I am as my current job requires me to be at places like the San Antonio Cocktail Conference and requires me to taste some damn good liquors with their importers and distillers.

Tasting through Bittermens line of bitter liqueurs at Haddington's with Janet and Avery themselves. I'm a sucker for the citron sauvage myself:

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Getting to watch Eric Seed’s under 17% sales pitch. It’s not difficult when the line-up looks like this. Heavy drinking means zucca and tonics at 11 am and that’s okay:

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The Mezcal Mule at Esquire Tavern was my first drink of the conference and the first drink of my royal rookie mistake. My advice is not to drink too much on night one of a cocktail conference…

 

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…especially when you have to stand around at the Virtuoso tasting tables for eight hours at nine am the next day:

 

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Tasting and loitering with David Suro of Siembra Azul when it’s all said and done:

 

I really wasn't lying about the heavy drinking.

Calm

I’ve been putting off a new blog post. I don’t like excuses but I’ve been quite busy getting well-acquainted with my new job, new car, and trying to come to terms with the Fino afterlife.

I had some trouble adjusting to new sleeping and eating schedules and I missed my co-workers. Luckily, I quickly came to the realization that sometimes my new job just might require me to eat and drink better than I have before. I've also maintained the friendships after all of the information overload and mourning. I still also managed to snap a couple pictures here and there when I've remembered that I have a blog and that I enjoy writing for it.

Visiting Houston at Contigo:

mm, mezcal in the texecutioner

mm, meatballs

 Catching up with girl-friends over lunch at Kome:

sashimi lunch

sake cheesecake

Still not giving up on your 1am dates with your guy-friends:

eel buns! chicken skin buns! pho buns!

 There will be plenty more where that come from.

New York and Philadelphia.

We always tend to take for granted the space we live in. I had a friend recently talk to me about being entitled to the space you’re in, the space around you, and your entitlement to expanding that space. We tend to be a little mundane in our everyday and comfortable routines. I’ve already created one here in Austin. I write and drink coffee at Houndstooth, work at Fino, shop in the same malls, and eat at the same restaurants.

Then someone reminds you’re from the East Coast and living somewhere else can still be traveling when you think about it or you venture into an area of Austin uncomfortable and unfamiliar and then you’re reminded that you don’t know as much as you think you do. You entitle yourself to one space but not much more than that.

Why can’t the same go for your hometown? When you realize that a vacation to New York is in the top 3 destinations of friends of yours and you go, “Huh?”.  Going home to New Jersey, I tend to entitle myself to my parents’ couch and maybe if I can get off that couch, go and relive my old comfortable and familiar route that I had when I lived in New York.

My Christmas trip was an experiment in entitling myself to more space. I treated it as travel and took advantage of my close vicinity to the two largest metropolitan cities and attempted to fuse the life I live now and the life I had:

Philadelphia

Oyster House

I have been obsessed over Find. Eat. Drink.’s travel guides and when I found out that Michael Vetri’s Osteria was not open when I needed it to be, I referred myself to these guides and found Oyster House.

The ambience is relaxing and the décor cooling and when you want to enjoy a no-fuss, all-around good experience, this isn’t a bad place to do it. The oysters are savory and the tables set up with horseradish and crackers made them even more fun to slurp down. I had heard some murmurings of punch here so I ordered the Gunpowder Punch, cardamom, white pepper, rye, blue lady tea, and citrus. I'm just going to say that large cubes of ice make me erotically excited so you can imagine my disappointment with some small rocks in my mason jar. As far as the rest of the drink, it paired well with oysters and stayed nice and light but was a bit heavy on the pepper and spice. I’m going to just go ahead and call myself spoiled and move on.

Elixr

A fun and wood-paneled coffee shop where my cousin, Taylor pointed out that everyone in there had beanies and Apple computers. Ah, hipsterdom. I had a Finca Kilimanjaro pourover from PT’s coffee and Taylor had a pretty impressive hot chocolate.

Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company

Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company was one of my favorite drinking experiences and I could have spent all night tasting drink after drink here just because of their unapologetic combinations. The vibe was everything I imagined it to be. It was low-key, unpretentious, creative, and mind-blowing. They should also be credited with changing my mind about Batavia Arrack.

I think my favorite part of this place are the names of the cocktails. Is there a job that I can have where I can just create names for cocktails?

 

1. Husker Hail Mary- Landy VS Cognac, Laird's Applejack, Cynar, Carpano Antica, Hidalgo PX, Angostura, Aromatic Bitters, Clove Tincture

2. El Presidente- El Dorado rum, Grand Marnier, Dolin Blanc Vermouth, Grenadine

3. Philadephia- Batavia Arrack, Amaro Montenegro, Cocchi Americano, Falernum Bitters

The waitress described the latter as funky and I describe it as funky mind-blowing. Who thought of that and how did they make it work?

New York

Stumptown

I thought it should be appropriate to make it to Stumptown- New York and Brooklyn’s mecca baby of coffee roasters. I thought I should give it a fair shot now knowing what I know and treated myself to a cappuccino made with some serious love and Hair Bender from my barista. It was quite a nice respite to sip on while at the bar looking out on a New York City street through the rain. How poetic.

Maison Premiere

Speaking of poetic, Maison Premiere inspired my New Year’s costume. When I walked through the tiny, unmarked door, I felt like I should have been wearing fake eyelashes, bright red lipstick, and lace which yes, I did then wear on New Year’s. You walk right into the Belle Epoque and for that, I’m in love. Marble bar tops and wooden shelves are filled with premium liquors, waiters are dressed in vests and mustaches, and absinthe is the specialty. I wish I could have drank here a bit longer but along with our massive seafood platter of lobster, crab legs, shrimp, raw oysters and clams were juleps- Winter Absinthe Julep tasting like anisette and allspice and the Champagne Julep. I was in the right place with the right lipstick, right libations, and right people.

 Dram Bar

Then when you snap back to reality and walk out to a dirty Williamsburg city street, you turn the corner and end up at Dram. It’s a tiki-esque and friendly bar and again, completely unpretentious but right on. The “Loose Noose” was perfectly wise and straightforward- a blend of white sand beach bum and New York street smart. Then they busted out a bartender’s choice white dog old-fashioned without a hitch.

I definitely tried to claim a little bit more space in my old stomping grounds and entitle myself to a little bit more in the world. I felt like I expanded greatly but my favorite dishes on this trip included farfalle and salmon in a light pink cream sauce, bruschetta, tartufo, cannoli, more linguini and more seafood in a light pink cream sauce, and well, what I’ve missed most of all- bodega coffee and a bagel.

Enhance.

I went back home to New Jersey for Christmas and when I go back to my childhood home, I can’t help but to revert back to childhood dreams, memories, and desires. My bookshelf in my room is full of Lonely Planet guides, memoirs of people curing infectious diseases, how to teach yourself guitar, how to get into college theatre programs, guides to human rights law, and environmental essays. In my brain, all of these eventually led to work in a non-profit organization visiting children in Africa with AIDS or creating programs to mentor young women. I was going to change the culture whether I was a lawyer or a famous musician.

Now I visit home for Christmas from Austin, Texas and when I get back, I am about to embark on a new job in the new year. In a blink of the eye, I’ve scored a job as a spirits representative in Austin and San Antonio and my focus on the bar community has gotten me further in a career than any other of these lavish human rights campaigns. Not only do I feel like something's working but I feel so at home with my bar brethren. I find myself alone on this vacation craving Idido pourovers and finding my sparkling water in need of a dash of bitters. I also jumped a little too quickly on the Oban 14 year in my cousins’ basement in a desperate attempt to feel high off of pears, honey, and wood. Now that I'm back, I'm ready to kick it in to high gear and start selling some obscure liqueurs but reflecting on my trip home and my bookshelf of past dreams has had me thinking, what am I doing now for the greater good? We try so hard to convert people from their dirty vodka martinis, their Grey Goose and sodas, and their Crown and Cokes. We want to change the culture one vodka-cranberry at a time but really- what am I and others in the field trying to do here?

I found this definition:

To enhance:

1. To heighten; to increase or improve in value, quality, desirability, or attractiveness.

2. To make greater, as in value, beauty, or effectiveness; augment.

To provide with improved, advanced, or sophisticated features.

I don’t think you need statistics to realize that drinking is part of our American lives whether it’s the coffee we drink in the morning, the afternoon tea, your happy hour cocktail, and wine nightcaps. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that our eating and drinking habits are our most treasured interactions that we have with our planet. When we are drinking coffee, we are drinking from roasted beans from Ethiopia, Guatemala, and Indonesia. When we’re at the bar, we’re drinking barley from Scotland, agave from Mexico, herbs from the base of the Alps, and grapes from Sicily. We drink coffee for our morning buzz, tea for our peaceful release, and alcohol in order to lose our inhibitions and say what we really feel. We’re engaging all of our senses in bitterness, tannin, sweet, sour, flowers, cedar, leather, and vanilla from plants all over our world and all the while affecting the land, the coffee farmers, and the jimadors.

If I can make your buzz stronger and your calm more peaceful all by showing you that you are also enhancing the lives of those halfway around the world, I’ve done a good job. If I can replace your ethanol experience with an Old Tom Gin Martinez and blow away your senses with sweet, cherry, herbs, and roses that you’ll remember five years from now, I’ve done a good job. If I can get you to step out of your comfort zone and try something you have never even heard of before, I’ve done a good job.

I know I may be waxing poetic or stretching it here. I could possibly be full of it or it might not be that big of a deal. Maybe I’m just selling vermouth but what I do know is that all of my personal conversations, experiences, and thoughtful moments by myself are enhanced when a cappuccino blows my mind or my cocktail blends to perfection. I’ll remember that moment exactly for its sight, smell, and taste and be reminded of it when I sense it again.  It enhances a moment and everyday experiences to the next level and I think that’s what we’re really trying to do here.

To follow up on some viral ideas, my 2012 word is enhance. I will do my best to do it not just in the careers or accounts I’m taking on but in every aspect of my life. I want to pay attention to its detail, try something I haven’t tried before, and enhance our small everyday moments in every way possible. I’d like to not just to that for myself but to stretch the ideas far and wide and enhance the lives of others and those around me in tiny and sensual ways. I'd also like to take more time to properly thank those who have enhanced my life. To that, a shot of Batavia arrack.

Comfort Food

You know, I promised myself that I would try and stay disciplined enough with this blog to keep something up every week and I’m a little disappointed that I haven’t written something in a while. I’ve been a little overwhelmed to be honest with you. Christmastime apparently does this to people.

I consider myself a fairly sane and rational human being who takes on problems with flexibility and critical thinking. This doesn’t mean that I’m immune to the occasional breakdown and/or shutdown. Since Thanksgiving, this has happened a bit too often due to overheated radiators, rear-ended pickup trucks, hacked itunes accounts, botched apple butters, bare gift lists, drained savings accounts, and the possibility of a career change. This all needing to be fixed and taken care of so I can be full of life with gorgeous hair and nails before I leave for a trip home to New Jersey in less than two weeks. (Gulp.)

This is a food blog though and not my personal therapist so here are the things that have made me smile and reminded me that life is okay when your belly is full.

A post-work huge bacon cheeseburger paired with a shot of Fernet Branca at Sputnik:

Dim Sum at Shanghai with your co-workers, eating chicken feet for the first time, and black sesame green tea buns:

Cheering on a good friend and helping to pour his Baby’s First Punch at Austin’s Drink Local competition: 

Even though the product caused a meltdown, the late night spent cutting apples with your best friend makes up for it:

The beauty of everything produced and learned at the bar and restaurant you’ll be leaving on January 7^th:

Sometimes we just need reminders and a little comfort food.

Days of Rest

Sunday is the Sabbath day. I grew up being taught this and practiced it to the fullest at one Christian point in my past. Since my spiritual exploration in eastern religions, a theology minor, and a job in the restaurant industry, I’m not such a stickler about Sundays being a day of rest. Years of brunches later, I may have gotten enough seniority to have some Sundays off but somehow I still say yes to work. Even though I’ve had the past three Sundays to catch some rest, I will admit that they weren’t spent dogmatically. Of course, this doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed myself and maybe so with sinfully good food and libations. 

Day of Rest #1- Our kitchen at Fino was one man down serving up some paella at Green Corn Project’s annual Fall Festival at Boggy Creek Farm so I happily obliged. Green Corn Project is a Central Texas non-profit that promotes education and growing of organic produce and gardens. Every year restaurants and small businesses in the Austin area set up a small shop to satiate the donors. Fino put up some vegetable paella, meaty paella, and this tortilla espanola- a traditional Spanish omelette made with chicken eggs straight from our chef de cuisine’s farm.

Boggy Creek was gorgeous on an autumn day to walk around and taste savory pumpkin cheesecake from Barley Swine, wood-fired pizza from Bola, and Balcones whiskey- all for free and all in one afternoon.

Day of Rest #2- The Austin Sustainable Food Center here in Austin held a seven-course dinner at La Condesa where seven different restaurants from Austin, San Antonio, and Houston each took one course. The chefs at Fino, Jason Donaho and Andrew Macarthur, contributed a quail dish to the dinner which was paired with a locally-sourced cocktail from our bar manager, Josh Loving. I had the fruitful opportunity to play his punchy pour partner and scored a behind-the-scenes pictures of Balcones Baby Blue whiskey, Real Ale Pale Moon Rye, Earl Grey tea steeped in Richard’s Rainwater, lemon, Round Rock honey, and nutmeg.

Even though we didn’t get to enjoy the food on the plates, we did reap benefits of lots of leftover punch and exciting moments in the kitchen watching Andrew Weissman and Tyson Cole hurriedly plating their courses.

Day of Rest #3- Digestible Feats is a part of the annual Fusebox Festival that brings together, food, drink, and the arts. Peche held a Rum Challenge to raise money for the cause with bartenders from Contigo, Peche, Fino, and Bar Congress. I always have fun watching any of these guys make drinks especially when it’s under a 15-minute time constraint, a mandatory use of the Virtuoso rum portfolio, and a citrus restriction. Oh the drama. I was on the side of Fino and Bar Congress- literally as that’s where my seats were and managed to sip on both of their quick concoctions.

Adam and Brian of Bar Congress created an egg white drink with Rhum J.M, Lemon Hart 151, strawberry vinegar, and grapefruit rinds soaked in angostura. Fino’s Josh and Andy and their wittily named “Occupy Peche” contained Smith & Cross navy-strength rum, La Favorite rhum agricole, La Favorite aged rhum agricole, Sloe Gin, oleo-saccharum (a blend of lemon oil and sugar), homemade five-spice bitters, and nutmeg. Good times with good drinks although I wish there could have been a way to taste them all or maybe there have been a winner with judges. I like a little competition so maybe I’ll put my name in for next year.

Lord knows I have been busy on my Sundays off. Spending this day of the week with buckets of punch, massive amounts of food, and sugarcane spirits may seem sacrilegious but they help to fill my quota on my sacrifices to Dionysus. That’s one divine relationship I don’t want to mess with.