Archive for 'Drink'
Dave Arnold and Nils Noren’s High Tech Gin and Tonic
Posted on June 16, 2010, under Drink.
The Edible Martini
Following up on my last post, here’s video of Dave Arnold demonstrating his technique of vacuum infusing cucumber with gin and vermouth to create an “edible martini”.
Cocktails at Woodson and Ford
I had a great time at last night’s Dining & Libation Society event held in the beautiful new underground space some are calling Woodson and Ford. The bartenders each spoke about the creation of their cocktails and shared some of the sophisticated techniques they used. Regrettably, Dave Arnold’s 1,600 degree hot poker was on the fritz, so a new cocktail had to be substituted in at the last minute for his Red Hot Manhattan. On the other side of the temperature spectrum, liquid nitrogen was pumped out of coffee carafes to quickly chill the inside of each glass before being filled with a drink.
The Drinks
Admiral Warrender
By Lynnette Marrero & Jim Mearns
Scotch, Demerara, Orange Bitters, Qi Black Tea Liquor
A simple but lovely combination, pairing the smokiness of the scotch alongside that of the black tea.
Sgt. Fruity Peppercorn
By Johnny Iuzzini & Dave Arnold
Pink Peppercorn, Rhum Clement, Grapefruit, Creole Shrub, Edible Twist
“Pink peppercorn” refers to a spirit that Dave Arnold distilled from some “very special” pink peppercorns, sourced from Manhattan’s “Mr. Recipe” no doubt. Grapefruit juice was clarified then frozen into ice cubes which were used to shake the drinks. The “edible twist” was a sort of orange peel confit, which I imagine was simmered low in simple syrup for many hours until totally edible. This drink got a dusting of herbs — flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen and blended — on top.
The Swedish Chef
By Johnny Iuzzini & Dave Arnold
House made Aquavit, Cucumber, Apple, St. Germain, Lemon, Bubbles, Martini Cucumber
After being mixed, the “bubbles” were added by carbonating the drink directly from a big canister of carbon dioxide. The “martini cucumber” garnish was delicious — batons of cucumber, vacuum-compressed with a gin and vermouth solution until beautifully transparent.
George Mendes contributed appetizers including bacalao (salted cod) and coconut mousse with candied olives, seared shrimp with smoked paprika, and curry-dusted potato chips.
UPDATE 3/18/09: Serious Eats has more on the event, including a few photos.
Dining & Libation Society
I’m really looking forward to tonight’s speakeasy event hosted by the Dining & Libation Society.
Join Eat Out editor Gabriella Gershenson for an evening of innovative libations from longtime collaborators Johnny Iuzzini—the Jean Georges pastry chef and part-time barkeep—and foodie physicist Dave Arnold of the French Culinary Institute. Sample their wizardly potables at TONY’s exclusive Dining & Libation Society cocktail event. Also on the menu: a sneak peek at the tapas from chef George Mendes’ forthcoming Spanish eatery, Aldea. The hush-hush location will be revealed to confirmed attendees.
If we’re lucky maybe the duo will re-enact their performance from the Blue Blazer Mix-off at Pegu Club last fall. The Blue Blazer is a flaming cocktail created by legendary bartender Jerry Thomas, who refused to mix the drink unless it was 50 degrees or colder outside, or his customer had the flu or a cold. Dave and Johnny up the showmanship of the original drink, with Dave shooting an arc of flaming bourbon down the length of the bar, and Johnny struggling to extinguish his flaming arm. Watch for yourself:
Jerry Thomas’ Blue Blazer
- 2 1/2 oz rye or bourbon whiskey or Brandy
- 2 1/2 oz boiling water
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
- lemon peel
Use two large silver-plated mugs, with handles. Put the whiskey in one mug, and the boiling water into the other, ignite the whiskey and, while blazing, mix both ingredients by pouring them from one mug to the other. If well done, this will have the appearance of a continued stream of liquid fire. Sweeten with sugar and serve with a piece of lemon peel. Serve in a four-ounce stemmed mug.
The Experimental Cuisine Collective
Faculty members of New York University’s departments of nutrition, food studies, and public health and chemistry have joined forces with Will Goldfarb, chef-owner of Room 4 Dessert, in a collaborative working group that seeks to use scientific principles and experiments to produce advances in cooking. Through a series of workshops, the Experimental Cuisine Collective will discuss ways in which science may influence what we will be cooking and eating in the future, lead to a greater understanding of our diets, and contribute to safer food and better health across the globe.
The group’s goal is to develop a broad and rigorous approach to examine the properties, boundaries, and conventions of food, in a way that is intuitive and relevant to a broad audience. Five times a year, the participants will gather to explore notions of taste, texture, smell; boundaries of edible and inedible; and dining rituals and food taboos. Some of the questions the collective hopes to address include:
· Can scientific principles help determine which foods we enjoy?
· How can studying food help the public, from children to elderly, understand science?
· What technical and cultural foundations give rise to a new cuisine?
· How can the manipulation of chemical components of food alter notions of edible and inedible?
· How can education go from the classroom to the kitchen to the dining room in a way that best helps families understand how to make the right dietary choices?
Go there: The Experimental Cuisine Collective