Pointless Quiz Questions

[Walt Freitag]

Matt's got it. It's ice. Most people make some either daily or every few days. Most of the time (when it's not below freezing outside, and usually even when it is) they use complex machinery (a freezer, and in some cases an automatic icemaker within the freezer) to do so. Yet you can buy bags of it at the supermarket.

Somewhere along the line this turned into a "fresh foods are better" discussion, which I don't mind at all, as the original question was completely pointless.

Sun tea is excellent. Home-grown strawberries, tomatos, and herbs are all superior. As are the basic makeable-at-home chesses like ricotta.

A few other notable foods worth making from scratch: salsa (what's with that soupy ketchup-like stuff they put in jars?), curry pastes and sauces, spaghetti sauce, and all kinds of baked goods (except some breads, which bakeries can often do better).

And even paying $20.00 or so per pound for the right kinds of fish at a Japanese market, I save a bundle by making my own sushi. In an hour or two I can make up far more sushi than I'd be able to afford, sometimes hundreds of dollars (retail) worth, for a party or game session.

- Walt

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Well, as long as it's pointless, I can ramble about the ice-buying thing.

My wife and I have a downstairs bar in our house. It's pretty extensive. It doesn't wrap around a corner or anything, but it's a whole nook, and there are shelves with glassware, and sink and fridge and all that. Since moving into this place, we've become cocktail people and many friends consider coming over for food and a movie to include, necessarily, a "try this one!" session at the bar.

So buying ice is now something I do. For a mixed-drink extravaganza, you need a whole bunch of it in readily-scoopable form, and I can't see dedicating freezer space to whole armloads of ice trays, plus refilling them and all that.

Best,
Ron

[Christopher Weeks]

Well, as long as it's pointless, I can ramble about the ice-buying thing.

Ice could be a whole other thread, but I'll just attempt to sidetrack this one :-)

What kind of ice do you make or buy?  When I buy ice I either buy that cheapie crap that you can get everywhere or I buy a block.  I really love using an ice pick but I'm not a master.  I also love big-ass cubes.  I mean Cubes, not cubes.  An inch and a quarter on a side with sharp edges.

Chris

[Ron Edwards]

Usually I just get the cheapie crap for shaking in the mixer, but for the next real knock-down drag-out party, I'll get cubed, block, etc, and also set up cracked and shaved. Mixed drink snob, remember?

Best,
Ron

[Matt Wilson]

Usually I just get the cheapie crap for shaking in the mixer, but for the next real knock-down drag-out party, I'll get cubed, block, etc, and also set up cracked and shaved. Mixed drink snob, remember?

What are the open hours for this bar of which you speak? Can you whip up a mean kamikaze?

[Valamir]

Heh...when Ron says Mixed Drink Snob, he means it.  I expect if you asked for a Kamikazee he'd glare and say "make it yourself" :-)

Ron mixes drinks in which there are strange chemical reactions such that the drink becomes sweet and pale green even though nothing sweet or green was ever added to the glass.

[Christopher Weeks]

Mixed drink snob, remember?

Hey, I got The Joy of Mixology : The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft by Gary Regan for Xmas last.  I haven't read it cover to cover, but just bits here and there.  I think it's awsome.  Any other suggested reads?

Chris

[Ron Edwards]

I make a Kamikaze, all right. Fresh lime juice or Rose's, your preference. No grenadine (feh). Cointreau, not Triple-Sec.*

As for hours of operation, pretty much any time when I'm not working out in the evening and when I'm not working out or otherwise up early for the next day. Not that we use the bar that often, but it'd be open that often.

Best,
Ron

* Whoever chimes in and says, "Cointreau is a triple-sec," gets a boot in the ass.