Brain Food

iframe>Living Loaded by Dan Dunn

By Francine Cohen

Who has the audacity, at the tender age of 40, to pen a memoir about his hard drinking days? Dan Dunn, that’s who. And why not? This booze scribe, known to Playboy readers as The Imbiber and the “conductor of my vicarious life” (as Rob McElhenney, creator and star of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, puts it so succinctly), has spent more nights out than anyone can count and surely most were spent drinking in the name of journalistic research. What he can remember is really funny.

And poignant. And a valuable life lesson that rings true (in a non-preachy way, though there is mention of Jesus), despite the fact you may not want to face it. When we asked Dunn what he was thinking when he penned Living Loaded he replied, “What was I thinking? Not much thinking, actually. I’m an action man.” And so, we have his latest book chronicling drinking and carousing and spirited adventures with spirits, strippers, ex-girlfriends, semi-public nakedness, family drama and good drinks, which goes on sale today.

Why do you want to read this book? Well, first and foremost, if you’re reading this column it’s quite possible you also know Dan which means there are probably nights spent with him you’d either like to forget or did forget. If it’s the latter you’ll want to check out the book to see if Dan’s trusty recorder and note pad he carries with him everywhere managed to capture the details of that fateful evening. If it’s the former then you’ll empathize with him the whole way through these hilarious 262 pages.

Maybe you don’t know Dan personally, nor do you know of his wild escapades through his Imbiber column, but you need a few good cocktail recipes. They’re in there too – some of the world’s best bartenders have conjured up new cocktails specifically created to honor the rabelesian life Dunn leads and you wish you did too. So, next time you’re looking for the right cocktail to prove you know how to drink like a man ready for any occasion, look no further than Living Loaded.

And if the book wasn’t enough of a laugh and a head shake as you wonder how someone could go through all that and write about it (potential lawsuits aside) we’ve learned that you can live vicariously for a half an hour at a time thanks to the Fox network. Dunn shares, “It hasn’t been announced yet but Fox just bought a pilot for a half-hour scripted comedy based on the book and my life. I created the show along with Rob McElhenney of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.’ Not bad for a punk from Philly, I guess.”

Not bad indeed.

Tall Paul was the P in P&J’s – the owner, head bartender, and karmic standard-bearer of the establishment. He was a 6’7”, 250-pound behemoth renowned for his kind, humorous nature and large sledgehammer-like fists. He was a teddy bear most of the time, but woe be to troublemakers who attempted to make their trouble in his joint. Because if tempers flared and reconciliation failed, Tall Paul could kick the living s**t out of anyone this side of Superman. To me, though, he was a gentle and benevolent giant who always made sure my glass was filled with Coke and that I never ran out of change for the pinball machine. He even gave me my very own extra-tall stool so I could see over the tops of the pool and shuffleboard tables. Kept it safely stored behind the giant barrel of pretzel mix, next to the men’s bathroom. I used to live on that pretzel mix – until the day I witnessed a grubby old degenerate exit the bathroom without bothering to wash his hands…P. 172-173

And, if this wasn’t enough to whet your whistle, perhaps a little encouragement from The Most Interesting Man In The World will send you to your local bookstore to pick this up. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtN_77hNKqw

Still not convinced? Or want it for free? The first three people to correctly answer the question below and respond to francinecohen@insidefandb.com will win an autographed copy of Living Loaded courtesy of INSIDE F&B.

At what bar did Dan spend his childhood years sitting on a tall stool and playing pinball?

***Buy the book: www.amazon.com/Living-Loaded-Salvation-Pursuit-Never-Ending/dp/0307718476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297192753&sr=1-1

Tags: Dan Dunn, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Living Loaded
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February 8th, 2011

BRAIN FOOD

Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica

By Sara Gorelick

Anyone who has ever donned an apron or dropped a check on a table will enjoy Waiter Rant, an honest and comical look into the all guts and no glory universe that is the restaurant.

Author Steve Dublanica, aka The Waiter, takes no prisoners in his ode to this world. He says, “It was a look into a world I knew. Most people don’t know what happens behind the scenes. It’s all nice on the outside but very different on the inside, like the backstage of a play.”

All sorts of scenarios play themselves out every day in the dining room thanks to a variety of guests; from the patronizing parent to the wannabe foodie. In calling out every kind of tipper (all your favorites are in there, – the Verbal Tipper, Sugar Daddy, Former Waiter and the Whore) Dublanica leaves the reader to decide what sort of mark they themselves leave on the staff.

Waiter Rant regales with the everyday stories of working in the biz – generosity and gratuity, formidable bathroom conditions and hygiene, and even the not-so-rare account of what happens when your customer is more naughty than nice.

With tips on how to tip, advice on days to avoid eating out (i.e. New Year’s, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day), and how to be the perfect patron, Dublanica’s Waiter Rant is for more than those who maneuver the restaurant business daily; it is a fitting read for anyone in any industry who works to please a client and get a job done. And everyone should have that waiting experience for a year, says Dublanica, who emphasizes that it teaches so much about people.

“If you ask me, Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest scams going. Guys still paying off the baubles they bought wives and girlfriends at Christmas and Hanukkah are frightened by Madison Avenue into believing their sweethearts will transform into frigid harpies if they don’t shell out for some jewelry and round-trip tickets to an exotic island. Smelling blood in the water, restaurants replace their regular menus with “special menus” that give price gouging a good name. The foods many kitchens prepare on that holiday are often items they make only a couple of times a year. If your chef hasn’t had the practice of making the same dish day in and day out, your entrée’s, probably going to taste like rubber osso buco. If you’ve ever had a crappy meal on Saint Valentine’s Day, you know I’m right.”- Page 70, The Box of Chocolates Saint

“Somehow, as I’ve done on countless nights before, I pull my s**t together, stuff my anger and sadness into a secure mental compartment, and smile. My waiter armor will just have to make it through another night. Within half an hour my entire section is seated, cocktailed, specialed, and busy eating their appetizers. There’s a tender mercy to waiting tables. You can get so engrossed in what you are doing that you almost forget your troubles. I feel like I’m relaxing inside my brain while my body does all the work. For a few small minutes I find solace in going through the motions of a job I know how to do so well. Of course, the peace doesn’t last.” – Page 262, The Demons

Tags: bad tippers, restaurant life, Waiter Rant
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January 31st, 2011

BRAIN FOOD

Give the gift that keeps on giving (even after you’re gone)

Photo by John Kernick

Let’s just say (for argument’s sake) that you didn’t manage to get away during the holidays because hotels, restaurants, and bars don’t shut down even if everyone else does, and so you didn’t make it home to your family. Once again, like many years past (or at least those since you’ve worked in the hospitality industry) family holiday celebrations and gift giving were postponed until after the new year.

And let’s continue to say (just hypothetically) that you arrive home and either a) discover that your family is, much as you love them, supremely annoying and the only way to cope is with a couple of cocktails or b) you realize how much you love and miss them and want to treat them to the best cocktails they’ve ever had so you whip out your favorite recipes and shake and stir up a couple for them.

But then, the sad part comes…you have to leave and go back to your daily routine. And they are without you and without your delicious cocktails. Not to fear, you can leave behind the gifts that keep on giving… cocktail books.

VINTAGE COCKTAILS BY BRIAN VAN FLANDERN

If you’re looking for the perfect book that suits your family member with a well stocked bar and a few cocktail tricks up his sleeve just as well as it suits your family member who simply likes to drink, then Vintage Cocktails by Brian Van Flandern is the edition for you to gift.

Both elegant when sitting on the coffee table and useful when pulled behind the bar, this book offers a well edited collection of some of the best loved cocktails through the ages. Shot at Bemelmans Bar; the destination watering hole in Manhattan’s posh Carlyle Hotel, each drink is exquisitely presented in Baccarat crystal glassware.

Recipes are easy to follow and enjoy and it’s no wonder; they’re vintage cocktails. Van Flandern explains just what that means as he says, “Vintage cocktails are cocktails that at one point in time, for whatever reason, gained global popularity and are either classics or are destined to become classics. Like Dale DeGroff’s Whiskey smash and Audrey Saunders’ Gin Gin Mule.”

Understandably, Van Flandern is proud of this book. And you’ll be proud to give it. He remarks, “There are stunningly beautiful pictures side by side with easily followable cocktail recipes. It’s a staple for any bar, to see what the drink should look like.”

SPEAKEASY BY JASON KOSMAS AND DUSHAN ZARIC

Next up is a new book that takes a look at both old and new cocktails. Speakeasy, by Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric of Employees Only, brings the liquid best of this well-loved NYC industry bar and restaurant into your own home.

We think its one part instruction manual and one part reveling in memories of your late nights at EO. Says Kosmas, “The book is intended to be more than a recipe book of classic and EO cocktails. Its purpose and format is to help the reader understand the mentality behind our process of bringing new cocktails to life. A chef once told me, ‘To break the rules, you first have to know what they are.’ We lay out the classics to show how we reconstruct them. Some cocktails have new ingredients, some are tweaked for the modern palate and some are inspired by the idea or audience of a cocktail. We wanted take our readers on a journey through the evolution of the cocktail.

To keep cocktails alive we need to breathe new life into them constantly. Bastardizing spirits in new way is the essence of cocktail making.

Zaric notes, “This book is an example of how Jay and I evolved our methodology in cocktail creation; by learning from the classic and implementing it for the pallet of the 21st century drinker. A cocktail today is far more exciting then it was ever in the history [of cocktails]. We have at our disposal a huge variety of ingredients, some of which find their way into mixed drinks for the first time. Additionally – and I have to emphasize that point – a cocktail should stay within its gastronomical boundaries and serve as a part of the overall experience.

We encourage the readers and trade in particular to “break conventions” and experiment. Use the classics as a guide line; and when you master the techniques and methods of preparation and service, by all means, play and discover your own “taste.” Remember that the classics became classic when someone “broke conventions” and went down a road “less traveled.” Fortunately, Lady Luck rewards the brave and courageous and today we have a solid foundation from which to build upon. Use the book as a guideline and inspiration and you will for sure have a wonderful time with it.

They conclude, “The Miles Davis quote on Jazz sums up our philosophy of cocktails:
‘I never thought that the music called ‘jazz’ was ever meant to reach just a small group of people, or become a museum thing locked under glass like all other dead things that were once considered artistic.’”

Tags: Assouline, Bemelmans bar, Brian Van Flandern, Carlyle hotel, Dushan Zaric, Jason Kosmas, speakeasy, Vintage Cocktails
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December 31st, 2010

BRAIN FOOD

The Perfect Finish – Special Desserts for Every Occasion (Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark)
By Alexis Jamieson

There are desserts that are good enough for visiting international dignitaries, and there are desserts you’re feeding to your friends and family. White House pastry chef Bill Yosses is a master at creating desserts that satisfy everyone; and his new book The Perfect Finish – Special Desserts for Every Occasion provides you with recipes to make every guest feel important, even if they can’t wield diplomatic immunity.

Wandering down the cookbook aisle where there are hundreds of cookbooks promising the perfect end to a meal, one might grow immune to pretty covers of delectable desserts, but this is one not to be passed by. For more than just the home baker, Yosses has created a selection of recipes that play well in the restaurant kitchen too, serving as inspiration to your own pastry department. And he’s considerately written his recipes in grams for the restaurant chef who needs to bake in quantity.

Recipes (and tips for successful execution) are broken down by occasion and includes recipes such as simple fruit filled muffin and elaborate celebratory desserts. Yosses’ book is definitely a go-to guide for the chef searching for crowd pleasing ideas.

ALMOND BOSTOCK
4 ounces, 113 grams Unsalted Butter (softened)
7 ounces, 198 grams Sugar
3.4 ounces, 96 grams large eggs (at room temperature)
3.7 ounces, 107 grams almond flour OR
3.7 ounces, 107 grams finely ground blanched almonds
1.5 ounces, 42.5 grams orgeat (almond) syrup OR
.35 ounces, 10 grams Orange Flower Water or Rose Water
1 (9-inch) loaf day-old brioche sliced ½ inch thick
2 ounces, 57 grams sliced blanched almonds

Directions
Butter a rimmed 11 x 17 baking sheet

Make almond cream by creaming the butter with ½ of sugar, beat in eggs one at a time, then almond lour or ground almonds. Beat for a minute to lighten the texture.

To make almond (or orange flower water or rose water) syrup, combine the remaning sugar with equal amount of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil stirring until dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and add the orgeat or orange flower water or rose water.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the brioche slices on the baking sheet and brush them generously with the almond syrup. Use and offset spatula to spread about 3 tbs. of amond cream onto each slice of brioche, mounding it slightly in the center. Springkle 2 tsp. of sliced almonds over each slice.

Bake on the center rack until a golden brown crust forms on top, about 30 minutes.

Tags: Bill Yosses, The Perfect Finish, White House Pastry Chef
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October 21st, 2010

BRAIN FOOD

Feasting Down Mexico Way

Viva Mexico! Don’t let those border town drug wars get you down. Mexico is plenty safe for travel right now if you know where to go. Still unsure? Or just don’t have the time to get away? Well, just because you can’t actually leave home to take a summer vacation doesn’t mean your summer fiesta can’t transport you to Mexico. And it will when you crack open one of these two new Mexican cookbooks that bring traditional small plates and more to your next bash (piñata optional).

Photo by Lucy Schaeffer

ANTOJITOS – Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates By Barbara Sibley and Maragaritte Malfy with Mary Goodbody
New York City Restaurateurs Barbara Sibley and Margaritte Malfy introduced La Palapa to New Yorkers over a decade ago. Since then, their locations in the East and West Village have been a destination for traditional Mexican cuisine which harkens back to the foods Sibley enjoyed growing up in Mexico City. The women’s mission for the restaurant was to, as Sibley says, “Bring Mexico to New York and offer things you would eat in someone’s home.” Sibley comments on the restaurant’s décor noting, “we wanted people to have a mini vacation, under the tranquil shade of a palapa. We wanted people to feel like they were in Mexico.” Now, with the recent release of Antojitos booking a trip to Mexico isn’t necessary; these small bites enjoyed under thatched roofs can be served at home – even if you don’t actually have a palapa.

Palapa and a beach available or not, there’s no reason not to explore these foods for your next party or evening in. According to Malfy and Sibley, “The word antojo means ‘craving,’ which explains the name of these tasty, fresh bites. In some parts of Mexico, an antojito is called a tentempie, roughly, ‘a snack that keeps you standing’ – in other words, a bite to tide you over until your next meal. These snacks are typically eaten out of hand or from a small paper cone or cup while standing or walking around [marketplace stalls and town plazas]. Although antojitos are not usually considered a full meal by Mexicans, they can be so bountiful and delectable that there is no reason not to add a margarita or a beer and declare an assortment of them a suitable supper. Read the full article here »

Tags: Antojitos, Barbara Sibley, La Palapa, Margaritte Malfy, Mexican fiesta, Rick Bayless
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July 14th, 2010

BRAIN FOOD

HOW TO BOOZE – EXQUISITE COCKTAILS AND UNSOUND ADVICE By Jordan Kaye & Marshall Altier
Image courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers/Cover Design by Robin Bilardello

Commonly prevailing wisdom says you shouldn’t drown your sorrows in a bottle. And, while we’re not advocating alcoholism as a solution, we do acknowledge that there are some times when you’re going to need a drink to properly mark life’s little moments. And the big ones too; both bad and good. You’ve got your perfect playlist to suit every mood, so, why not pick the right drink to fit each situation?

Unsure what that is? You won’t be after reading Marshal Altier and Jordan Kaye’s How to Booze-Exquisite Cocktails and Unsound Advice. Read this ultimately spirited life guide and amusing social commentary on finding the right drink for every situation and in no time you’ll be sipping the appropriate tipple to match your mood whether you’re catching up with old friends, coping with a bad blind date, engaged in a threesome, engaged in self-love, brunching, dining al fresco, meeting your future in-laws, and more.

This book came together thanks to a meeting of the minds. Kaye says, “Marshall and I had a great time writing this book. From the very beginning we shared a common sensibility, a common vision on what this project was about: bringing fantastic cocktails to a broad audience using our own distinctive brand of humor and imagination. We met at Tailor, where Marshall used to work, at a meeting set up by our agent Jessica Regal. And basically we wrote the book sitting at bars, cocktail spots, dives. And we had a great time. One benefit for me, as basically a home-grown cocktail guy, is that I have become just much, much better at making drinks after spending so much time with Marshall. But the project couldn’t have happened if we didn’t really share a specific sense of humor and aesthetic. More than anything I think that’s what made the book work.”

Some suggestions from Altier and Kaye

THE CLOSER
There are make or break moments in a relationship. In some relationships, it can feel like every moment is a make or break moment. But a real big one comes around eight weeks in. By this juncture, confidences have been made. Friends have been introduced. Family members have shared unsolicited points of view. Underwear has been removed – quite a number of times, Read the full article here »

Tags: Dubonnet, How to Booze, in-flight drinks, Jordan Kaye, Marshall Altier
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July 10th, 2010

IT’S SO EASY (AND FUN) DRINKING GREEN

Story By Sharon Festinger

Photo by Jerry Errico

Are green cocktails riding a trend or feeding a cause? Well, probably a bit of both. These days everyone seems to be in on the green action. There are, though, definite merits to making and drinking environmentally sound cocktails. If you’re selective about what foods you eat it would follow that you care what you ingest in liquid form, too. Enter Paul Abercrombie’s recent book, “Organic, Shaken and Stirred.”

The book has plenty of eye candy and it’s full of substance, too. The photography is lush and inviting and the recipes well organized, if a bit unexpected. The drinks were culled from bartenders and beverage directors from around the world. Read the full article here »

Tags: acai, drink better, green cocktails, organic cocktails, Paul Abercrombie, Sharon Festinger
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March 19th, 2010

BRAIN FOOD

Eating And Drinking Our Way Through The Industry – One (or more) Books At A Time

Starting with our premiere issue of Inside F&B we’ve got a little gift for you. Lucky for you it’s the kind of gift that keeps giving – our Brain Food column. Here you’ll find an insider’s first look at the f&b related books hitting the market (and some we’re finally getting to). We’re sure you’ll want them on your bookshelves, kitchen counters and back bar too so you can refer to them over and over again.