kochleffel

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.

I have a subscription to the NYT but does it count as "fit to print" if it's online? Slow cooker seems like a complicated way to make green-bean casserole. I'd skip the drink. For the wine, I'll suggest the 2018 Viognier from the Goose Watch Winery on Cayuga Lake. I haven't been to Muroran.

Pink Frost There is zero, and I mean zero, agreement about what this cocktail is. One recipe is rum, white chocolate liqueur, strawberries, and half-and-half. Another is pink lemonade concentrate, vodka, white rum, cream of coconut, and maraschino cherry juice. One from Denmark is gin and rhubarb syrup. I'm going with one that is comparatively simple although it requires an ingredient that you may not have around or even be able to get. ½ oz soda water ½ oz simple syrup 2 oz grapefruit juice 1 oz elderflower liqueur soda water to taste Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and then add grapefruit juice, elderflower liqueur, and simple syrup. Shake the ingredients vigorously for about 10-15 seconds to chill and combine the flavors. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass filled with ice then top it off with soda water to your desired level of effervescence. Stir gently to incorporate.

My medical appointment was at a new, purpose-built facility housing specialty offices spread over three floors. One checks in at a central reception desk and is then directed to one of nine "pause areas," three per floor. It is not clear to patients whether "pause area" is a euphemism for waiting room, or whether one is supposed to pause there and then go somewhere else. The upshot: doctor said, "You're fine. Go home." In unrelated medical news, my nose does not look nearly as bad as I thought it would.

I have bagels but no lox. If it's the phone cord that's to be cut, I still have a land line and will keep it, because mobile reception inside my house is erratic. The chicken and bean stew would be OK. No on the drink. For the wine, Dr. Frank's Meritage 2020. I haven't been to Guernsey. Today: medical appointment 30 miles away.

Hemingway Daiquiri Ernest Hemingway became enamored of the daiquiri while spending time in Cuba. This version, created in Havana in 1921 by Constantino Ribalaigua, was named for him. It's also called the Papa Doble or the Hemingway Special. It begins with the classic ingredients of rum and lime, and adds maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice. Hemingway preferred it without sugar, but it would be quite sour and most people would like it better with simple syrup. 2 ounces light rum 1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1/4 ounce simple syrup Lime wheel, for garnish In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the rum, maraschino liqueur, and grapefruit and lime juices. Add the simple syrup if desired. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

I'm celebrating my release from post-surgical jail with a Corpse Reviver No. 2, which was the drink of the day on Monday. I have three hours of class on Thursday afternoon and usually need to be revived after that. The course assignment today was a five-minute account of involvement with nature in childhood. I wrote about playing in the dirt.

I was in Scouts, and while I wasn't good at it, Scouting, in the form of a Boy Scout compass, may have saved my life when I got lost in the snow in the Sky Lakes Wilderness years later (on July 1!). My thoughts about Hungarian goulash are the same as the last time we had it. I wouldn't bother with the drink. For a Sauvignon Blanc, Hosmer Estate 2021. I haven't been to Catania. I have been desutured.

Strawberry Moscow Mule Today's drink is a Moscow Mule plus strawberries. A mule consists of spirits, ginger beer, and lime, served in a copper mug. Some versions of this recipe specify lemon instead of lime, and depending on the sweetness of the ginger beer, you might want to reduce the citrus or add simple syrup. 2 oz (60 ml) vodka 4 oz (120 ml) ginger beer 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice 4 large strawberries (chopped) 1 lime or lemon slice 1 strawberry (cut in half) 1 spring of fresh herb In a copper mug (or glass), add the strawberries. Crush them with a cocktail muddler. Alternatively, you can also crush the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Next, add the ice cubes. Pour the vodka, lemon juice and top with ginger beer. If you like it sweeter, add some simple syrup too. Use a stirrer or spoon and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with a lime or lemon slice and a fresh strawberry. Add a sprig of any fresh herb.

I have never liked the mathematical e. Dairy-free is good for those of us who are lactose-intolerant, but moving from butternut squash to acorn is not an improvement. No on the drink. For another FL Pinot Noir, Anyela's 2021. I've posted photos of the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas before, so here are some of the botanical garden. These are from my recent cruise on the Anthem of the Seas.

Bikini Martini Today's pseudotini comes from the 1990s and may have originated at a swimwear fashion event. The recipe omits one essential element: it's to be enjoyed while lounging by a swimming pool. Grenadine is a syrup historically, and outside the U.S. still, made from pomegranates. During World War II, the U.S. producer switched to raspberries and has never changed back. I found a craft-bartender recipe that explains how to make your own grenadine (and how to infuse rum with coconut), but our recipe uses only ingredients available commercially. It's sometimes made as a layered drink, each part carefully floated on what's already in the glass, but the ingredients don't mix easily, so the rum, pineapple juice, and vodka are best shaken. The grenadine can be dropped gently into the glass last, like the crème de cassis for a Kir. It's made without ice, so keep the ingredients as cold as possible. 1 fluid ounce coconut rum ¾ fluid ounce vodka 1 fluid ounce pineapple juice 1 dash grenadine syrup Combine rum, vodka and pineapple juice in a drink shaker. Shake firmly until frothy. Pour in a martini glass, add a touch of grenadine in the middle. Garnish with an orange wheel.

Some adjustments to medical plans: I have been trying since November to get an appointment with a doctor I had seen before, but he was on an open-ended family leave. It's a large practice, but with one doctor out, the only appointment I could get was in January, with a PA. I was sick and it was snowing that day, so I changed it to the next open slot, in March. Today they called to say that the doctor was back to work and could see me on Friday. The time that they wanted, in the morning, overlapped with when I'd be having the Mohs sutures removed, 30 miles away. After some back-and-forth they opened up a slot in the afternoon. Then the dermatology practice called to change my appointment from Friday to Thursday because there won't be anyone at the local office to remove sutures on Friday.