On the Road: Thanksgiving 2025

We spent Thanksgiving in Worcester, Massachusetts at the home of the English Prof, as is our usual tradition.  New this year, my nephew and niece joined us.  Both are suddenly living in the Northeast after growing up in California.  For you, a few photo highlights:

Dinner

The bird

My fully-loaded plate

Next day's leftovers lunch

Inspired by English Prof's copy of Uneasy Elixirs: 50 Curious Cocktails Inspired by the Works of Edward Gorey by Virginia Miller, a couple new cocktails...

Hamish's Pride

I made a few adaptions to one of Miller's recipes: The Deadly Blotter.  It's essentially a Manhattan with bubbles so I adjusted to match my own Manhattan recipe.  So I will call this The Squid's Blotter.

The 20-somethings learn to play backgammon:

A couple sights from the city:

Rogers - Kennedy Memorial

American Antiquarian Society

Squid Mixes: Southside Cocktail

A Southside Cocktail combines lemons, sugar, mint and gin.  The recipe I found in Gary Regan's The Joy of Mixology calls for four lemon wedges muddled with the other ingredients before shaking.  In muddling full wedges, you get a lot of peel which certainly enhanced the sharp tartness of the resulting beverage.  I enjoyed the drink quite a lot.  It's certainly sour - and pulpy - but the sugar and mint bring enough to take the edge off.

Worth noting, other recipes I've seen use limes instead of lemons.  

The drink's origins are unclear.  Is it the South Side of Chicago or the South Side Sportsmen's Club in Great River, New York?  The most colorful theory supports the former, suggesting it may have been a favorite of gangster Al Capone's.

Squid Cooks: Pan-Cooked Pork Burgers

Pan-cooked because it's too damn hot to turn on the oven.  Pork because I couldn't find the ground beef in the freezer.  Once again, necessity is the mother of invention.

I've covered Mark Bittman's pan-cooked burger recipe before, including here.  I went with longer cooking times than I normally would with either beef or lamb.  I fear trichinosis.  I realize it's a relatively low risk with pork these days but it's not a zero risk

I was pleased with the result - very tasty and, following Bittman's instructions, one gets a nice sear around the outside.  That's harder to get in the oven because of temperature management - worth remembering.  

On the Coffee Table: Marilyn Hagerty

Title: Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews

Author: Marilyn Hagerty

via Amazon

Marilyn Hagerty has been writing for the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota since the 1950s.  She's had a regular column by the '70s often, but not exclusively, about local restaurants.  She became a national media darling when her review of a newly opened Olive Garden went viral.  The review is notable for the fact that she provided an unironic reflection on a well-known chain restaurant.  

Grand Forks is a greatest hits compilation of her food columns between 1987 and 2012.  Through it all, you see the evolution of the American restaurant industry: dramatic changes in prices, of course, but also the expanding international food palette of the Heartland.  The meat and potatoes of the late '80s evolves to include established Thai, Japanese, Mexican and Cajun enterprises by the 21st century.  

I found an elegance in Hagerty's writing.  "High tea has come to North Dakota, and it's doing very well, thank you," opens one review.  You may think you write sentences like that all the time but fair reader, you probably don't.  Try reading it out loud.  It combines percussive consonants with a lilting melody.  I hear the voice of my own Nebraska relatives speaking those words and quickly grasp the subtle rebuke for my presumptions about provincial quaintness.  Hagerty is midwestern nice, clearly preferring to say something nice about every subject.  But as her son James R. Hagerty, a Wall Street Journal reporter, suggested, "If she writes more about the décor than the food, you might want to eat somewhere else."

Most importantly, after reading I feel I know a lot more about the community of Grand Forks, North Dakota.  For those of you from the world beyond the USA, North Dakota is rather infamously the least-visited state out of our 50.  It's not that it's perceived as ugly or unpleasant so much as boring and out of the way.  The prairie states in general are patronizingly referred to by many on the coasts as America's "flyover."  North Dakota, in particular, isn't en route between major population centers no matter which direction you're driving.

In truth, I now realize Grand Forks, North Dakota isn't so different from Burlington, Vermont.  And they were probably a lot more similar in 1987 than they are now.  Grand Forks is actually more populous: 59,166 to Burlington's 44,743 according to the 2020 census.  Both cities are college towns with popular college hockey teams.  Politically, of course, they're at opposite American extremes.  Vermont could hardly be a bluer state, North Dakota could hardly be redder.  Burlington is closer to larger population centers: under two hours to Montreal, just over three to Boston and just over five to New York City.  GF is under three hours to Winnipeg and just under five to the Twin Cities.  I'd certainly put money on Burlington being prettier.  But there's no denying Vermont is just as provincial as North Dakota.

As such, I've felt Hagerty's influence on my own reviews.  I expect most of you reading this are no more likely to visit my little corner of the world than I am to visit hers.  That doesn't mean I can't use my reflections to share what I love about my own community.  

I enjoyed the book.  It's not exactly a flowing, cover-to-cover read but it's certainly pleasant and charming all the way through.

Star Trek: Facets

Episode: "Facets"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 3, Episode 25

Original Air Date: June 12, 1995

via Memory Alpha

Jadzia performs the zhian'tara ritual in which she meets each of the Dax symbiont's previous hosts.  She asks each of seven friends - Benjamin, Kira, Odo, Bashir, O'Brien, Quark and Leeta (in her second of 16 appearances) - to embody one of the previous hosts in turn.  Meanwhile, Nog takes the Starfleet entrance exam.  

The Dax story is highly rewarding.  The idea of exploring "previous lives" is a popular fantasy in our own world, of course - white culture's egocentric oversimplification of an ancient Hindu belief.  Moving right on past that, Jadzia's relationship with the previous hosts runs deeper.  They're not exactly dead.  In a sense, they live on through the symbiont and, at least for the moment, through her.  As she meets each one, she learns more about what they all added to the complete being that is her current self.  Perhaps the more meaningful equivalent is meeting one's own ancestors, a fantasy I'll admit to entertaining myself.

However she gained her complexities, Jadzia has been one of DS9's most dynamic characters from the beginning.  I find her confrontation with Curzon (via Odo) regarding his original rejection of her as an initiate especially interesting from a broader, behind-the-scenes Star Trek perspective.  Curzon admits to falling in love with her - and being in love with her still.  He rejected her from the program because he was in love with her.

Well, isn't that interesting?  A man in power blocks the career progress of a woman.  His own infatuation with her prevents him from seeing her as someone with independent value.  Curzon repeatedly refers to Jadzia as a "little girl" even though he has only ever known her as an adult woman. (He apologizes for that - sort of)  His feelings of vulnerability lead him to see her as a threat through no fault of hers.  The frequently terrible treatment of female actors on The Next Generation is well documented.  One can't help but wonder if writer René Echevarria is unconsciously revealing all-too-typical male attitudes, within Trek's production staff, within the industry, within broader society.

"Facets" provides meaningful development for three recurring characters: Rom, Nog and Leeta.  Leeta (Chase Masterson) only became one of Jadzia's "best friends" because Rosalind Chao (Keiko) was unavailable.  Leeta will become more important moving forward, a fine example herself of a female character growing into more than just a pretty face.

Food Notes

At the bar, Curzon (Odo) orders Tranya, the same drink offered by Balok in the original series classic, "The Corbomite Maneuver."  The original prop was actually grapefruit juice.  There are numerous online recipes, including this one.  

Root beer is mentioned for the first time on DS9, the beginning of a running gag.  For Quark, the drink is emblematic of his general disappointment in human taste.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Jefrey Alan Chandler played the role of the Trill Guardian who guides Jadzia in the zhian-tara.  It was Chandler's second of two Trek appearances within just a few months, having also been in Voyager's "Emanations."  Chandler was born in New York City, September 9, 1944.  He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University.

Chandler made guest appearances on several television series, including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and ER.  Films included La Bamba, In the Mood and Iron Will.  He died of liver failure in 2001.

Squid Mixes: Strawberry Basil Martini

Our child recently turned 21 years old, legal drinking age in the United States.  Regular readers will probably not be the least bit surprised to know that I've been thinking about the first cocktail I'm going to make for them for a long time.  This summer, in particular, I paid close attention to the non-alcoholic beverages they gravitate towards.  And I asked them loads of questions, of course.  

Gradually, a flavor profile took shape.  They like fruit, preferably paired with an herb.  By the end of the summer, we both reached the same conclusion for the ideal combination: strawberry and basil.

I found a recipe by Judy at I'm Bored Let's Go.  A Strawberry Basil Martini combines strawberries, basil leaves, vodka, lemon juice, club soda and simple syrup.  Vodka seemed like the best base liquor for this first cocktail - minimal flavor interference.

Unfortunately, the kid goes to college out of state so it's going to be a while before I'll be able to make one for them.  On the bright side, my wife and I get to test the recipe.  Round 1...

First, I was pleased with the color.  I was worried it wouldn't turn out red enough without an artificial boost.  Not only were they fine but it felt like the correct red - a true strawberry red and the tiny flecks of basil that make it through the strainer bring the correct leafy green.

The basil flavor came through nicely and I love the tartness from the lemon juice.  We agreed that the berries could shine more.  So, for Round 2...

I added a couple more berries than the recipe calls for along with two pinches of sugar before muddling the strawberries and basil leaves.  By the way, muddling strawberries is highly satisfying.  Anyway, the additions successfully enhanced both color and flavor.  

I think it's ready.  I hope they like it.  I'll report back after Thanksgiving.

Star Trek: Faces

Episode: "Faces"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 1, Episode 14

Original Air Date: May 8, 1995

via Wikipedia

Torres, Paris and Lt. Durst are all captured by Vidiians, the organ-harvesting species we first met in "Phage."  As if that weren't trouble enough, B'Elanna has been split into two beings: one representing her Klingon side, the other her human side.  Can the rest of the Voyager crew rescue them and return Torres to "normal?"

We have important matters to discuss.

On the surface, "Faces" is certainly a compelling story.  The prison escape narrative is fine.  The Torres character exploration is meaningful, for both the audience and the actor.  But this latter tale reveals deeper issues - with the character, with Star Trek, indeed with the typical attitudes of white America in the 1990s and beyond.  For all of Trek's tolerance preaching, the franchise is not immune to falling in the same racial pitfalls everyone else does.  It's something I've danced around with Star Trek for a while.  It's time to take a deeper dive.

Before I dig in, I must acknowledge that I am a middle-aged white man.  While it's essential I confront racial issues - racism is a white problem, not a POC problem - it's also important to share the perspectives of people of color.  To that end, I highly recommend two articles:

"Mr. Spock, Mixed-Race Pioneer" by Steve Haruch, NPR

"Star Trek's Tragic Hybrids" by Larissa Maestro, Women at Warp

In particular, let's examine Star Trek's portrayal of biracial characters, a central element of the saga from the beginning.  It all starts with Spock, half-Vulcan, half-human.  As Haruch discusses in his article, Spock is the main principal through whom we explore the concept of otherness.  Uhura and Sulu are both significant for racial representation but the writers devote zero material to the experiences of either as an African or an Asian among what is still predominantly a white crew.  With Spock on the other hand, we often see prejudices laid plain, even with Kirk and McCoy who are meant to be his friends.  

The duality of Spock's racial identity - feeling simultaneously both and neither - is certainly something many biracial people in the real world wrestle with every day.  So, too, the desire to suppress one identity in favor of the other depending on the circumstances is very real for some.  Indeed, Star Trek probably deserves a lot of credit for exploring such a taboo issue.  In 1966, when the show began, interracial marriage was still illegal in much of the United States.  So Trek is firmly on the correct side of history, right?

To a point.

B'Elanna Torres is a problematic character and "Faces" provides an excellent demonstration of why.  She loathes her Klingon side.  At several different points in the story, she makes clear she wants to be rid of it.  Throughout, the Klingon Torres is violent, impulsive, manipulative, animalistic.  The human Torres is, while scared and submissive, also smart and level-headed.  For each, the counterpart is seen as a burden.  Clearly, we are meant to sympathize with her human half and the death of the Klingon half feels like more than just long-term narrative convenience.  

In the end, the Doctor restores Torres to the way she was, both human and Klingon DNA intact, not because she wants it - she clearly doesn't - but because it's necessary to keep her alive.

In the article linked above, Maestro examines Torres as a literary archetype known as the "tragic mulatto," first established by abolitionist Lydia Maria Child in two short stories she wrote in the 1840s.  Maestro updates the term as "tragic hybrid."  According to Maestro, tragic hybrid characters are "usually women, and tend to be troubled, outcast, unlucky, lonely, perverse, and often die untimely or suicidal deaths."  That sounds an awful lot like B'Elanna.  

Now back to Spock.  True, he is proud of his Vulcan identity, even favoring it over his human side.  However, it's equally clear that everyone else on the ship would prefer him to be more human.  Even in Kirk's touching eulogy for his friend in Wrath of Khan, he describes Spock as the "most human" soul he has ever encountered.  This is intended as the highest compliment from Kirk, from Starfleet, from the franchise, from the audience.  

Unfortunately, this is the message we see in Star Trek rather often.  Differences are all well and good but it really would be better if you were more like us.  It was the message with Spock, with Data, with Worf and many other characters and species.  If you don't think that paralleled racial attitudes in the time these shows were made, you're kidding yourself.

I graduated from college in May 1995.  I remember the typical white perspective.  Diversity is fine - even wonderful, often fetishized (which is not the same as acceptance).  But assimilation is better.  Of course, that's awfully tricky when physical differences are obvious.  But that's on you.  Try harder.  Be whiter than white people.  Be better than us.  Because anything else isn't good enough.  

And things haven't changed much since.

Does everyone feel that way?  Of course not - at least not consciously.  Indeed, many are horrified if and when their own unconscious racism is pointed out to them.  

Is it fair to expect Star Trek, a mere TV show, to be better than the rest of society?  You're damn right, it is.  They took on the challenge themselves in 1966.  The entire premise is predicated upon a better, more tolerant future.  If we as the audience believe in that future, we have to hold both the creators and ourselves accountable to it.  

Food Notes

On a lighter note, the first act begins with Neelix serving a bowl of plomeek soup to Tuvok in the mess hall.  Neelix intends to research home world comfort meals for every member of the crew.  It's a worthy goal, though Tuvok is unimpressed by his creation.  Evidently, plomeek soup is meant to be bland and Neelix's version is quite spicy.  I expect I would prefer Neelix's version.

via Memory Alpha

Plomeek soup first appeared in the original series episode "Amok Time."  Predictably, there are numerous recipes online.

Acting Notes

via Supernatural Wiki

Rob LaBelle plays a Talaxian prisoner who helps our friends to escape.  It's fun, at this point in the season, to see a Talaxian other than Neelix.  This is his first of three Star Trek appearances.  LaBelle was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 2, 1962.  He had a principal cast role on First Wave.  Films include Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Jack Frost and Watchmen.  

Squiddies 2024

The Armchair Squid turns fifteen years old today.  It's time to hand out some hardware.  The Squiddy goes to...

Biggest Surprise: The Cat and the Roomba

via Wikipedia

The premise of the Japanese manga The Way of the House Husband by Kosuke Oono is wild.  Tatsu, a Yakuza boss, leaves his life of organized crime when he marries a career woman.  Obviously, he doesn't have too many job skills beyond thuggery so he learns to cook and clean while his wife makes the money.  Manga, particularly the ones that make it into translation, are dependably high-quality compared to most English-language comic books.  So I wasn't surprised that it's good.  I was definitely surprised that it's so funny.  Humor does not always translate well from one culture to another.

In one issue/chapter, Tatsu attempts to vacuum via Roomba.  The family cat is not pleased.  Madness ensues.  Yes, it is the stuff of TikTok videos.  Somehow, it's way funnier in sequential art form.  I genuinely laughed out loud.

Biggest Disappointment: Queerphobia and Misogyny at Citizen Cider

Last year, our favorite local cidery released its first beer, an offering called Hey Bub.  In itself, it seemed a reasonable choice for expanding the brand.  The trouble came in the marketing campaign, clearly targeting straight, white, blue-collar men.  There were t-shirts of men doing manly things like riding a tractor or fishing with taglines like "Get Plowed" and "Approved for Hooking Up."  The company's own pub staff, specifically the female and LBTQIA+ employees who have to endure unwelcome advances from drunk customers all the time, took offense and refused to wear the shirts as directed by management.  During Pride Month, the staff decorated a chalkboard promoting the new beer and other products with rainbows.  The board was mysteriously erased.  Twice.  A company director was overheard saying "We can't have that shit" associated with Hey Bub.  

Not good.

Loads of people quit and the public backlash has been severe with a local boycott of the brand doing real damage.  The Boardroom, our local game cafe, sold their last keg of Citizen Cider at a reduced price and gave all the proceeds to LGBTQIA+ charities.  Obviously, Citizen Cider has tried to walk it all back but for those injured, it's too little too late.

I'm upset that it happened but I cheer for the whistleblowers who stood up for themselves.  And I'm proud of the Vermont public that backed them up.  It's the sort of thing that makes me glad we live here.

You can read the original Seven Days article here.

Best Read, First Time Category: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

via Amazon

I guess I'm a sucker for books about aging and death.  I still recommend Atul Gawande's Being Mortal to any and all.  In her graphic memoir Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast shares her experiences in dealing with her parents.  The story is neither pretty nor sweet.  There is pain, frustration and struggle at every stage.  As my own parents grow older, these are the sort of things I think about all the time.  Chast's book was a meaningful find.

  

Best Re-Read: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

via Amazon

I have a love-hate relationship with R&J.  On the one hand, I feel the double suicide is one of the great narrative copouts in all of literature.  On the other, it is the play that made me fall in love with Shakespeare and it didn't happen until I was in my late 30s.  This past fall, I read it for pure pleasure, neither scholastic nor professional responsibilities involved.  Without a doubt, it is a masterpiece.

Best Comics Find: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

See above.

Athlete of the Year: Bernie Casey (1939-2017)

via Amazon

Bernie Casey played the role of Calvin Hudson in the DS9 two-parter The Maquis (see parts 1 and 2).  Long before that, he was a professional football player and a successful one at that.  He had a seven-year career in the NFL, playing as a halfback, flanker and tight end, first for the San Francisco 49ers, later for the Los Angeles Rams.  He made the Pro Bowl in 1967.  In addition, he was a champion hurdler in college.  

Best Family Adventure: Hot Water

Last year's adventure at Scandinave (see same category last year) turned us on to the pleasures of hot water bathing.  This year, we had three trips where spas and jacuzzis figured in the planning: two visits to Porches Inn in North Adams, Massachusetts and one to the extraordinary Balnea Spa in Bromont, Quebec.  I expect our new hobby will be a prominent theme in our future travels.  

On the Coffee Table: Hostage

Title: Hostage

Writer and Artist: Guy Delisle

via Goodreads

Quebecois graphic novelist Guy Delisle interviewed Doctors Without Borders administrator Christophe André about the latter's experience being kidnapped in the Caucasus.  André was snatched out of his office one evening in 1997, then held for ransom for several months in Chechnya.  For most of the time, he was chained to a radiator, only a bare mattress between himself and the floor.  On a typical day, he only saw his captors for meals and a single bathroom break.

Delisle drags us along through the seemingly endless, torturous tedium.  Since he doesn't speak his kidnappers' language nor they his, he has no idea what's going on most of the time with only occasional indications that anyone on the outside is looking for him.  For his own psychological survival, André, a war buff, plays mentally through battles from the Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War in order to keep his brain occupied.

Amazingly, he survived to tell the tale.  I'd be interested to know more about his adjustment back to "normal" life afterwards but the book doesn't dig into that.  While the action is minimal, it's certainly a compelling story.  The starkness of Delisle's typical art style suits it well.

On the Coffee Table: Yani Hu

Title: Udon Noodle Soup: Little Tales for Little Things

Writer and Artist: Yani Hu

via Amazon

Udon Noodle Soup is a graphic-novel collection of short stories by Chinese-born creator Yani Hu.  As clearly indicated by the subtitle, the subjects are the simple objects that connect people in a life: the flavor of a soup, the warmth of a hand-knit sweater, a used toothbrush, a thoughtful gift, a soccer jersey.  

I was born a sentimental old fool so stories like these tug at me.  I don't let go of anything or anyone easily.  Held onto tchotchkes for way too long because they remind me of people?  Yes, I've done that.  Remembered old friends decades past the point when they've likely and understandably forgotten all about me?  All the time.  There are morals in Hu's tales, too, reminders of how cruel we can be to those who are unexpectedly generous.  It's easy to feel sorry for oneself in life - put upon, even victimized.  It's important to remember the moments we've been on the receiving end of more kindness than we've deserved.

Udon Noodle Soup is a soothing, quick read with beautiful, manga-style artwork.  It's Hu's first work in English.  I'll keep an eye out for more.

Squid Mixes: Kir

A kir combines creme de cassis and white wine.  The wine separates it from the kir royale which features champagne instead.  I chose the recipe from The New York Bartender's Guide even though it uses far more cassis than is typical - probably obvious in the photo.  I wouldn't do it that way if I were to make the drink again but my wife suggested it as a drink for helping to clear shelf space in the liquor cabinet.  She ended up adding more ice to hers to water it down.

Squid Mixes: Manhasset

A Manhasset combines rye, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth and lemon juice with a lemon twist.  Essentially, it's a Perfect Manhattan with lemon juice rather than bitters.  I got my recipe from The New York Bartender's Guide.  I assume it's named after the town in Long Island but I couldn't find anything regarding etymology.

The recipe contains a misprint.  It calls for 1/2 part of dry vermouth and 1/2 part of sweet but the actual measurements list the dry at 1/4 oz. and the sweet at 1/2 oz.  Quick internet research wasn't especially helpful either.  Some had the two equal, some favored the dry, others the sweet.  So, I went with Punt e Mes, a combination of both and my wife's favorite vermouth anyway.  

The result was quite nice.  I generally favor whiskey drinks, my wife lemony wins so this is a good one for pleasing both of us.  I'm not sure either of us would take it in favor of a Manhattan or a Sidecar but it's still a good one to have in the repertoire.  

Our child gave me a most thoughtful Father's Day gift: a magnifying glass I can keep in the kitchen.  As I get older and my eyes get weaker, it has become increasingly challenging to read fractions in drink recipe books.  It has already come in handy.

Squid Mixes: Scofflaw Cocktail

A Scofflaw Cocktail combines rye (or bourbon), dry vermouth, lemon juice, grenadine and orange bitters. I got my recipe from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan.  The original was created by Jock, a bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1924.  I like whiskey drinks and my wife likes lemon drinks so such cocktails as the Scofflaw are good to have in the repertoire.  The lemon dominates the flavor but there's still some of that whiskey warmth.  I think a little more sugar would be good.  The recipe suggests 1 or 2 dashes of grenadine.  I went with 1.  If I were to do it again, I'd try it with 2.

Regan's book is good for many reasons.  He writes wonderful blurbs for his drinks.  The most interesting takeaway for the Scofflaw is the history of the word itself.  Scofflaw was the winner of a 1923 contest to come up with the best word to describe "a lawless drinker of illegally made or illegally obtained liquor."  The prize was $200.

Squid Mixes: Oriental Cocktail

An Oriental Cocktail combines rye, sweet vermouth, triple sec and lime juice.  I got my recipe from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan who, in turn, adapted his from The Savoy Cocktail Book.  The legend according to Savoy is that in 1924, a desperately ill man in the Philippines gave the recipe to the doctor who saved his life as a thank you.

My wife asked for something with limes and this was what I found.  It's a pretty drink with enough lime to satisfy the expressed craving.  The triple sec brings a sugary, orangey brightness to the affair as well.

Squid Mixes: Remember the Maine

A Remember the Maine combines rye, sweet vermouth, cherry brandy and absinthe with a lemon twist for garnish.  I got my recipe from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan.  The original comes from The Gentleman's Companion by Charles H. Baker.  Evidently, Baker first encountered the drink in Havana.  The name is a reference to the famous battle cry of the Spanish-American War.

Interestingly, the recipe insists on stirring clockwise.  I honestly never gave much thought to which direction I stir though now having tried both ways, I can assert that counter-clockwise is more instinctive for me.  I'm guessing the Cuban bartender who made the cocktail for Charles H. Baker must have been left-handed.  

Despite their relatively low proportion, the cherry and absinthe dominate the flavor.  It's an interesting drink - quite sweet.  

On the Coffee Table: Deborah Blum

Title: The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Author: Deborah Blum

via Amazon

The Poison Squad tells the tale of Dr. Harvey Wiley, chemist and crusader.  Wiley worked for decades, through his position as Chief Chemist at the US Department of Agriculture, to fight food adulteration.  In the late 19th century, industrial food products often contained substitutes, fillers, dyes, preservatives and other ingredients that added no nutritional value.  That was the best case scenario.  In many instances, the additives were poisonous.  Unfortunately, government regulation was non-existent and private industry fought it at every turn.  

Wiley via Wikipedia

Deborah Blum's book would make a fitting sequel to Bee Wilson's Swindled.  While Wilson devoted her material to the struggles in detecting adulteration, Blum focuses on the battle for regulation.  The story of Wiley is a lesson in persistence.  Despite his successes in proving the harmfulness of various additives, getting effective laws passed and enforced was a road of seemingly endless setbacks.  It's a distressing read.  You would think doing something with such obvious public benefit would be easy but that's not the way the world works.  Wasn't then.  Isn't now.  The financial interests of the few seemingly always win.

On the bright side, the public loved Wiley and over time - over a long time - he gradually got his way.  Predictably, the most progress was made after his death in 1930.  But frankly, food regulation in the United States is still far from what it could be.  Private interests still trump public ones.  Do you ever wonder why our choices in a general election are typically between a far right Republican and a centrist Democrat?  This is why.

It's a good book - good but not great, a bit too technical at times to make for light reading.  Swindled is better.

Squid Mixes: Silver King Cocktail

A Silver King Cocktail combines gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, egg white and Angostura bitters.  I got my recipe from The New York Bartender's Guide.  It's not as sweet as some of the other egg white drinks we've tried - pleasant change of pace.  The bitters - just a dash - brings a welcome bite of spice, too.

Squid Mixes: Prado

A Prado combines silver tequila, lime juice, maraschino liqueur, grenadine and egg white with a lime slice to garnish.  I got my recipe from The New York Bartender's Guide.  Prado means grassy meadow or field in Spanish.

The result is very nice.  The grenadine brings the pink but the drink doesn't taste pink.  With the tequila and lime flavors dominating, the Prado is essentially a pink, foamy margarita.  

Squid Perks: Lavender Coffee

In early October, I got a very exciting text thread from our child asking about lavender bitters.  

"Does it exist?" they asked.  "I've found I like lavender in coffee."

"Wow, are you ever my kid," I responded.

The Purple Penguin is now 20 years old.  They don't drink alcohol (beyond a few curious sips - or so they assure us) nor am I inclined to encourage them to do so before they're of legal age.  But as that is coming soon, I give a lot of thought to their general flavor preferences so I can offer a tailored celebratory beverage when the moment arrives.  As such, this exchange provided valuable information.

Yes, lavender bitters exist and no, I've never tried it.  Bitters are typically alcohol-based but syrups do not present such an obstacle.  So, there's no reason we can't start experimenting with lavender syrup now.  I picked up a bottle of Floral Elixir Co.'s product for our purposes.

So far, I have tried 25 ml, the Internet's recommended shot size, in coffee both with milk and without.  Lavender coffee recipes online are usually for lattes so while my general preference at home is black coffee (no fuss), it seemed reasonable to try it with milk any way.  In both cases, the result was pleasant - nothing overwhelming but pleasant.  I half-expected a soapy flavor due to early childhood lavender associations but there wasn't any.  

Despite the fact that they're the one who started the conversation, PP hasn't been overly eager to try it.  After they'd been home for a few days, I had to set the syrup bottle right next to the coffeemaker so they'd notice.  Kids...  Nonetheless, they did try and weren't overly thrilled with the result.  Too sweet.  However, they weren't averse to trying again sometime, with a lesser dose.

To date, this second attempt has not happened.

Oh well.  I certainly don't mind having a new flavor choice available and I'm grateful for a glimpse of their preferences.  I may yet seek out a bottle of lavender bitters in time for their birthday.

Squid Mixes: Love Cocktail

A Love Cocktail combines sloe gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup and egg white.  I got my recipe from The New York Bartender's Guide.

Initially, my wife found the drink a bit cough-syrupy.  Is it possible I forgot to add the lemon juice?  Sometimes, I measure things out and forget to add them and it's particularly likely with squeezed juice.  In this case, I stirred some in after the first tasting and it definitely helped.  So if I make it again, I either need to make doubly sure I add the lemon juice and maybe increase the proportion.