Subj: 49 Sand Crabs

Soft shelled ones got bitten in half and eaten right on the
beach!

Were they briny and sweet and sort of amaebiish?

Yeah. They tasted briny and sweet and crabby but very mild. They
were improved by shelling and frying in butter and served with
lemon.

A splash of wine to deglaze the frying pan would
no doubt improve things even further.

I thought I might have invented a new cocktail today but when I
googled the ingredients it turned out to be just a slight
variation on somebody else's prior discovery.

By now pretty much every combination whether tasty or idiotic
has no doubt been stumbled on, photographed, and written about.

It seems so.

Anything short of Jagermeister and yak milk
(not what I originally thought of).

My Procrastination Cocktail

What was your working title?

I didn't have one.

Both Bonnie and Lilli ask "what's this dish
called." and often the answer is along the lines
of, uh, pork shreds with onions and chile.

500 g leek
100 g quick rice

Why take a good leek and ruin it?

I dislike parboiled and instant rice as much as quick and instant
oats. Give me the real stuff every time.

Parboiled (I wonder how they came up with "converted")
has some flavor. It may not be a good flavor, of course.

To: Kurt Weiske

Jim is much more the authority on mixed drinks.

I am but a young grasshopper in the study of cocktail artistry.

Are there any old grasshoppers, unless they be
called Dr. Difford or Old Mr. Boston?

Subj: 85 Birthday things

sea salt dark chocolate caramels [...] conform to current popular tastes.

A fad I am not fond of.

When someone came up with it, probably decades ago,
it was maybe a cute conceit (you can use less sugar
if you contrast it with a little salt, all the
better in every way). But nowadays it's super overdone
in widespreadedness and heavyhandedness both.

To: Dale Shipp
Subj: 100 what I had last night

Another possible conversation starter -what have we eaten
lately that was especially good or especially nasty.

Three nice things at our house this past week:
-1- roast leg of lamb, rubbed first with olive oil, then a spice
mix of salt, black pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, ground bay
leaves and thyme, done medium rare and served "au jus".

I did that on a rack once, minus the bay leaves.
A magical combination. Memories.

-2- homemade chokecherry jelly (from Raine). I hadn't had this since
I was a kid. It's lovely stuff.
-3- a potato chowder made with a stock and the meaty bits from arctic
char heads, backbones and tails.

These also sound potentially yummy.

vitamin C tablet is the easiest way to get C in the diet.

she no doubt gets enough from bloody rare meat, which has more
than most people give it credit for.

Enough that the Inuit and Dene people could go 10 months without any fruit and vegetables at all in the old days and remain healthy.

Though not of a particularly lengthy
lifespan.

Subj: 109 what I had yesterday

Modelo Especial for him and Natty Daddy for me.

Now there's a switch! He's drinking better beer than you.

I bought it under the impression it was
Natty Boh. And if it were the original
Natural Light, at 5%-odd, it would have
been an okay-tasting quencher for the
situation (80s, dry).

... It's absurd how fast a pint of that can disappear.

Under ten seconds, given thirst, an empty
stomach, and the need.

Young Rabbit Fricassee
categories: French, literary
Serves: 6 to 8

1 rabbit, cut into pieces
1/2 onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs parsley
a few scallions
2 Tb butter
flour (for dredging; carbs can be adjusted here)
1 c hen of the woods (maitake), chopped
1/2 c morels
2 egg yolks
1 Tb cream
1/2 lemon, juice of
s, p

Preheat the oven to 365F.

Put the rabbit in a pot with water, onion, bay leaf,
parsley, and scallions. Bring to a boil. Immediately
turn off the heat. (Parboiling the rabbit is said to
remove the gamy flavor.) Drain, straining and
reserving the liquid.

Wipe the rabbit pieces dry. Season them thoroughly
with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.

Add the butter to a large skillet and heat. Add the
rabbit pieces and fry them until well browned on all
sides.

Fill the skillet about two-thirds of the way with
the parboiling liquid and put it in the oven covered
to braise until the rabbit is tender and falling off
the bone (about 2 hr). When the meat is done to your
liking, return the skillet to the stovetop and
reduce the braising liquid if necessary until you
have 3/4" of liquid left in the pan. Add mushrooms
and simmer until cooked.

Meanwhile, put the cream and the egg yolks in a small
bowl and stir to combine. Take 3/4 c of the braising
liquid and combine it slowly with the egg mixture,
stirring constantly so the egg doesnÿt scramble.

Return the liquid to the skillet and simmer on low
until the sauce has thickened, stirring and being
careful not to scramble the egg. Correct seasonig
and serve.

after Valerie Stivers, Paris Review, March 16, 2018 after Alexandre Dumas
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