October, 2007 -

by 80 Proof

Aloe Vera Wang

Everywhere you look, you can pay too much for stuff.

Designer watches, cell phones, jeans. Name any product and a company offers a high-end model for discriminating customers. Drinks are no different. These days, wine is not the only beverage you can spend a wad of bills on. 50 dollar bourbons are commonplace, microbrewed specialty beers can run 10 bucks a six pack, and you can’t swing a dead cat without knocking over a new “premium” vodka.

Now I will wholeheartedly admit I am a sucker for small batch bourbon and willingly pay a top price for them. But what I have a hard time justifying is dolling out 10-15 bucks at a so-so bar for a [insert ingredient]-tini. And why shell out all this money when you can make fru fru drinks at home, for 1/3 the cost!

So after the break, I present to you 80 Proof’s world famous Aloe Vera Cocktail!

by BS

Hott Links: Jesus Has Risen – But is He Dark or Semi-Sweet?

Chocolate Jesus is back. But the real question is, when will he fight Butter Harry Potter?

Anthony Bourdain is picking a fight with Rachel Ray over her ‘evil’ Dunkin Donuts campaign. We love you Tony, but don’t make us choose between you and DD. You won’t like the results.

Top Chef reject Josie is opening her own restaurant (a few blocks from my new house!) No word on when Sanjaya’s album comes out.

Reporting Credit: JoeHoya

in Desserts / TV 0 comments

by gansie

Onions For Everyone!

Editors Note: Shameless self promotion

For all you ES DC residents, I have a food feature in this week’s AV Club, in the Onion weekly. You can pick up a copy on almost every street corner—today!

Teaser: “It’s lunchtime, and everyone in D.C. is eating at a posh steakhouse, right? Dark mahogany, pinstripe suits, large hunks of bloody meat…yeah, not even close: When it’s time for that much need break from the 9-to-5, everyone from construction workers to senior VPs head straight for the cafeteria. And not always for lunch, either—the work crowd snags a tray for breakfast, snack time, second lunch, a chocolate break, and even an early dinner…”

Photo: Flickr User – Private Nobby

in Personal / Veggie 12 comments

by BS

Persimmon to Land

Personally, I like eating fresh mangoes and tomatoes and kiwis every day of the year, but the latest trend is all about the local, seasonal thing (global warming is so hot right now). Despite my aversion to not being able to have everything I want, when I want it, I have to say it is exciting to roll up to the farmers market and see a fruit I ain’t never seen all year. This week’s discovery: beautiful golden persimmons.

I had no idea what to make with these pretty little things, but they were three for a dollar so I picked up a trio. I got home and started to google, discovering right off the bat that there are two distinctively different types of persimmons.

One type, Hachiya persimmons, are acorn shaped and apparently cause an awful astringent taste if they are bitten at any point before they are perfectly ripe. I am actually a little intrigued to taste this sensation because the blogosphere hates on it with a vehemence usually reserved for Bush and Britney.

Upon further inspection I realized that the persimmons I bought were Fuyu persimmons, which have a rounder shape, don’t cause the nasty astringent taste at all, and can be eaten while still firm. (My farmers market called them Fuji, but they appear to be similar, if not the same, as Fuyu).

After cutting one open and finding it sweet and delicious, though not particularly strong, I decided to mess around and see what could be made out of a persimmon. My adventures, detailed after the jump, are attempts to incorporate this mysterious ingredient into some of my favorite foods. In case you don’t know me well enough yet, that means there’s some olive oil, alcohol, and of course, cheese.

in Cheese / Drinks / Recipe / Trends 1 comments

by gansie

Our First Retraction

I guess you really can’t be a blog without some retraction posts, right. Well, it seems that there has been a mix-up with my Dana Priest story.

The ES editors were so pumped about this world-shattering event, that we shot it around to some DC reporters/bloggers that we thought would find this interesting.

Well, Amy Argetsinger, from the WaPo’s Reliable Source, found our story so amusing that she actually emailed Ms. Priest herself. Well, um, apparently Ms. Priest attended a friend’s dinner party, and not The Media Institute dinner last night.

So, as I’ve already written Ms. Argetsinger and Ms. Priest apology emails, I will do so again – sorry for the mix up. Although, I have no idea how that conversation progressed after I said, “Hello, Ms. Priest” and then mentioned the “secret prisons” and her “email at the Post.” But, I guess this also makes more sense now.

I do, however, stand by my statements about the lobster bisque.

in Personal 12 comments

by gansie

I Touched Dana Priest

Editors Note: This post has been retracted.

I got a last minute invite from 80 Proof’s law firm to attend the Media Institute Friends & Benefactors Awards Banquet. The black tie function, showcasing broadcasting achievements and celebrating National Freedom of Speech Week, honored, um, someone formerly representing an Administration that doesn’t even allow people with different views to attend his events. Yes, that’s right, former W press secretary – Tony Snow was the recipient of the Freedom of Speech award. Sure, of course I feel bad talking smack about someone dying of cancer, but Snow railed on how reporters are the most reliable liberal voting block, political correctness is an affront to freedom of speech and Christians are deemed a “menace” in America. Whatever.

Okay, but all this to say…I TOUCHED DANA PRIEST.

During cocktail hour, 80 Proof and I stood around a high-top, drinking wine, and eating any hors d’ourves — shrimp tempura, foie gras on crackers, mushroom and gruyere tarts — that came our way. And then she came into sight. The Pulitzer prize winning journalist, who uncovered Bush’s secret torture prisons in Europe, exposed inhumane conditions for soldiers at Walter Reed, and my bitter rival in Media Bistro’s Fishbowl DC’s “Hottest Media Types – Female, Off Air,” lurked only 5 feet away.

I knew immediately that I had to go talk to her. 80 Proof was hesitant, thinking – she might not even know she was on the finalist list for the contest. But, as the beauty contest completely changed my blogging life, I surely thought she’d at least semi-recall this important event.

Another cup of wine into the night, and as the Four Seasons staff played mini xylophones urging us into the dining room, I saw my chance. Ms. Priest just slurped down the rest of her white wine and was headed – solo – into the seating area. I pounced.

in Personal / Red Meat 5 comments

by gansie

Lowering Our Carbs Emissions

When my old housemate Julie returned from gallivanting across Europe — spending family time in Prague, drinking in Munich, baking in Amsterdam, shopping in Florence and hiking in Switzerland — yes, I know, poor thing spending her summer like that, I welcomed her back to the States with a simple, veggie-full, homemade breakfast.

Surviving on fresh bread and cheese, among other glorious carbs, Julie requested a semi-healthy bfast, loaded with veggies and limited on carbs. So, this is a rare morning meal sans begal.

And, Julie–we’re still waiting for your travel post!

in Breakfast / Cheese / Eggs / Recipe / Veggie 2 comments

October 2007

Aloe Vera Wang

Hott Links: Jesus Has Risen – But is He Dark or Semi-Sweet?

Onions For Everyone!

Persimmon to Land

Our First Retraction

I Touched Dana Priest

Lowering Our Carbs Emissions