In the spirit of March Madness, the heaven-sent blog LA Taco has posted their Elite 8 bracket for Taco Madness 2009. Since college basketball’s Elite 8 commences tonight I thought it would be appropriate to post an expert breakdown of the Taco Madness match-ups by my friend and taco maven Ignacio “Nacho” Garcia–the man is […]
Author Archives: Payman Bahmani
March 27, 2009
Fridgin’ Out: Liquor Cabinet Edition
Consider it a testament to Kayoko’s power of persuasion that I’m doing a Fridgin’ Out post. You wouldn’t otherwise know this, but for some time now I’ve been averse to the idea. The notion that strangers would open their refrigerators so other strangers can peer into them for no purpose beyond plain curiosity is a […]
March 25, 2009
Happy Hour: Mamon Chino
You can tell from the cocktails featured over the past few weeks that I have had it with the nippy weather, mixing and imbibing as if summer were already in full swing–even if Mother Nature is still having trouble letting go. It’s my way of willing the warm weather into existence. I figure if I […]
March 18, 2009
That’s Why They Call it Simple Syrup, Part II
After another late Tuesday night filled with drunken cocktail tinkering for today’s Happy Hour column, I’m back with the 2nd installment of the two-part primer on simple syrups. In case you missed last week, you can check out Part I here. Last week I showed you how to infuse simple syrups with fresh herbs and […]
March 14, 2009
Portsmouth Seafood Chowder
I’m still hopeful that winter will make its curtain call as scheduled, despite the seemingly unrelenting frigidness of late. So to get through this late-stage frostiness I knew some hearty comfort food would be in order, and homemade chowder fit the bill. I used a recipe I had for Portsmouth Seafood Chowder from BG’s Boat […]
March 11, 2009
Happy Hour: That’s Why They Call it Simple Syrup, Part I
Back atcha this week to talk about an ingredient that is essential for so many cocktails, yet is usually given a mere cursory glance: simple syrup. I suppose the reason for this is, well, as the name indicates, it’s a simple ingredient; so simple to prepare and it so exponentially simplifies the preparation of many […]
March 4, 2009
Happy Hour: L’Amant (The Lover)
Another Wednesday is upon us, which means another opportunity for midweek tippling! The subject of today’s Happy Hour is one that’s been rolling–or rather mixing–around in my mind for a couple weeks now, as I’ve been working on something to contribute to the upcoming Mixology Monday session, or MxMo, as it’s called, where each month […]
March 3, 2009
Homemade Yogurt: The Old School Persian Way
Last month Yoko posted a story on a homemade yogurt she made from Bulgarian cultures, which I found really interesting because the method employed was totally different from the way I remembered my mother and grandmother used to make it. That prompted me to pay a quick visit to the internet to check the “official” […]
February 28, 2009
Rico’s Tacos (Ay Que Rico!)
Ever since Kayoko packed her bags and returned to the land of eternal sunshine and spotless minds, I’ve been having an ever-growing yearning to return to the good old days of the NY Umamiventure. In particular, I’ve been reliving and re-tasting in my mind the sultry sandwiches we ate during the Banh Mi Crawl, or […]
February 25, 2009
Happy Hour: Mary’s Makeover
From time to time I like to go back to the drawing board with certain cocktails and see if I can work in another twist while still maintaining the integrity of the original. The Bloody Mary is one of my favorite candidates for this, as it is a drink that lends herself to virtually infinite […]