New Orleans was on fire this week as luminaries of the spirits world gather for Tales of the Cocktail, an annual shmooze-and-booze fest now in its 10th year. But for cocktail geeks not lucky enough to attend can at least get a taste of the Big Easy by making the city's official drink—seriously, the legislature passed an ordinance in 2008—the Sazerac.

This classic rye cocktail was originally a cognac drink invented in the 1830s by New Orleans native Antoine Peychaud, an apothecary owner best known for his bitters recipe, which to this day is a staple in most bartender's arsenals.

Creating a Sazerac is simple… but not necessarily easy. Its preparation is a ritual for many devotees, and there are many ways to make it. Some recipes call for simple syrup, others use sugar cubes. Rye is the most common base spirit, but bourbon or cognac is fine if that's your preference. It's OK to use Herbsaint (an anise-flavored liqueur) instead of absinthe. But if you want to call your cocktail a Sazerac, there are a few rules you must abide by:

1. Never shake your Sazerac. Always stir.
2. Do not drop the lemon-peel twist into the drink. Hang it on the rim. (It is the drinker's choice to drop it in.)
3. Do not serve it with ice. Stir it with ice and strain it into a chilled glass.

The drink itself is a sophisticated, civilized affair. The absinthe rinse gives the cocktail a good dose of its herbal scent and more than a hint of its strong flavor. The bitters balances out the sugar, making it a well-rounded, complex-tasting cocktail that's reminiscent of a Manhattan but is still in a league of its own.

Our Sazerac recipe is courtesy of Marvin Allen, head barkeep at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana. So you can bet this is indeed the real deal. Adyeu!

The Sazerac

What you'll need:
2 oz rye (such as Sazerac, or bourbon or cognac)
1/4 oz absinthe (such as Lucid)
4 or 5 drops Peychaud's bitters
1/2 teaspoon simple syrup

How to make it:
Fill an 8-ounce rocks glass with a few ice cubes and add the absinthe, twirling to coat the glass. Set aside. In a Boston shaker add the Sazerac, Peychaud's bitters, and simple syrup. Stir until well chilled. Empty the rocks from the glass; it should have a thin coating of the Lucid. Strain the chilled contents of the shaker into the reserved Lucid-coated glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Sit back and enjoy a taste of New Orleans history.

Photo location courtesy of our friends at Rollin’ Greens in Queens, NYC. 

Via: MH Happy Hour The Sazerac

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Encouraged by our last Will It Grill? endeavor (gooey, crispy, flavor-packed grilled nachos) we turned to the next item on our long to-grill list: fruit salad. The agenda was the same—to see if a delicious dish would taste even better on the grill. The result was drastically different.

To start, we raided the produce section of our local supermarkets and collected the following fruits: pomegranates, peaches, bananas, strawberries, pears, guava, horned melon, cantaloupe, mangos, pepinos, grapes, pineapple, apples, apricots, kiwis, lemons, and plums. Indeed, it looked like Carmen Miranda’s hat had spilled into the grill.

What began as a banquet of peak-season produce soon dwindled after fruit met flame. Strawberries charred quickly and tasted acrid. Slices of horned melon oozed their green pulp between the grill grates. Grapes literally exploded, spewing their guts toward unsuspecting bystanders and grillers alike.

Beyond the disarray and the apparent danger, unfortunately, we found that few fruits actually grilled well. Guava was inedible. Cantaloupe soured. Apples adopted grill marks, but didn't sweeten. The grapes that remained undetonated tasted like, well, scalding hot grapes. The only fruits of the 17 we grilled that worked were bananas, peaches, and, to a lesser extent, pears, mangoes, apricots and pomegrantes.

Why? We reached out to several fruit scientists at various universities, as well as leading authors on the subject of food science, and not one could explain why some fruits taste great grilled and others flat out suck. Perhaps it has to do with the fruit sugars within certain varieties? The density of the fruit? The water content? Or maybe you have a theory of your own?

The verdict: Only some fruits are good to go for the grill.

When you do grill fruit, here are a few pointers that we found…

Slice smart
Cut your fruit too thick and the middle will still be cold even if the outside has deep grill marks. We recommend slicing fruit to between ½ inch to 1 inch for best results.

Keep it clean and oiled
If you're grilling on a grody surface, fruit will stick to the grates making them difficult to flip. We noticed this especially when grilling bananas. Slices cooked better on well-oiled, well-cleaned grill grates and even benefited from a light coating of fat (butter, canola, vegetable oil will do), before placing them on the grill.

Avoid hot spots
When you want to sear a steak, chop, or burger on the grill, you feel for the hottest flames. The greater the heat, the faster that sought-after caramelized crust develops without overcooking the interior. High heat torches fruit too fast. Medium heat sweetens the food without charring the hell out of it.

Time it right
Fruits, like meats, don’t all cook at the same pace. Pineapples and bananas can take longer to grill than watermelon or cantaloupe. Monitor your fruit closely. When in doubt, taste a sample off the grill.

—By Michael Easter and Paul Kita

Have ideas for future Will It Grill? posts? Send them to guygourmet@rodale.com. 

Via: Will It Grill? A Bowl Of Fruit Salad

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Beer Me! delivers quick beer recommendations with all the information you need to know—and nothing more. Read up, then crack one open.

Name: A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale
Brewer: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
ABV: 7.5%

Drink It: The best course of action for a sweltering summer day is to hang up your keys, crank the AC, and plop down on your living room couch to watch a good game of baseball. But before you do, hit the fridge to grab this brew. It’s a cross between a witbeir—like a Blue Moon or a Hoegaarden—and an India Pale Ale. That all-star combination teams a refreshing foundation of wheat with the quick-hitting oomph of hops, rendering a brew that feels light, despite its kick of alcohol. In other words, it’s the perfect beer beer for an impossibly hot summer day when you have nothing to do and nowhere to be for a full nine innings. 

Via: Beer Me! A Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale

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Fish have a handicap when it comes to the grill. Fillets usually need the support of a cedar plank or else they risk flaking into the flames. Whole grilled fish requires an archeological excavation of the meat. Skin always burns more often than it crisps. Yet, there's an easy way to avoid the problems of piscine grilling: the burger.

Or, more specifically, in the case of the following recipe, sliders. Chef Aaron Bashy of The Water Club in New York City takes fatty tuna, chops it into a pliable texture and then mixes it with ingredients reminiscent of a sushi bar's spicy tuna roll. The tiny wasabi tobiko caviar pops between your teeth as you bite into the slider.  The combination of spicy mayonnaise and jalapeno hit you with two heat intensities. The ginger teams with the fish and trumpets its fresh flavors.

If you love this recipe, swap out the tuna for another hearty fish like wild salmon or mahi mahi. Spike the patties with scallions, furikake, or swap the fresh ginger for pickled ginger. Top it with sliders with thinly sliced cucumber, kimchi, or a squirt of Kewpie mayo. Freestyle—for it's about damn time fish found its place on the grill.

Tuna Sliders
Recipe by Aaron Bashy, executive chef of The Water Club in New York City

What you'll need:
1 lb. fatty yellowfin tuna (belly is preferred)
2 Tbsp green wasabi tobiko (available in most Asian markets)
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Sriracha
1 small jalapeno, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
Olive oil
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 avocado, sliced thin
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
12 slider buns

How to make it:
1. With a sharp chef's knife, finely mince the tuna until it become sticky. Dump the tuna in a large pre-chilled bowl and refrigerate.
2. When the tuna is chilled, fold in the wasabi tobiko, mayonnaise, Sriracha, shallots, and jalapenos. Then shape the tuna mixture into 12 patties about one inch in height. Chill the patties until you're ready to grill.
3. Preheat your grill to direct, high heat or heat coals until white and hot. Brush the tuna patties generously with olive oil. Place the patties on the grill and cook until well seared, about 4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Toast the buns lightly on the grill until golden brown.
4. Place the grilled tuna sliders on the toasted buns and drape the avocado slices over the patties. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. If desired, combine equal parts mayonnaise and Sriracha to create more spicy mayo, or simply top the sliders with more Sriracha. Makes 12 sliders. 

Via: Serve Up Spicy Tuna Sliders

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As far as fish go, there may be no more perfect catch than wild salmon. It's high in omega-3 fatty acids, which battle your body's inflammation. It's lower in mercury than large ocean-dwelling fish such as tuna or swordfish. And, unlike the now-ubiquitous tilapia, wild salmon actually carries some flavor.

The only problem is that most people cook salmon one of two ways: bake or grill. Those are both great options, but if you're growing bored with the basics, give curing a shot.

Curing, at its simplest, involves packing a protein with salt, so that the flesh draws in the salt, adding flavor and helping to inhibit spoilage. The following curing method, borrowed from Bryan Calvert, executive chef and owner of James in Brooklyn, NY, also incorporates brown sugar, spices, dill, and vodka in the preparations, complementing and enhancing the fresh flavors of the fish.

The entire process takes, on average, about 48 hours, and requires little more than a great piece of fish, a few sheet pans, and your fridge. Once the fish has cured, you can slice it up thin and eat it with eggs for breakfast, layer it on top of a bagel with cream cheese, or use it as the filler to an incredible sandwich. The cured fish has a firmed texture and a glorious salty punch, with all the same health benefits as grilled or baked salmon.

The recipe for curing, and an incredible sandwich…

James Cured Wild Salmon
Recipe by Bryan Calvert, executive chef and owner of James in Brooklyn, NY

What you'll need:
1 ½ pound wild salmon filet (such as Alaskan Sockeye or King)
1/2 cup of kosher salt
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 Tbsp fennel seed
1 Tbsp coriander seed
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
Zest from ½ lemon
1 oz. vodka
½ bunch fresh dill

How to make it:
1. In a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, pulse the kosher salt, brown sugar, fennel seed, coriander seed, and black peppercorns until roughly ground. If you don't have a grinder, you can place all the spices in a zip-top bag and smash them with the bottom of a heavy pan until roughly ground.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the ground spices with the lemon zest and vodka and mix well.
3. Using a paper towel, pat the salmon dry on both sides to remove any excess moisture.  Place the salmon skin side down on a large piece of plastic wrap. Spread the salt mixture evenly over the flesh side of the salmon.  Arrange the dill evenly over the flesh side of the salmon. Wrap the salmon tightly in plastic wrap and place skin-side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Then, rest another piece of parchment paper on top of the wrapped salmon followed by another sheet pan.  Place about 10 pounds of weight on top of the sheet pan by using heavy cans or a brick.
4. Refrigerate until the salmon feels firm, about 48 to 72 hours depending on the thickness of the salmon. Once the salmon is cured, remove from the plastic wrap and rinse the fillet under cold water to remove the salt mixture and dill. Pat dry with paper towels.

5. Thinly slice  the salmon filet using a thin slicing knife. Makes 10 to 12 servings. It'll keep in the fridge for about a week.

Cured Salmon Sandwich with Arugula, Beets, and Horseradish Cream Cheese

What you'll need:
2 medium beets
2 Tbsp olive oil
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp chopped chives
1 to 3 Tbsp of freshly grated or jarred horseradish, depending on preference
2 ciabatta rolls, or ½ of one ciabatta loaf cut into two sandwich-sized portions
Baby arugula leaves
Cured salmon

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Slice the beets into ¼-inch thick rounds and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange the sliced beets on a sheet pan and bake until the beets soften, about 15 minutes.
2. While the beets bake, make the horseradish cream cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, lemon juice, ½ tsp coarse sea salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, chives, and horseradish until smooth.
3. Layer the beets, arugula, and salmon on the sliced ciabatta rolls and spread the top with horseradish cream cheese (you may have some leftover). Makes 2 sandwiches.

Ready to take your curing to the next level? Try making the most delicious make you’ve eaten eaten. 

Via: Cure Your Own Wild Salmon

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Avocados are in high season right now and you'll find them piled up front and center in most supermarkets. So we're celebrating the bounty with this offbeat twist on the ubiquitous margarita.

This cocktail was created by Paolo Votano, proprietor of Oficina Latina in SoHo, NYC. "I used to introduce new drinks every day, but after I came up with the avocado margarita, people started coming back for it. So I put it on the menu as a signature and it took off from there,” Votano says.

Once you taste it you'll see why it's become a signature drink. Silky avocado puree blends beautifully with the bold spice of the habanero-infused tequila, and then balances off with tart lime and sweet flavors. But the clincher for me is the cilantro syrup, which turns this curious cocktail into something really special. And let's face it, if you're having guests this weekend, you'll impress the hell out of them when you serve them this drink. ¡Hasta la próxima!

Avocado-Cilantro Margarita

What you'll need:
1½ oz fresh lime juice
2 oz avocado puree (process 2 avocados with ½ oz lime juice until creamy)
½ oz cilantro syrup (add 1 cup sugar to ¾ cup water; heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup chopped cilantro leaves. Let the infusion sit for at least 2 hours and strain. It'll keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.)
½ oz Triple Sec
1½ oz spicy silver tequila (Slice 3 habanero peppers lengthwise with seeds and let sit for 2 hours. Shake it up a bit and strain.)

How to make it:
Pour all the ingredients in the shaker  and shake. Pour into a rocks glass rimmed halfway with cayenne pepper and salt (optional). Garnish with a habanero slice and fresh cilantro. 

Via: Happy Hour Avocado-Cilantro Margarita

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Spoiler alert: There will be no upsets on this page. Pitting cheap Scotch from a can against Johnny Walker is like locking Justin Bieber in a UFC cage with George St. Pierre, or signing Mary-Kate Olsen up for a hot dog eating contest with Joey Chestnut. You know who’s going to win before the showdown starts. But let's be honest: Scottish spirits was asking for a battle. Putting single-malt Scotch into a can is a supreme act of arrogance, and as such, it deserves to be appraised without mercy.

To be fair, there’s good reason to root for the underdog. Maybe canned Scotch is exactly what the world needs. Fancy though glass may be, it's heavier and harder to dispose of than aluminum. It allows light to pass through and slowly erode whatever is in the bottle, and a twist-off cap will never be as airtight as a sealed can. By that measure, aluminum has the advantage. And the fact that it’s inexpensive should be of no consequence. Consider wine. Studies have demonstrated that $60 bottles are no better—and often worse—than $20 bottles. Scotch, however, is not wine, and what ultimately matters is the liquid inside the can or bottle. That’s what I set out to explore.

The Challenger: Scottish Spirits Single Grain Scotch (12 oz. can)
Price: $5
Age: 3 Years

Defending Champion: Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch (750 ml bottle)
Price: $34
Age: 12 years, minimum

The Contest:
A blind taste test with half a dozen Men's Health scribes working late on a Friday (translation: in dire need of a drink). Each taster received two plastic cups, one with two fingers of Johnnie Walker and one with two fingers of canned Scotch. Tasters sniffed, sipped, and decided which was the better-tasting Scotch.

The Results:
Shutout, TKO, bloodbath—pick your metaphor. The contest played out exactly how you’d expect; every taster knew immediately which Scotch was which. The canned whisky was described as "almost carbonated” and "like colored vodka." The Johnnie Walker, on the other hand, was extolled for being deep, rich, and shot through with all the barrel’s smoke and vanilla character. I have to say, I was hoping for a Rudy-level miracle, but I didn’t get it. Adjusted for volume Black Label costs more than three times as much as the canned scotch. My rag-tag group of tasters said it was worth it.

The Verdict:
Although Scottish Spirits’ canned Scotch didn't make an impact, nobody was terribly offended, either. All tasters agreed that it was surprisingly smooth for an 80-proof spirit, and some commented that it had the soft sweetness of sweet apple candy. When asked whether they would consider packing it for a camping trip or a concert festival, the answer was a unanimous yes; the aluminum can and cheap price tag make it a guaranteed party starter. But true to name, Johnnie Walker upheld its title admirably. Now if only I could find Black Label in a can…

 

Via: Can Scotch In A Can Stand Up To The Real Thing?

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Among cocktail drinkers, there is a stalwart camp that believes a true martini consists of three ingredients, at most: a spirit, vermouth, and maybe a minimalist garnishment. In their eyes, the instant that sugar granules encrust glass rim and fluorescent liquid hits mixing tin, the integrity of the cocktail collapses and it ceases to be a martini.

Look, I get it. I'll even agree that the day-glo concoctions slung across most bars give true martinis a bad name. But with this olive oil-imbued blend from chef and Chile Olive Oil partner and devotee, Todd English, I see their argument and to them I raise a challenge.

See, most faux-tinis are filled with ingredients that deplete, weaken, and cheapen the cocktail. But this concoction? The additional ingredients in this drink elevate the flavor, the sophistication, and yes, even the health benefits, thanks to the oil's heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. (How's that for vice validation?)

Through the addition of citrus and herb accents, English draws out the oil's natural fruitiness. It's savory, rich, fresh, and invigorating all at once, but the flavors are so perfectly balanced against one another that it just works.

Now, about the oil: if you're envisioning a thick slick canvassing the surface, stop. This cocktail wasn't designed to resemble contaminated Gulf water; here, the olive oil is used as an accent, transforming the drink and delivering a complexity of flavor and richness of body. It tempers the other ingredients' bright acidity for a well-rounded, clean finish. For that reason, a full-flavored, quality bottle of extra virgin olive oil is critical here. Try to cut corners by using that musty bargain bottle sitting in the back corner of your cabinet and your drink will quickly go from luxuriant to rancid and greasy.

Gentlemen, accept the challenge—you'll be glad you did.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Martini
Recipe courtesy of Todd English

What you'll need:
1 orange segment
3 to5 fresh basil leaves
3 oz vodka (English uses Skyy, but any premium vodka will do)
½ oz dry vermouth
½ oz Cointreau
¼ oz simple syrup
¼ oz extra virgin olive oil

How to make it:
Muddle the orange segment and basil leaves in a mixing tin. Add the vodka, Cointreau, vermouth, simple syrup, olive oil, and ice, and shake well. Strain into a martini glass and float an additional drop of olive oil over the top. 

Via: Shake Up An Olive Oil-Infused Martini

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Even if you think all French people sound like this or you still call French fries "freedom fries," you should learn to love escargot.

Yes, escargot is made with snails. You have to work past that, because if you do you'll experience one of the 10 foods every man must eat before he dies. You'll realize that their meat is only slightly chewy, hardly slimy, and overwhelmingly delicious. Don't worry, because in a dish of escargot, large amounts of butter and garlic provide backup, creating an appetizer that tastes like the best garlic bread you've ever had, plus protein.

So even if you don't know what the hell Bastille Day is (it's a French celebration of national pride), reconsider the French—or at least their escargot.

Escargot in Garlic & Parsley Butter Toasts
Recipe by Phillippe Bertineau, executive chef of Benoit in New York City

What you'll need:
1 challah or whole wheat roll
1 4-ounce can snails (about 14 to 18 snails), roughly chopped
2 Tbsp butter, brought to room temperature
1 Tbsp chopped flat Italian parsley
1 tsp chopped tarragon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to broil. Halve the roll with knife, and then halve each half again so that you have four pieces of bread about ½-inch thick. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the chopped snails on top of the bread slices.
2. In a small bowl mix together the butter, parsley, tarragon, garlic, shallots, salt, and pepper. Spoon the butter mixture evenly atop the snails. Broil the escargot toasts until the butter melts and the bread crisps slightly, 4 to 6 minutes. Makes three servings, as an appetizer. 

Via: Celebrate Bastille Day With Escargot

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This week we head down to South America to feature The 1684, a cocktail that showcases pisco, a funky white spirit made from distilled grapes in Peru and Chile. (And they are engaged in a fierce rivalry as to who invented it first.)

At first taste, pisco has a tequila vibe, but it’s definitely more floral and grassy in flavor, with a bit of spice and pepper in the background. Though it’s been around since the 1600’s, you might not have heard of pisco, but in the past five years, over a dozen new brands have emerged here in the States alone. Sales continue to climb, making pisco a bonafide trend worth checking out.

The 1684 was created by the master distiller of Peru’s Pisco Portón, Johnny Schuler. Aside from making alcohol, Johnny is a spirits author and local Peruvian celebrity and hosts a TV show called Por Las Rutas Del Pisco (Translation: “Down the Road of Pisco”). The cocktail he developed below is named after the founding year of the town, Hacienda La Caravedo, in which Pisco Portón is distilled. But we chose this cocktail primarily because the fresh grape juice and contrasting elderflower liqueur beautifully complement the spirit. Plus, its refreshing ingredients are easy to find and it’s a lot more interesting than your typical vodka tonic. ¡Salud!

The 1684

What you’ll need:
6 seedless red grapes
3/4 oz. simple syrup or agave syrup
1 1/2 oz Pisco Portón (or any good-quality pisco)
1/2 oz. St. Germain  (or any elderflower liqueur)
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice

How to make it:
In a shaker, muddle the grapes with simple syrup or agave. Add the rest of the ingredients and top off with ice. Shake well and pour into a rocks glass. 

Via: Happy Hour The 1684

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Here’s the thing about eating competitions: The guy you think is going to win never actually does. In the case of the Second Annual Mama O’s Super Spicy Kimchi eating competition, held at the 2012 NYC Cook Out on Governor’s Island this Saturday and Sunday, some would-be frontrunners fared worse than others.

Kimchi is a fermented vegetable salad, usually cabbage-based, that’s big in Korea and gaining popularity in the states. The heat levels of various kimchi recipes vary, from warm to HOLY HELL GRAB ME A BEER. The kimchi served up by Mama O’s? You’d best grab a six-pack. First there was “All Day Jose,” who sprinted off stage after a bite, maybe two, to a chorus of boos. Then there was the gent in the gray shirt, stage left in the video who … well, you’ll have to watch to find out.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” said Kheedim Oh, the founder and son of the eponymous Mama O, who conducted cooking demos throughout the day. “I made this batch extra spicy.” Oh’s wares were available all day long, both individually and atop tacos, hot dogs, and even mixed into a salmon burger at the Blind Tiger Ale House tent. One stand-out: the skirt steak tacos from Richard of Brooklyn’s Bar Bruno. A rub of cumin and garlic powder set the steak up nicely for the spicy heat of Oh’s Kimchi, which, it should be noted, was dosed with ample amounts of Ghost Pepper, the world’s hottest pepper (at least for now).

Also on-site at the event, one of many Governor’s Island bacchanals put on by New York’s craft brew leader, Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy’s No. 43 in the East Village: Zio, an Italian restaurant known for hand-made pastas but here serving up fresh fruit-augmented BBQ (figs with pork belly and honey drizzle; grilled pineapple topped by crispy pork skin; an intense lamb-burger with onion marmalade and goat cheese); High Point Farms, which emerged victorious for a second year in the burger competition; and Sabrett’s, the hot dog kings, who supplied cased meats to many of the competitors. 

Via: Ghost Pepper Kimchi: How Much Could You Eat?

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Beer Me! delivers quick beer recommendations with all the information you need to know—and nothing more. No geeky beer-brewing technical terminology. No bottles you have to age five years before you can enjoy them. No bull. Read up, then crack one open.

Name: Prima Pils
Brewer: Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA
Style: Pilsner
ABV: 5.2%

Drink It: Miller Lite says it’s a “triple hops brewed” pilsner. If there were such a thing, Victory’s Prima Pils would be an umpteenth hops brewed pilsner. Indeed, it is exactly umpteen times better than Miller Lite. Crammed with hops, light as a summer breeze, and slightly spicy—if you’re grilling at any point this summer, you’re going to want a bottle of this beer in your hand. Your instructions for maximum enjoyment: Take a bite of any grilled protein, then take a sip of this beer. Repeat. Notice how well they go together? That’s what biologists call a symbiotic relationship. 

Via: Beer Me! Prima Pils

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If you're lucky enough to have access to fresh crab, you know there's no wrong way to eat it, whether you put in the effort for crab cakes or just steam some blue claws and serve them with drawn butter and a nice glass of wine. Unless you’re Italian.

If you’re Italian, then there's only one way to eat it: what my father-in-law calls "crab gravy." I'd been hearing about this family recipe since I caught my first blue claw, but it always sounded too complicated and too messy of an undertaking. Turns out, it's neither. Okay, it's a little messy, but well worth it.

You can buy whole crabs, but I prefer to be claws-on and catch my own. (Click here to find out where blue crabs live.) Just thread some bait (mossbunker, available in any bait shop, works great) on the wire clip of a crab line, tie one end off, and toss the other end in the water. Within minutes, you should be able to pull the line up and net the crustacean on the other end. As a rule, we only keep the males. Not sure how to tell? Flip them over and see what shape you find in the center of their bellies: If it looks more like the Washington Memorial, it's a boy; more like the Capitol building, a girl. There’s a good visual guide here, too. If you must go canned, try Wild Planet’s Dungeness. Different crab, slightly different flavor.

To clean blue crabs, use tongs to place a live crab, shell down, claws pointed away from you, on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut the crab in half vertically down the center with one swift motion.

For each halve, remove and discard the hard outer shell, reproductive organs, eyes, mandible, and gills. Leave the legs and claws attached. Swish each half vigorously in a bucket of cold water to clean completely, and then place in shallow baking pan filled with ice water until you’re ready to cook the crabs.

Okay, messy part's over. The mouthwatering part is about to begin. Now you're ready to make sauce:

Crab Gravy or Linguine with Crab Sauce
Family recipe courtesy of my father-in-law, Philip Cammarata

What you’ll need:
Olive oil
¼ Vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
6 to 8 blue claw crabs, halved and cleaned (or 12 oz. canned crab)
1 2-lb can tomato puree
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1½ tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried oregano flakes
4 large leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ tsp hot pepper flakes (optional, but only if you're not Italian)
1 Tbsp sugar
½ lb linguine

How to make it:
1. In a pot large enough to accommodate all your crabs, sweat the onions in olive oil on low heat until they are soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cover. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 more minutes more, stirring occasionally to keep the garlic and onions from browning.
2. Add crab halves to the pot. Pour tomato puree over them to coat, along with tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper to taste, hot pepper flakes, and sugar. Stir gently to coat crab.
3. Turn heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the flavors begin to meld, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer until the crabs are white and firm, another half hour.
4. Cook linguine according to package directions.
5. To serve, spoon sauce over linguine, and plate with crab. Serve extra sauce with some good Italian bread and enjoy with a green salad, good wine, and, if you're concerned about your clothes or furniture, a bib. 

Via: Cook Fresh Blue Claw Crab And Tomato Pasta

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There are the James Beard Awards. There are Michelin stars. There are Zagat reviews, Fodor's recommendations, and "best ever" lists created by informal Internet polls. And then there are Yelp and UrbanSpoon and TripAdvisor and, look, all of these opinions matter to some extent. But sometimes, when you're a guy who's just looking for a good place to eat, you just want to know two things: if the menu is good and the setting is comfortable.

After the launch of last year's first-ever Manliest Restaurants in America competition, the question that people asked us the most was, "What makes a restaurant manly?" Do men really dine differently than women? When men go out to eat, we're not looking to be seen. We don't care if the restaurant we've chosen is trendy, if the lighting will make us look good, or if the seating if comfy. We'll gladly eat standing over a diner counter if we're too busy to sit. We don't care if the burger-slinger behind the bar doesn't have time to cater to our every need. An extensive dessert menu? That's fine. But how's your beer list?

The list of 2012’s Manliest Restaurants in America nominees reflects this thinking. Each restaurant, collected from reader and editor recommendation, embodies what it means to eat as a man, whether it's a taco shack that has all the charm of a gas station, a barbecue spot that actually is a gas station, or greatest  place for a strip on The Strip. Now, gentlemen, is the time to vote for the best of those restaurants. The spots you select in each of this year's nine food categories will go on to be featured in and upcoming Travel Channel special (air date TBD) and in the December issue of Men's Health, where we will crown one restaurant the Manliest Restaurant in America.

Who deserves the honor? Click here to vote for the Manliest Restaurants in America. Voting ends July 31, 2012 at midnight. 

Via: VOTE For The Manliest Restaurants In America 2012!

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Master mixologist Kenneth Ward named this week’s Happy Hour cocktail Heroes and Villains, in honor of the Beach Boys song that happened to hit the radio as he was creating it. We’re showcasing this drink because we want you to see how easy it is to make a solid, quality cocktail. Check out the video below and let Ken show you how its done. Then, start mixing.

Heroes and Villains
Recipe by Kenneth McCoy, Rum House and Ward III

What you’ll need:
2 oz rum (We like Brugal Extra Dry)
1 oz Aperol (if you cannot find Aperol, Campari is a good substitute)
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Agave nectar
cucumber slices
ginger beer

How to make it:
Drop a few cucumber slices in a mixing glass; add the agave and muddle. Add ice and the rest of the ingredients except the ginger beer. Shake vigorously. Pour into a tall glass and top it off with ginger beer. Garnish with a cucumber slice.

 

Via: Happy Hour Heroes And Villains

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Your grill, the wonderful cooking medium that it is, has its limitations. Those same grill grates that crosshatch dark marks across steaks, chops, and whole vegetables also allow smaller foods to fall through the cracks and into the fires below.

You know this frustration that comes from food fumbled on the grill if you've ever turned rings of onion, caused a shrimp to slip, or bobbled a chicken strip. Some people simply sip their beer and shrug their shoulders, counting the loss as a sacrifice to the grilling gods. Others, well, they invent things like grill baskets, meatball trays, and overpriced Himalayan salt plates.

Most grillers disregard these gimmicks and gadgets as  more stuff to clutter up their garage, but occasionally there's a piece of equipment that earns the coveted real estate. Check out the Sizzle-Q Grill Top Griddle.

This grill accessory runs about 60 bucks, sizes out at 17 ¾" x 13", and weighs just around 10 pounds. Beyond the specs, the Grill Top Griddle is a simple piece of construction. The flame of your grill—whether you have gas or charcoal—heats the stainless steel, creating a super-hot surface the likes of which you may have seen in greasy spoon diners.

The Test:

To assess the Sizzle-Q Grill Top Griddle, I decided to cook up a diner-inspired breakfast. Would eggs, bacon, and home fries grill up better on the griddle than they would in a skillet on my stove? Would the process take longer than an average trip to my local breakfast spot? And would I have a mess to clean?

The Verdict:

The griddle takes about 10 minutes to heat to medium high—that's excluding the time your grill/coals need to fire up. As soon as I tossed on my jalapeno breakfast potatoes (recipe to come), the spuds started to sizzle, picking up a crust of caramelization within a few minutes.

Bacon followed, and soon I was blending the potatoes with the bacon fat that emerged as the strips cooked. At this point, my neighbor's dogs had stopped barking at me and instead began licking their jowls, whining with intensity. As the potatoes finished browning, on went two eggs, which scrambled in just over a minute. What time the Sizzle-Q Grill Top Griddle had lost off the line, it regained in acceleration. Breakfast's total cook time: 10 minutes.

Eager to test the load of the griddle, I had made enough home fries and bacon to feed at least eight people (or myself, eight times more). If you want to make meals for the masses—especially breakfast for the masses—this accessory saves you from using up every pan you have and pushing your stovetop to full capacity. Plus, you have the opportunity to grill your breakfast.

One big drawback: The Sizzle-Q Grill Top Griddle is tough to clean. Yes, you can scrape it down after you grill, but that still pushes most the crud into the attached fat drainage tray. To clean that, you have to allow the griddle to cool, which took about two hours. Then you have to maneuver the device about your sink and as you scrub the crap out of the now-solidified griddle gunk. This factor makes the Sizzle-Q Grill Top Griddle a special occasion device—one you break out the morning after a night of partying with your buddies or for feeding the family brunch before a big event.

I’ll be cooking more food on the Sizzle-Q Grill Top Griddle in months to come. It’s just that the time, and the meal, has to be right. 

Via: Test Drive: Sizzle-Q Grill Top Griddle

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The only way to celebrate the Fourth of July is with a meat-juice-covered spatula in your right hand and a cold beer in your left hand. And while celebrating American history, you should look for two qualities in that beer. First, it should be 100 percent American. Second, it should be an old-school lager that's quenched our country's thirst for so long that it's become a part of the Great American Experience.

That means you'll have to skip on Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. It's not that those beers don't have an important role in American history, because they do, it's that those American flag-draped cans hide a secret: they're not American.

Indeed, after Belgian-owned InBev purchased Anheuser-Busch, the money that you buy your Bud with started flowing over the Atlantic. Belgian Beer on the Fourth of July? What would Uncle Sam say? Same with Miller, a beer that's now owned by a bunch of Brits. Coors is interlocked in a complicated business relationship with Molson, a Canadian brewer.

That's why, this Fourth of July, we're saluting the following four lagers. Not only are they delicious, but they've also all been satisfying our peoples' thirsts long before Prohibition. These beers are truly for the people, by the people, and of the people.

Yuengling Lager

When the German immigrant David Yuengling rolled into Pottsville, Pennsylvania, the year was 1829 and Andrew Jackson was in charge of the country. Ever since, Yuengling has been pumping out its signature beers—save when they switched over to near-beer and ice cream during prohibition—to Northeast workingmen ever since. Pennsylvania steel built the nation, and Yuengling beer fueled the nation's steel workers. Its malty sweetness and dry hop bitterness are light and balanced, making it a beer that Bud Light junkies and craft beer aficionados can tilt back after a hard day’s work.

Anchor Steam

Anchor Steam—called a "steam" beer because it ferments at warmer temperatures in open air, creating steam—traces its San Francisco roots to a German brewer who was called west in 1849 by the California Gold Rush. It's a survivor of a beer. Anchor Steam fought through prohibition, multiple owners, brewery fires, and earthquakes. If the Fourth is sweltering, this is the beer you reach for. It's refreshing with a backbone that’s slightly bitter, salty, and carries a tinge of citrus.

Shiner Bock

In 1909 a rag tag group of German and Czech immigrants in Shiner, Texas realized that if they wanted good beer, they were going to have to make it themselves. Four years after that, they brewed Shiner Bock, a legend of a beer, and the company has been running on the rebel spirit of its founders ever since. (It's rumored that during prohibition the brewery supplied local farmers with illegal beer. Shhh, don’t tell anyone.) Shiner Bock is a Texas original, and great for any guy looking for a brew that's far darker and maltier than the average golden lager.

Narragansett Lager

Although Narragansett was founded by a few beer-swilling Rhode Islanders in the late 1800s, by 1914 the brewery was producing New England's most popular brew. When WWII ended and thirsty GIs came back home, Narragansett became the official beer of the Boston Red Sox and began their now famous, "Hi neighbor. Have a 'Gansett" advertising campaign. If you enjoy a nice, crisp Bud, Coors, or Miller, you'll be in heaven with a 16 oz. 'Gansett in your hand. It's the Great American Lager—elevated. 

Via: Drink American On The Fourth Of July

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Praise be to the cow, but let's not make the mistake of thinking it's the only animal capable of producing a good burger. Any meat can go through a grinder, and by all means, most should. Lamb, bison, and salmon are all worthy. But using nomenclature as a guide, pork is the meat that should be next in line behind beef. We are talking about hamburgers here, after all.

There's only one hurdle in making a non-beef burger, and that’s the hurdle of sourcing. Common meat counters tend to grind cow and cow only, which means you’ll have to ask the man or woman in the butcher’s apron to grind you some pig—ham, pork shoulder, whatever you want. That's it. Simple. If your request is met with a smirk, do not be deterred. You will be vindicated as soon as you hear the sweet sizzle of patties hitting the grill.

For this burger, I turned to Grill This, Not That!, published by Men's Health editors and fast becoming my go-to source for grilling inspiration. (See the book's stuffed pork chops here.) By all measures, the flavors in this burger balance perfectly: the spice of sriracha counters the sweetness of hoisin, and the acid of homemade pickles cuts through the richness of the pork. Try it out and you'll never think about a burger the same way again.

Spicy Asian Pork Burgers
Recipe from Grill This, Not That! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding

What you'll need:
½ English cucumber
½ cup rice wine vinegar
Salt to taste
1 lb ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp sriracha
4 sesame-seed buns, lightly toasted
¼ cup hoisin sauce

How to make it:
1. Make the pickles by combining the cucumber, vinegar, and a few pinches of salt in a bowl or jar. Set aside.

2. Preheat the grill over medium heat. Combine the pork, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Gently shape into patties, season with salt, and grill for about 5 minutes on each side.

3. Combine the mayonnaise and sriracha and spread on the bottom buns. Spread the top buns with hoisin and then sandwich the two halves around the burger with pickles. Makes 4 burgers. 

Via: Make Your Next Burger From Pork

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