VittlesVamp

The Sazerac

I don't know when it happened. When did ordering a Sazerac cocktail go from being a special treat when I'd sidle up to a bar in New Orleans to being a regular request at any willing and able watering hole north of the Mason-Dixon line?

Moreover, I've made up several in my home - filling an old fashioned glass to the rim with ice, dousing said ice with a slug of absinthe (or Pernod in a pinch), measuring out a portion of good rye into a separate glass with ice, adding a bit of simple syrup, several dashes of Peychaud's bitters and some Angostura for good measure. Then I stir the drink a good while until I'm ready to toss the ice and absinthe drippings in the old fashioned aside, straining the rye elixir into the awaiting anise-coated glass. And, only then do I cut a ribbon of lemon peel, lovingly rubbing it against the glass's edge, twisting it on top of the drink to let the fragrant oils disperse before tossing it into the awaiting beverage.

That's my Sazerac. That's my drink. I love it. And, it's not just for New Orleans any more - at least not in my book.

The Gift of Meat

Any excuse to go Astoria's Muncan Food - Serbian butcher shop extraordinaire - is alright by me.

My latest excuse? A friend's birthday. What better gift to offer up than a selection of delicious Serbian meat products?

And, once I led my pal Allison into the meat-riffic shop, strewn with gorgeous smoked slabs of pork ribs, thick garlands of sausage and an abundance of house-cured salamis, she most certainly felt like the birthday princess she has always dreamed she could be on the glorious anniversary of her birth.

No need for a birthday hat or a cake when you can celebrate with warm, chewy nubs of pork cracklings. Then again, what party is complete without an array of bacon, from rolled paprika-style to pepper panceta? Guiding us through the meat maze (straight to the lamb salami) was Muncan's ever-knowing Zoran - or as I like to call him, "The Willy Wonka of Meat." He is more than a butcher: He is a Serbian meat master.

So, if your birthday is around the corner and you want to commemorate the occasion with some meaty magnificence, drop me a line. I'll be quick to catch the R to Steinway and meet up for a meat up. Heck, I'll even bring along a candle to stick in the Balkan cold-smoked pork loin.

Make a wish!