Two New Obsessions

1. The Harvey Wallbanger - classic cocktail. Much simpler and cheaper to make than a Mai Tai. SMJ & PMP - after I'm done with the antibiotic, we needs to get our drink on!

2. Surfing. A few weeks ago I had a stupendous dream involving me riding on top of a tsunami tidal wave and surviving it to the applause of all the other survivors on the beach. Since then, I've been obsessed. I've never been to California, but I now have a mission to watch the surfers at Cortez Banks some day. If I thought my busted up knee and ankle could take it, I'd take lessons. However, boogie boarding and body surfing are both possibilities, if I can get some hot surfing chick from "Blue Crush" to teach me.

Mai Tai Photos

As promised!


Mai Tai by the fire...


Mai tai-worthy treats...


Now THAT'S a Mai Tai!

I know it was a couple weeks ago, but thanks again PMP and SMJ for making it a great night!

Mai Tai Happens

Last night, PMP, SMJ and I had ourselves a grand Mai Tai party, although the chilly damp rainy weather kept us inside instead of out on the patio. Still, we had the string of festive lights up, and a fire in the fireplace. I had one too many, though, and have woken this morning with a banger of a hangover. I'd forgotten what rum can do to a person. The good news is that the Mai Tais were yummy and now that I know how to do it (watching SMJ pour all night), I can have one pretty much any time I want (instead of going on a bender).

Here's the recipe we used, modified for missing ingredients:

1 oz light rum
1 oz dark rum
splash of orange curacao
(orgeat) or in our case, a splash of cheap almond liqueur (could not find orgeat anywhere so this provided the almond color)
(rock candy syrup) again, no dice, so we made due with confectioners sugar
juice of a lime (to taste)
garnish of orange and a sprig of lemon balm (no fresh mint was to be had)

Photos coming soon!

I have to eat my oatmeal now. PMP and I are going to Momazoo's this afternoon. Makin' a pork roast, I believe. I dunno about pork on a hangover, but we'll just find out, won't we?

The quest continues...

Yesterday I stopped into our local wine and liquor shack to pick up a bottle of our favorite comfort wine (Bully Hill Vineyard's "Love My Goat" table red). As long as I was there, I thought I'd peruse the rum section to see if I could get a leg up on what kind of rum to use in the elusive Mai Tai. I was overwhelmed by rum. So, when I paid fuh my wine at the counter, I asked the guy about rum and Mai Tais, and as his eyes glazed over, he reached for the little Bartender's Black Book they had for sale. I looked up Mai Tai, and sure 'nuff, it's the pink pineapple sick-fest version that almost made me vomit on the spot. He said he knew nothing about rum (and really I should have said, THEN WHY THE FUCK DO YOU WORK IN A LIQUOR STORE?). But I have a line on that place via SMJ and know that collectively, those folks aren't very on top of their supposed game.

When the semester finally ends, I will start collecting Mai Tai ingredients in earnest, especially because PMP will be leaving for the summer and I need to send her off with a proper patio Tiki extravaganza!

Mai Tai Madness

Bizarro and I went to our friendly neighborhood pub for sum grub tonight. I'd ordered a Mai Tai there about a month ago, and the bartender had to look it up but was able to do one up (albeit not a very authentic one and there wasn't even an umbrella). Tonight I ordered one and this time the waitress came back and said the bartender had no idea (and apparently they were too busy for him to have time to look it up - it WAS hoppin' tonight).

I decided I need to start making them at home. I already have the little umbrellas ($1.50 at Big Lots), so I went online to find a recipe, and instead found a little war over what constitutes a "real" Mai Tai. See for yourself: Mai Tai Madness. And here's the whole scoop all about theMai Tai.

I'm sure this crowd has heard of the Mai Tai, but the average hick bar in Ogreville has no freaking idea and looks at me like I have three heads when I order one. What I will do is find a good (and relatively simple) recipe, have it laminated, and on a slow night, go to our pub and offer it up to the bartender, along with a box of little umbrellas.