Cooking Advice for Living Life

A recent quote by chef Jacques Pepin on cooking is great advice on LIVING and INNOVATING, especially in a Covid world:

“Cooking / LIVING / INNOVATING is the art of adjustment.  It is not always about following the recipe.  

The recipe is a guide but also a restraint. When you cook / LIVE / INNOVATE, you cannot just follow the recipe, you have to adjust to the product / SITUATION that is in front of you.  

The pears / ENVIRONMENT might be more or less ripe, more or less juicy, more or less sweet.  Your use of the recipe needs to be adjusted to accommodate the differences.“ – chef Jacques Pepin and the “ / BOLD FACE” are my additions

It’s a shift of mindset to see real time adjustments as part of life – instead of as a frustration. 

It’s a shift of mindset to see adaptations as continuous innovation – instead of as an annoyance

It’s a shift of mindset to see new ideas as a means for working smarter – instead of as a disruption

Special thanks to my dear friend Suzy DeYoung, founder and leader of La Soupe who shared the quote from the famous chef Jacques Pepin on Facebook. 

2 – 1 – 1 COCKTAIL Experience

This week I’m going to give you a “Cocktail Recipe” that is flexible – it is your task to make it great. Your starting point is the basic cocktail ratio:  2 – 1 -1 

This means – 2 STRONG – 1 SWEET – 1 SOUR

• 2 oz of STRONG (Whiskey, Rum, Vodka, etc)

• 1 oz of SWEET (Simple syrup, Honey Water (50/50 blend), Triple Sec Liquor etc.)

• 1 oz of SOUR (Lemon Juice, etc.)

If you do it with Whiskey, Simple Syrup and Lemon Juice, you have a Whiskey Sour. If you do it with Tequila, Triple Sec and Lime Juice, you have a margarita. If you do it with Vodka, Chambord and Pineapple Juice, you have a French martini.

However, this is the starting point.

• If your fruit is sweet, you might turn down the sweetness you add. 
• If your spirit has a high alcohol level you might use 1.5 ounces instead of 2 ounces.

AND – next up, you can add some herbs, bitters, sparkling water, soda to give your cocktail a unique twist.

Enjoy,

Doug

P.S. Congratulations to the Brain Brew team on Paddle Wheel winning a 95 Rating  (“EXTRAORDINARY – HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION”)