|
TM
Here’s a Real Gem for the Summer at Restaurant August
Peridot is the birthstone for August – both the month
and the restaurant. A volcanic gem, actually the gem-form of the mineral
olivine, Peridot was mined as far back as ancient Egypt. Legend has it that
mining was done at night because the gem could not be easily seen during the
day; the ancient Romans called peridot “evening emerald.” Even today, it is
said to have the power to drive away evil spirits. In a town that doesn’t blink
an eye at voodoo ritual, The Peridot cocktail at Restaurant August is right at
home.
Besides, on a hot summer night in New Orleans, there is no
finer gem than a refreshingly cool Peridot cocktail. Like the classic lines of
the stone itself, simplicity is key for The Peridot:
To create this jewel of a cocktail at home, simply fill a
cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the sake and pineapple juice, and shake.
Fill a champagne saucer with crushed ice and strain the mixture over the top.
Drizzle with Midori and garnish with a slice of star fruit.
And what better way to cleanse your palate before dinner at
New Orleans’ true jewel in the crown, Restaurant August? Perhaps no one was
more clairvoyant than the editors of Food & Wine Magazine, when, in
1998, they named Chef John Besh one of the “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America.”
In October 2001, when Chef Besh opened Restaurant August,
his inspirations for the innovative menu were the classical techniques he
learned through the Culinary Institute of America; as an apprentice at a
Michelin-starred hotel in Germany's Black Forest; on regular sojourns in France;
and from the Creole influences that come naturally to one "born on the bayou."
Since then, Besh and Restaurant August have received a
number of top honors including the prestigious “Five Bean” ranking by The New
Orleans Times-Picayune; a listing in Condé Nast Traveler as one of
the “50 Hot Tables in the World”; and inclusion in Gourmet magazine’s
“Guide to America’s Best Restaurants,” to name just a few. No evil spirits here
at Restaurant August – but it never hurts to take an ounce of prevention with a
cool green Peridot…
Edited by Madelyn Miller
More delightful things to drink
Low-carb Cocktails
All the fun and taste without the carbs
By Marlene and Chuck Koch
OLDMAN’S GUIDE TO OUTSMARTING WINE: 108 Ingenious
Shortcuts to Navigate the World of Wine with Confidence and Style
By Mark Oldham
Penguin Original $18.00
Received the Georges Duboeuf Book Award of Year at the annual Beaujolais Nouveau
luncheon in New York
RENAISSANCE GUIDE TO WINE AND FOOD PAIRING
By Tony Didio and Amy Zavatto
Alpha Books
How to Pronounce French, German and Italian Wine Names
By Dianna Bellucci
They also include a bonus of Austrian, Spanish and Portugese Wine Names
Luminosa Publishing
www.howtopronounce.com
THE LITTLE BOOK OF CHAMPAGNE
by Christian Pessey
Flammarion Publishing
THE LITTLE BOOK OF COGNAC
by Christian Pessey
Flammarion Publishing
Australian Wine Vintages 2005
The Gold Book
By Robin Bradley
www.gold-book.us
The Guide to Colorado Wineries
By Alta and Brad Smith
Fulcrum Publishing
www.fulcrum -books.com
DISCOVERING WASHINGTON WINES
By Tom Parker
An introduction to one of the most exciting Premium wine regions
Ranconteurs Press
www.reconteurs.com
Hidden Wine Country
By Marty Olmstead and Ray Riegert
Ulysses Press
www.ulyssespress.com
TOURING TEXAS WINERIES
By Thomas M. Giesla and Regina M. Giesla
Scenic Drives along Texas Wine Trails
Lone Star Books
www.texaswinetrails.com
ACCESS CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY
A guide that leads you street by street into the Heart of the Wine Country
Updated by Donna Peck
Harper Resource
www.harpercollins.com
GREAT TASTES MADE SIMPLE
By Andrea Immer
(author of Great Wine Made Simple)
www.broadwaybooks.com
WINE FOR WOMEN
A guide for buying, pairing and sharing wine
By Leslie S Brocco
William Morrow/HarperCollins Publishers
www.lesliebrocco.com
www.harpercollins.com
Back to
TravelLady Magazine |