Herbal Cocktail Class @ BCAE, Boston, MA

I LOVE taking classes and attending events at the BCAE
They are always well organized and executed!


Domingo-martin Barreres, bartender extraordinaire from Market by Jean-Gorges teaches an Herbal Cocktail Class at the Boston Center for Adult Education.  Domingo is super fun, uber talented and a wonderful instructor!  
Domingo is a real competitor and winner in a number of cocktail competitions!  He was recently ranked as one of the top 10 out of 3,500 contenders in a competition sponsored by Bombay Sapphire and GQ magazine in search of the nation’s most inspired mixologist.

The setup was beautiful, the tables draped in white linen and lined with fresh herbs. We each received a complimentary Bacardi muddler.

Domingo covered the origin of taste and what determines the flavor experienced by an individual.


We started by learning how to create and tasting a few classics such as the lemon drop, gimlet, and mojito.


Just the week before I decided to commit to purchasing Domaine de Canton, a beautiful French ginger liqueur with VSOP Cognac!  

http://domainedecanton.com/ginger-liqueur/

Well, Mr. Barreres served Stirrings' ginger liqueur and I immediately wanted to return my Canton!  Stirrings' ginger liqueur was reminiscent of raw, spicy ginger root!  Very nice!

https://www.stirrings.com/real-products/liqueurs/ginger

Then came the cooking!  

We learned to make infused simple syrups to use in cocktails we would create later when left to our own devices!  We used rosemary, lemon thyme, and basil syrups and infused oils (one Korean chili flake oil and one salted basil oil) which Domingo made at home in his Vita-Prep.  

Domingo pouring a simple syrup.

We had access to tequila, rum, champagne, and vodkas to play around with on our own.

My classmate and I teamed up create our own champagne cocktail!

We also created a cocktail using Ketel One Oranje, pink peppercorns, and rosemary simple syrup.  This was NOT a hit! 

Domingo then wowed us with gold flakes sprinkled into a flute of champagne!  It was simply beautiful!

I would attend a class taught by Domingo ANY day!  It was sooo much fun and very informative without being pretentious or stuffy. 
In fact, Domingo will be teaching another cocktail class, Art of the Cocktail, next month!  Hope to see you there!

I am also looking forward to hanging at the bar with Domingo, tasting and learning more about his creative ventures!

www.bcae.org

Lunch @ B&G Oysters, 550 Tremont Street, Boston, MA

Super Chef and brilliant restaurateur Barbara Lynch never disappoints.

I'd been celebrating for about a week with a great friend and protégée of mine after she received the news that she was accepted into veterinary medical school!  We tend to bond over veterinary medicine and food, so a few days after a lovely and extravagant dinner at Hamersley's Bistro, we ventured out for lunch at B&G.



 
Though it was a balmy afternoon at the height of Boston's latest heatwave, we decided to dine on the patio in hopes that a bottle of chilled bubbly would keep us cool! 

Me & Shateenah!

The overhead shades were super efficient.

David, out wonderful server was a breath of fresh air.  He really took good care of us, as did management.

Me, David, & Shateenah

We began with complimentary crostinis served with two ingredients which debuted across my palate with a lasting impression: bass ceviche and green goddess dressing.

Crostinis with bass ceviche and green goddess dressing

 We then ordered two each of 3 oysters from the 
"Oysters of the Day" list:
Naked cowboy, Little Island, and Mermaid cove. 
All three had relatively mild flavor profiles.  I enjoyed the Naked cowboy oyster the most with its mineral flavor and was moderate brininess. 

Oysters served with traditional condiments: (prosecco) mignonette and cocktail sauce

A new twist on an old favorite...
The yellow fin tuna tartar was beautifully prepared; serving as the base beneath fresh pink grapefruit slices and avocado with a crisp sesame tuile!  The smoky oil drizzle was a nice aesthetic and mild flavorful addition.

The fried Point Judith calamari was simple and tender.  
It was served with a nice spicy aioli.

Point Judith calamari

The pan-roasted halibut was a super attractive dish!  The beet spaetzle was brightly colored and really brought the plate to life!  It was wonderfully contrasted by the herb pesto.  The halibut was perfectly cooked, well-seasoned, flaky, and moist and was served with a warm frisée salad and halved roasted golden beets.

The chili-honey glazed shrimp salad was fresh and delicious.  

We were then treated to dessert:

I enjoyed the cherry tartlet due to its mild pastry cream topped with unsweetened black cherries with thyme as an herbal twist.

While the chocolate mousse with homemade heath bar and olive oil drizzle was delightful, the presentation was not the most attractive dessert I've seen.

B&G Oysters is definitely one of the South End's crown jewels!

http://www.bandgoysters.com/