The CulinaryWoman Newsletter, 2/28/21

The challenge of going alcohol free

Lent, the period between Ash Wedneday and Easter Sunday, got underway 10 days ago. For many observers, it’s a time to give up indulgent things, or to try to do good deeds. This year, I’m consciously attempting to perform additional acts of kindness beyond the way I always try to treat people.

However, Lent has become a period when a number of people try to abstain from alcohol. Some participate in organized efforts, like the Alcohol Free for 40 program that takes place every year in New Orleans.

Others tackle it on their own.

Deciding To Go Alcohol Free

In 2017, I decided to give up drinking alcohol during Lent, and wrote an essay about my experience for Medium.

At the time, my choice was linked to a medical test that my doctor wanted to repeat, just to be sure the results were right. She advised me not to drink for a month before hand. Lent turned out to mesh perfectly with her advice. (The test came out fine.)

Yet, going alcohol free became a habit that suited me. I’ve long been a one-and-done drinker, able to nurse a cocktail, a glass of wine or a beer through an evening.

A friend of mine once teased me for ordering fresh drinks that I never touched, just so I could keep pace with him and others at the table.

I stopped doing that, and ultimately just abandoned alcohol completely. I had six drinks in all of 2019, and I haven’t had an alcoholic drink since Thanksgiving, 2019. Yes, I have gotten through the pandemic without a cocktail.

By no means do I want to spoil your fun. In fact, I fully intend to enjoy a glass of champagne to toast my book, when it’s published next year.

Meanwhile, I’m hoping to keep my streak going. I find my sleep enormously improved, there are obviously no hangovers to wrestle with, and I have a collection of techniques to fight anxiety, rather than reaching for wine.

Further, it’s an adventure to seek out interesting things to drink that don’t have alcohol. Craft sodas are everywhere. And choices of alcohol free beers, wines and spirits abound.

The Produce Station in Ann Arbor now has an entire section inside the front door that’s like a library of non-alcoholic choices, far beyond the tepid selection that used to be the norm.

The Importance Of Alcohol Sales

Still, I was curious how much alcohol revenues contribute to the industry as a whole.

According to Modern Restaurant Management, about 20 to 25 percent of an average restaurant’s sales come from alcohol. At Tao Las Vegas, the country’s biggest independent restaurant, it is more than 50 percent.

Restaurants love to push alcohol, the magazine claims, because labor costs behind the bar are much lower than in kitchens. Think about the productivity of a good bartender versus the collective effort of getting a plate to the table.

Alcohol can be marked up as much as four times the wholesale price. Alcohol has a longer shelf life than food, and it gives wait staff the opportunity to record bigger checks.

In order to convince consumers to purchase more alcohol, the magazine says a strong wine program can fuel profits. The retail price of a single glass can be as much as the wholesale price for a bottle.

Cocktails have a “pour cost” — the amount spent on ingredients — of 20 to 25 percent, but making drinks in batches, like punch, or easily crafted brunch drinks like mimosas or Bloody Marys can help the numbers look even better.

But, that guidance was drafted in the pre-pandemic world.

Now that we’ve dealing with restrictions on indoor seating, sanitary protocols and so many people are getting carry out, we’ve seen restaurants adopt different strategies on alcohol.

Some are limiting time that patrons can occupy a table, which logically will cut into drinking time, and presumably reduce the alcoholic beverage portion of a check.

Some have been able to sell pre-mixed cocktails, that come in little jars or containers, requiring the diner to shake or add ice at home.

Others have offered deals on bottles of wine to clear out cellars that were gathering dust during shutdown.

Commander’s Palace turned its situation into a party, with virtual wine and cheese tastings where guests could order menu items and follow along.

Given the difficulties posed by lost revenue thus past year, I can see why restaurants would like alcohol sales to hold up until the pandemic subsides.

Making Alcohol Free Customers Feel At Home

But, if it was up to me, I’d think about reaching out to non-imbibers, especially now, during Lent.

Through the years, I’ve encountered a number of friendly bartenders who were more than willing to dream up an alcohol-free drink for me.

One of my favorites was a lime and mint concoction at Thip Kao in Washington, D.C. that was so good my fellow diners got it, too.

The High Hat Cafe in New Orleans has featured a daily lemonade that often features fresh fruit, like satsuma oranges or Ponchatoula strawberries.

At Galit in Chicago, there’s a refreshing drink made with Yuzu tonic that is a prize winner.

With so many interesting bitters and syrups now on the market, the possibilities to create custom crafted seltzers seem endless.

I couldn’t begin to own all the flavor choices now on the market, but if you presented me with a menu sheet of what was available, I’d love to experiment with different tastes.

Imagine an alcohol free class that shows you ways to dress up a bottle of Topo Chico. It could be like, well, a party.

As restaurants re-open and people timidly come back to eat, anything to make them feel welcome will boost a check, in a way that alcohol used to do.

Having a selection available for alcohol free customers, beyond regular soft drinks and fizzy water, is the same act of kindness that I’m trying to show to others this season.

PS: and be kind to servers and everyone in restaurants, too. Not just with a big tip; but with a friendly word. Everyone needs it.

Great News For Stanley Tucci Fans

Last week, I praised the new CNN series, Searching For Italy, starring Stanley Tucci. And it seems like he has many more fans besides me.

CNN announced that it is re-newing the show for a second season, even though only two episodes have aired thus far.

“Next season, Tucci will explore the culinary delights and cultures of several new regions throughout Italy, one of the world’s most fascinating and beautiful countries,” the CNN news release says.

Meanwhile, there are still four new episodes to watch this season.

Tonight, Tucci is taking his viewers to Bologna, which some people consider the food capital of Italy. I’m personally excited for next week, when he visits Milan. (Did I bring back a container of fresh pesto from Peck’s in my suitcase? I just might have.)

Two Cookbooks That Are Getting Great Receptions

Rice

By Michael W. Twitty

I love rice. Ever since I was a small girl, one of my favorite snacks has been a bowl of white rice with butter.

You can just imagine how much I enjoyed living in Japan, where I could find packages of cooked rice almost everywhere I looked, from my neighborhood convenience stores to train stations and department store food halls.

As an adult, I’ve branched out into new directions with rice, and I’m planning to do more of that after reading Rice, by Michael W. Twitty.

His new cookbook includes 51 recipes for rice in all guises, from breakfast, lunch and dinner, to pastries, waffles and stew.

Rice has a deep connection to the American South, and it shows up in many cuisines, from soul food, to Creole, to Low Country and the Gulf Coast.

Read it for the history, then get out your pots and make some up.

Pro tip: I make my rice in the oven, often while I am roasting other food. Here’s my recipe.

Set the oven at 375F. Place your rice, water, butter and salt in an oven-proof dish, and cover it. (Use the same proportions you usually use, or about 1:1 rice and water.)

Check it after 25 minutes. If the water is absorbed, carefully remove the dish, fluff and serve. If you can still see water, give it another three or four minutes. Remember that the dish will be hot, but I think you’ll enjoy the result.

Jew-ish

By Jake Cohen

One day last week, I opened up my Instagram account to see that several of my chef friends had posted the cover of Jew-ish, by Jake Cohen, and were raving about the book.

Even though I grew up a Roman Catholic, I’ve been eating Jewish food all my life. Our neighbors, the Pears, swapped recipes with my mother.

We had bagels as often as we did sweet rolls, a babka on the Easter table, and needless to say, there was always chicken soup, either bubbling or in the freezer.

But as Jake’s book explains, there’s far more to Jewish cooking than those spotlight foods.

He’s reinvented a number of recipes reflecting his own heritage and that of his Persian-Iraqi husband. This food is modern, and flavorful, and you’re bound to find something that inspires you to try something new.

It’s fun to see someone take Jewish traditions from everywhere and liven them up. Restaurants have done it; now it’s your turn to do some experimenting in your own kitchen.

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