opinionated alchemist

The 10 best & 10 worst dishes for a refined bar.

The opinionated "shots" is a new category on www.opinionated.alchemist.com, which will just capture new ideas, new concepts. But they are only "tickers" - short notices... and might be picked up in future posts. Fat Washing I think the technique of fat washing is great and it incorporates a surprising amount of flavour. Yesterday I have cooked spinach tamale stuffed chicken roll and used coconut oil for the tamale mix. I was pretty stumped, that the coconut aroma is so noticeable [especially, as I am not that fond of coconut]. But that let me think of doing homemade coconut infused rum or coconut rum liqueur [maybe the liqueur could be actually sweetened with coconut-sugar]. Another amazing flavour is happening to be cocoa butter. It really taste like chocolate [maybe less pronounced and the texture is different]. Hence making a cocoa butter washed whisky [or rum, or tequila, or you name it], might be very interesting. Indian "eating vessels...

It is Ramadan and everything [especially business] slows a little bit down. However it gives me the opportunity to get ready for my new assignment: Skylite. Skylite is a rooftop bar - and I would say, that it is by default one of the most exciting al fresco bars in the country. An illuminated grid-shell is spanning all over the hotel; colors changing slowly... and in Skylite you are sitting directly under these shells. Besides of the occasionally landing airplanes [which are awesome if you are interested in aviation - I haven't seen often a flying airplane closer] - which can be a bit noisy, this place rocks. For this venue, I am for the moment bringing F&B together - to have a really exciting offer for the new season. For the snacks, I thought about great custom-tailored finger food. Should ge tasty, accessible, inexpensive, trendy and just fun. The beverage concept is much more difficult. Problem is, that it is hard for me to departure my typical high-brow cocktail...