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From: Jose
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 11:58 AM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Subject: The Case of the Dubiously Spelled Cocktail
Hello Phaed,
I'm writing to you this morning in the hopes that you may be able to dig up the recipe for a
splendid drink that I had only once on my 22nd birthday. It stands to this day as the single
best I've ever had. The trouble is, I can't quite remember how the name was spelled. I do
remember quite well the way that I pronounced it, however: "Robe-lay." The waiter understood
me with that. I've since tried searching "Roblet" and "Roblay" to no avail.
The drink was at a now closed restaurant in downtown Austin, Texas called Haddington's.
For what it's worth, it was served in a smaller glass, very light in color. Pale, lemony yellow,
but clear rather than cloudy. Maybe gin, vodka, or champagne. It had a distinctly sweet, herbal
taste to it.
I'm hoping that I might be able to taste this excellent drink once more!
Thank you,
Joe
Hello Joe,
Sorry, I struck out on this search.
I found copies of Haddington’s cocktail menu (probably these are just partial menus) and dinner menu here:
Haddington's Cocktail Menu
What Did You Drink? Blog
Haddington's Full Dinner Menu
There is not a cocktail listed on them with a name anything like “robe-lay.”
I did general searches for cocktails with the possible names of “robelay”, “roblay”, “roblet”, and “rabelaise,”
and everything that I could think of that might be similar. No success.
The only cocktail that I can think of, or can find, with a name anywhere near that is a “Rob Roy”,
but that’s just Scotch whiskey and a little sweet vermouth and sometimes a dash of angostura bitters,
sometimes not. It’s clear, but not yellow. It’s similar to a martini, but made with Scotch whiskey
instead of gin. See below for a recipe.
I could not find any connection at all between Haddington’s and a cocktail beginning with “r”.
I checked “The Bartender’s Bible” and other bartending books and websites, but had no success finding
any cocktail with a name similar to robe-lay.
Phaed
Rob Roy Cocktail
2 oz Scotch whisky
3/4 oz Sweet vermouth
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Garnish:
1 Cherry
Glass: Cocktail
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From: "WG"
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Subject: Found recipe, I think
Date: Sunday, October 29, 2017 7:20 PM
Hi Phaed- I may have a lead on the Haddington's "Mystery Cocktail" mentioned in your 10/23/17 installment.
It's called the Dover-to-Calais cocktail which could sound a bit like Robelais to someone in a noisy bar...
This was on their cocktail menu that you linked to, it just doesn't begin with "R." Even so, I do think it's
probably the one- foaming would make it appear light colored despite the lack of milk or cream.
Here's the recipe:
Dover to Calais
by Bill Norris, Haddington's, Austin Texas
3/4 oz Rum, Smith & Cross
3/4 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Orgeat
3/4 oz Lime juice
1 ? Egg white
2 ds Peychaud's Bitters
Dry shake, add ice and shake hard for 30 seconds. Garnish with dashes of Peychaud's
The link where I found it:
Dover to Calais | Kindred Cocktails
PS: THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your time & efforts over the years! Your site has been a fantastic resource for me
(along with countless others) and I am truly grateful. Not just for the recipes I was looking for but for all the
others that I've found or rediscovered thanks to you. Flavor is so connected to memory- browsing your archive often
takes me back in time, down the culinary highway. A wonderful feeling... Best wishes and all good things to you.
Regards,WG Hamilton
From: Richard
Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2017 9:37 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Subject: Lost recipe
My late wife made a great summer salad dish. Best I remember: peas and corn mixed with
French dressing covered with lettuce, topped with pressed ham strips, sliced boiled eggs
and horseradish sauce. Might have been more ingredients. Do you know of a recipe like this?
Thank you,
Richard
Hello Richard,
I had no success finding a “summer salad” or “layered salad” recipe with those ingredients.
Below is the closest that I found, but it has somewhat different ingredients.
I’ll post this. Perhaps one of my readers can help.
Phaed
All In One Salad
1/2 Head Lettuce, Torn Into Bite Size Pieces
1 Can (8 Ounces) Green Beans, Drained
1 Tomato, Cut Into 8 Wedges
1 Cup Cubed Cooked Potatoes
1 Cup Julienne Stripes Cooked Ham
1/2 Medium Onion, Sliced
1/4 Cup Sweet Pickle Relish, Drained, Or 1/4 Cup Chopped Sweet Pickles
1 Clove Garlic, Finely Chopped
2 Hard Cooked Eggs, Sliced
Bottled French Dressing
Have All Ingredients Well Chilled, Toss Together. Makes 4 To 6 Servings.
From: Carol
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2017 8:38 AM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com ; phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Cc: cbmcmillion@yahoo.com
Subject: Requesting a Recipe for a 1950's recipe for Pimento Cheese Spread
My dearly beloved mother used to make a homemade Pimento Cheese Spread for our sandwiches back in the 1950's.
I have searched and searched the internet and many cookbooks for a recipe that could be the one my mother made.
I have not been able to find such a recipe in her many recipes that she has left or forwarded to her loved ones
nor in a recipe book from that era. You are my last hopeful resort. If I have not followed your criteria for
requesting such I apologize. I have lost some of my vision over the summer and it is difficult to read a lot of
paragraphs.
Hoping you can help me. Her Pimento Cheese was not a sugary mixture that I find in the recipes of today.
Keeping myself positive with your findings.Thanking you in advance I am
Sincerely,
Carol
Hello Carol,
Well, you haven’t responded to my last e-mail asking for more details. I hope your vision is better.
As I said, I can’t narrow down this search without more information about your mother’s pimiento cheese.
I had no problem finding pimento cheese recipes on the Internet that had no sugar added. Once you get past the
basics of cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos, there is a lot of variety. There is no strict formula. People use a
variety of cheeses, not just cheddar. Some recipes use mayonnaise, some use Miracle Whip salad dressing, and
some use evaporated or condensed milk. Some add onion and some add pickles. There’s not even agreement on how
to spell it. Some people use “pimiento”, and some use “pimento.” This variety makes it extremely difficult for
me to find a recipe like your mother’s without knowing more about her recipe.
People rarely put a date on a recipe that they post on the Internet, but the ones on these sites appear to be
from the 1950s:
From The Family Table
Lana's Cooking
The recipes below are from a variety of sources. You can see the variety reflected in them. Any one of them might
be the recipe your mom used or none of them might be it. This is the best I can do with the information that I
have from you.
Phaed
Pimento Cheese Spread
1/2 lb. sharp Cheddar cheese
1 sm. can evaporated milk
1 sm. jar chopped pimento (drain off most of the juice)
Salt & paprika to taste
Grate cheese and add milk, pimento, salt and paprika. Cook in a double boiler. Melt slowly, stirring occasionally.
Pour in container and store in refrigerator.
----------------------------------------------
Pimento - Cheese Spread
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. Cheddar cheese, cubed
1 (2 oz.) jar pimentos with juice
1 tsp. prepared mustard
Put mayonnaise, pimentos, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and half the cheese into blender; cover and process at
"Frappe" until smooth. Add remaining cheese gradually. Process until smooth and creamy, using rubber spatula when
necessary. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
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Pimento Cheese Sandwich Spread
1/2 lb. sharp cheese, at room temperature
4 oz. jar pimento, undrained
1/2 c. mayonnaise
Grate or mash cheese until creamy. Mash pimento in liquid from jar until fine. Combine cheese and pimento;
add mayonnaise. Cream until fluffy. Salt and pepper to taste. Yields 2 cups.
------------------------------------------------
Pimento Cheese Spread
2 lb. American cheese
4 oz. jar pimentos
1 qt. Miracle Whip salad dressing
Grind cheese and pimentos, using the liquid. Mix together with the salad dressing. Store in jars or containers in
refrigerator and it will keep for several weeks.
Makes 2 quarts.
------------------------------------------------
Pimento Cheese Spread
1 lb. Colby or mild Cheddar cheese
1 sm. jar of pimentos, drained
1 c. mayonnaise
Shred cheese in food processor. Mix cheese, pimento and mayonnaise in large bowl. Mix well.
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