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From Backwoods to Bar Shelves

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

I am not sure when I had my first taste of moonshine.

Definitely when I was at least in my 20s.

I steered clear of alcohol for the most part 14 to 18 and when I did start drinking, it was mostly rum and cokes.

I really didn’t start drinking other spirits until I was working in a bar. Even then, it was more to see what different liquor tasted like.

Good Old Chicken Cacciatore

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

When I was a kid, my mother and stepmother used to make the dish Chicken Cacciatore. Since I loved spaghetti dishes, and enjoyed chicken, it was a favorite of mine when either one of them made it. My mother was a cook from scratch and my stepmother definitely took shortcuts.

I used to see this dish at many restaurants, and not just Italian.

It Started as Medicine

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

When drinking tonic with gin, vodka or whatever spirit, it might not be general knowledge, the quinine in it, has been a lifesaver for centuries.

The bark of the cinchona tree was first used by the Peruvian native tribe called the Quencua for the treatment of malaria.

Come in out of the cold for free meal

By Dick Perue

Gather at the Table Correspondent

 

Everyone, especially the hungry and lonely, is invited to come in out of the cold and “Gather at the Table” for a free meal and fellowship Monday evening, Feb. 3rd, between 5:00 and 6:30.

Bachelor Crab Quiche

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

I remember there was a saying, “Real men don’t eat quiche.”

Well, that is just stupid in my opinion, since quiche is relatively easy to make and delicious. I should point out, it is easy to make if you buy the pie shell first.

I admire those who make the pie crust from scratch, but baking is not my strong suit, so I look for cutting corners when I can. 

Kahlua Keeps Cocktails Classy and Coffee Cozy

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

You won’t see old bartending books from the 1930s and before with any recipes with any cocktails featuring the coffee liqueur Kahlua because it was not invented then. It was created in 1936 in Veracruz, Mexico by Pedro Domecq. He was a wealthy man whose family was in the sherry producing business.

Maya Garlic Shrimp

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

I remember the first time my co-worker at a Spanish liquor company in Shanghai made me dinner. 

I was blown away how simple cooking shrimp in olive oil with chopped garlic could make this amazing dish.

Nasi Goreng

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

I love fried rice dishes.

I make regular Chinese fried rice all the time. I learned how to make it in Taiwan.

Naturally, when I came across another type of fried dish called Nasi Goreng in Bali and Singapore, I was intrigued how to make it.

I mean it was everywhere and it was delicious.

The Singapore Sling

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

When I first started bartending I had heard of the Singapore Sling but I didn’t make very many. It was not very hard to make. You put in gin, sour mix, grenadine and pineapple juice in a shaker glass, mixed it and then poured it into a tall glass or a hurricane glass.

This was not really a true Singapore Sling but nobody complained.

Bubbly Cocktails

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

Asti Spumante was the bubbly beverage choice when I was growing up to drink during holidays. My father was a Martini and Old Fashioned drinker and real champagne seldom made it into the house. My stepmother liked sweeter wines and Asti Spumante is sweet and bubbly. That is what we toasted with during the celebrations at the Armstrong household.

Apple Dumplings

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

My friend Karen gave me a great Christmas present.

An apple dumpling.

She told me it was Pennsylvania Dutch Style.

I was excited.

It looked like the apple dumpling my mother used to make.

Seafood Chowder

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

Christmas dinner in the Armstrong house could have your traditional baked ham and turkey, but quite often it was a seafood dinner.

My father loved seafood and Christmas dinner could have various seafood dishes.

The Gold Liqueur

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

I recently came across a new entry to the world of spirits. It was Strawberry Goldschlager. 

Huh?

Strawberry?

For those not familiar, Goldschlager is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps, 43.5 percent alcohol by volume or 87 proof.  Originally it was 53.5% alcohol or 107 proof and that proof has been brought back recently.

Easy Bake Oven Chicken

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

I went on a baking tear the other day. I had a bunch of blueberries and chicken I had to use before they went bad.

I thought about making a pie but that would mean the end product would have a lot of sugar and I am trying to steer clear of eating a lot of that sweet stuff.

I settled on blueberry cornbread and blueberry muffins.

How Tom and Jerry’s Became a Christmas Staple

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

Turkey, Take Two

By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

 

The Thanksgiving feast might be a memory, but for many households, the turkey lives on. Leftovers are a tradition in their own right, but by week two, the excitement can wear off. Fear not, with a sprinkle of creativity and a pinch of culinary adventure, your turkey can shine once again.

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